diff --git a/features/configuration.feature b/features/configuration.feature
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..31dd59da
--- /dev/null
+++ b/features/configuration.feature
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+Feature: The path to the configuration can be changed, removing the need to
+  follow Ruby/Rails conventions
+
+  Background:
+    Given a test app with the default configuration
+    And servers with the roles app and web
+
+  Scenario: Deploying with configuration in default location
+    When I run "cap test"
+    Then the task is successful
+
+  Scenario: Deploying with configuration in a custom location
+    But the configuration is in a custom location
+    When I run "cap test"
+    Then the task is successful
diff --git a/features/step_definitions/assertions.rb b/features/step_definitions/assertions.rb
index efa002cd..8b24040e 100644
--- a/features/step_definitions/assertions.rb
+++ b/features/step_definitions/assertions.rb
@@ -88,3 +88,7 @@ end
 Then(/^it will not recreate the file$/) do
   #
 end
+
+Then(/^the task is successful$/) do
+  expect(@success).to be_true
+end
diff --git a/features/step_definitions/cap_commands.rb b/features/step_definitions/cap_commands.rb
index f5b5c14d..401e25f2 100644
--- a/features/step_definitions/cap_commands.rb
+++ b/features/step_definitions/cap_commands.rb
@@ -1,8 +1,12 @@
 When(/^I run cap "(.*?)"$/) do |task|
-  TestApp.cap(task)
+  @success = TestApp.cap(task)
 end
 
 When(/^I run cap "(.*?)" as part of a release$/) do |task|
   TestApp.cap("deploy:new_release_path #{task}")
 end
 
+When(/^I run "(.*?)"$/) do |command|
+  @success = TestApp.run(command)
+end
+
diff --git a/features/step_definitions/setup.rb b/features/step_definitions/setup.rb
index 4d16620a..7379deb4 100644
--- a/features/step_definitions/setup.rb
+++ b/features/step_definitions/setup.rb
@@ -23,3 +23,6 @@ Given(/^a custom task to generate a file$/) do
   TestApp.copy_task_to_test_app('spec/support/tasks/database.cap')
 end
 
+Given(/^the configuration is in a custom location$/) do
+  TestApp.move_configuration_to_custom_location('app')
+end
diff --git a/lib/capistrano/dsl/paths.rb b/lib/capistrano/dsl/paths.rb
index 020b2c7b..17e0a044 100644
--- a/lib/capistrano/dsl/paths.rb
+++ b/lib/capistrano/dsl/paths.rb
@@ -27,6 +27,14 @@ module Capistrano
         set(:release_path, releases_path.join(timestamp))
       end
 
+      def stage_config_path
+        Pathname.new fetch(:stage_config_path, 'config/deploy')
+      end
+
+      def deploy_config_path
+        Pathname.new fetch(:deploy_config_path, 'config/deploy.rb')
+      end
+
       def repo_url
         require 'cgi'
         require 'uri'
diff --git a/lib/capistrano/dsl/stages.rb b/lib/capistrano/dsl/stages.rb
index 283421b0..3455a87a 100644
--- a/lib/capistrano/dsl/stages.rb
+++ b/lib/capistrano/dsl/stages.rb
@@ -3,7 +3,14 @@ module Capistrano
     module Stages
 
       def stages
-        Dir['config/deploy/*.rb'].map { |f| File.basename(f, '.rb') }
+        Dir[stage_definitions].map { |f| File.basename(f, '.rb') }
+      end
+
+      def infer_stages_from_stage_files
+      end
+
+      def stage_definitions
+        stage_config_path.join('*.rb')
       end
 
       def stage_set?
diff --git a/lib/capistrano/setup.rb b/lib/capistrano/setup.rb
index f08b470d..13c160f8 100644
--- a/lib/capistrano/setup.rb
+++ b/lib/capistrano/setup.rb
@@ -9,8 +9,8 @@ end
 stages.each do |stage|
   Rake::Task.define_task(stage) do
     invoke 'load:defaults'
-    load 'config/deploy.rb'
-    load "config/deploy/#{stage}.rb"
+    load deploy_config_path
+    load stage_config_path.join("#{stage}.rb")
     load "capistrano/#{fetch(:scm)}.rb"
     set(:stage, stage.to_sym)
     I18n.locale = fetch(:locale, :en)
diff --git a/spec/integration/dsl_spec.rb b/spec/integration/dsl_spec.rb
index d99a8657..ed5cadff 100644
--- a/spec/integration/dsl_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/integration/dsl_spec.rb
@@ -340,5 +340,53 @@ describe Capistrano::DSL do
       end
     end
 
+    describe 'setting deploy configuration path' do
+      subject { dsl.deploy_config_path.to_s }
+
+      context 'where no config path is set' do
+        before do
+          dsl.delete(:deploy_config_path)
+        end
+
+        it 'returns "config/deploy.rb"' do
+          expect(subject).to eq 'config/deploy.rb'
+        end
+      end
+
+      context 'where a custom path is set' do
+        before do
+          dsl.set(:deploy_config_path, 'my/custom/path.rb')
+        end
+
+        it 'returns the custom path' do
+          expect(subject).to eq 'my/custom/path.rb'
+        end
+      end
+    end
+
+    describe 'setting stage configuration path' do
+      subject { dsl.stage_config_path.to_s }
+
+      context 'where no config path is set' do
+
+        before do
+          dsl.delete(:stage_config_path)
+        end
+
+        it 'returns "config/deploy"' do
+          expect(subject).to eq 'config/deploy'
+        end
+      end
+
+      context 'where a custom path is set' do
+        before do
+          dsl.set(:stage_config_path, 'my/custom/path')
+        end
+
+        it 'returns the custom path' do
+          expect(subject).to eq 'my/custom/path'
+        end
+      end
+    end
   end
 end
diff --git a/spec/lib/capistrano/dsl_spec.rb b/spec/lib/capistrano/dsl_spec.rb
index 4157a996..9d244218 100644
--- a/spec/lib/capistrano/dsl_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/lib/capistrano/dsl_spec.rb
@@ -20,17 +20,6 @@ module Capistrano
       end
     end
 
-    describe '#stages' do
-      before do
-        Dir.expects(:[]).with('config/deploy/*.rb').
-          returns(['config/deploy/staging.rb', 'config/deploy/production.rb'])
-      end
-
-      it 'returns a list of defined stages' do
-        expect(dsl.stages).to eq %w{staging production}
-      end
-    end
-
     describe '#stage_set?' do
       subject { dsl.stage_set? }
 
diff --git a/spec/support/test_app.rb b/spec/support/test_app.rb
index 5f18d1fd..3608426a 100644
--- a/spec/support/test_app.rb
+++ b/spec/support/test_app.rb
@@ -58,6 +58,14 @@ module TestApp
     end
   end
 
+  def prepend_to_capfile(config)
+    current_capfile = File.read(capfile)
+    File.open(capfile, 'w') do |file|
+      file.write config
+      file.write current_capfile
+    end
+  end
+
   def create_shared_directory(path)
     FileUtils.mkdir_p(shared_path.join(path))
   end
@@ -67,9 +75,14 @@ module TestApp
   end
 
   def cap(task)
+    run "bundle exec cap #{stage} #{task}"
+  end
+
+  def run(command)
     Dir.chdir(test_app_path) do
-      %x[bundle exec cap #{stage} #{task}]
+      %x[#{command}]
     end
+    $?.success?
   end
 
   def stage
@@ -135,4 +148,22 @@ module TestApp
   def copy_task_to_test_app(source)
     FileUtils.cp(source, task_dir)
   end
+
+  def config_path
+    test_app_path.join('config')
+  end
+
+  def move_configuration_to_custom_location(location)
+    prepend_to_capfile(
+      %{
+        set :stage_config_path, "app/config/deploy"
+        set :deploy_config_path, "app/config/deploy.rb"
+      }
+    )
+
+    location = test_app_path.join(location)
+    FileUtils.mkdir_p(location)
+    FileUtils.mv(config_path, location)
+  end
+
 end