diff --git a/src/common/configpaths.py b/src/common/configpaths.py
index 9e18a18aa..55d110446 100644
--- a/src/common/configpaths.py
+++ b/src/common/configpaths.py
@@ -134,19 +134,22 @@ class ConfigPaths:
         for key in self.paths.keys():
             yield (key, self[key])
 
-    def init(self, root=None, profile=''):
+    def init(self, root=None, profile='', profile_separation=False):
         if root is not None:
             self.config_root = self.cache_root = self.data_root = root
 
-        if len(profile) > 0:
-            profile = u'.' + profile
+        self.init_profile(profile)
         
+        if len(profile) > 0 and profile_separation:
+            profile = u'.' + profile
+        else:
+            profile = ''
+            
         d = {'LOG_DB': 'logs.db', 'MY_CACERTS': 'cacerts.pem',
             'MY_EMOTS': 'emoticons', 'MY_ICONSETS': 'iconsets',
             'MY_MOOD_ICONSETS': 'moods', 'MY_ACTIVITY_ICONSETS': 'activities',
             'PLUGINS_USER': 'plugins',
-            'RNG_SEED': 'rng_seed',
-            'SECRETS_FILE': 'secrets', 'MY_PEER_CERTS': 'certs'}
+            'RNG_SEED': 'rng_seed'}
         for name in d:
             d[name] += profile
             self.add(name, TYPE_DATA, windowsify(d[name]))
@@ -156,8 +159,7 @@ class ConfigPaths:
             self.add('MY_DATA', TYPE_DATA, '')
 
         d = {'CACHE_DB': 'cache.db', 'VCARD': 'vcards',
-                'AVATAR': 'avatars',
-                'PID_FILE': 'gajim.pid'}
+                'AVATAR': 'avatars'}
         for name in d:
             d[name] += profile
             self.add(name, TYPE_CACHE, windowsify(d[name]))
@@ -166,10 +168,6 @@ class ConfigPaths:
         else:
             self.add('MY_CACHE', TYPE_CACHE, '')
 
-        d = {'CONFIG_FILE': 'config', 'PLUGINS_CONFIG_DIR': 'pluginsconfig', 'MY_CERT': 'localcerts'}
-        for name in d:
-            d[name] += profile
-            self.add(name, TYPE_CONFIG, windowsify(d[name]))
         if len(profile):
             self.add('MY_CONFIG', TYPE_CONFIG, 'config.dir')
         else:
@@ -194,4 +192,28 @@ class ConfigPaths:
         except (ImportError, AttributeError):
             pass
 
+    def init_profile(self, profile):
+        conffile = windowsify('config')
+        pidfile = windowsify('gajim')
+        secretsfile = windowsify('secrets')
+        pluginsconfdir = windowsify('pluginsconfig')
+        certsdir = windowsify(u'certs')
+        localcertsdir = windowsify(u'localcerts')
+
+        if len(profile) > 0:
+            conffile += '.' + profile
+            pidfile += '.' + profile
+            secretsfile += '.' + profile
+            pluginsconfdir += '.' + profile
+            certsdir += u'.' + profile
+            localcertsdir += u'.' + profile
+
+        pidfile += '.pid'
+        self.add('SECRETS_FILE', TYPE_DATA, secretsfile)
+        self.add('MY_PEER_CERTS', TYPE_DATA, certsdir)
+        self.add('PID_FILE', TYPE_CACHE, pidfile)
+        self.add('CONFIG_FILE', TYPE_CONFIG, conffile)
+        self.add('PLUGINS_CONFIG_DIR', TYPE_CONFIG, pluginsconfdir)
+        self.add('MY_CERT', TYPE_CONFIG, localcertsdir)
+
 gajimpaths = ConfigPaths()
diff --git a/src/gajim.py b/src/gajim.py
index 150941b5c..530432949 100644
--- a/src/gajim.py
+++ b/src/gajim.py
@@ -130,11 +130,12 @@ from common import i18n
 def parseOpts():
     profile_ = ''
     config_path_ = None
-
+    profile_separation_ = False
+    
     try:
-        shortargs = 'hqvl:p:c:'
+        shortargs = 'hqsvl:p:c:'
         # add gtk/gnome session option as gtk_get_option_group is not wrapped
-        longargs = 'help quiet verbose loglevel= profile= config-path='
+        longargs = 'help quiet separate verbose loglevel= profile= config-path='
         longargs += ' class= name= screen= gtk-module= sync g-fatal-warnings'
         longargs += ' sm-client-id= sm-client-state-file= sm-disable'
         opts = getopt.getopt(sys.argv[1:], shortargs, longargs.split())[0]
@@ -151,6 +152,8 @@ def parseOpts():
                     _('Show this help message and exit') + \
                 '\n  -q, --quiet        ' + \
                     _('Show only critical errors') + \
+                '\n  -s, --separate     ' + \
+                    _('Separate profile files completely (even history db and plugins)') + \
                 '\n  -v, --verbose      ' + \
                     _('Print xml stanzas and other debug information') + \
                 '\n  -p, --profile      ' + \
@@ -163,6 +166,8 @@ def parseOpts():
             sys.exit()
         elif o in ('-q', '--quiet'):
             logging_helpers.set_quiet()
+        elif o in ('-s', '--separate'):
+            profile_separation_ = True
         elif o in ('-v', '--verbose'):
             logging_helpers.set_verbose()
         elif o in ('-p', '--profile'): # gajim --profile name
@@ -171,14 +176,14 @@ def parseOpts():
             logging_helpers.set_loglevels(a)
         elif o in ('-c', '--config-path'):
             config_path_ = a
-    return profile_, config_path_
+    return profile_, config_path_, profile_separation_
 
 import locale
-profile, config_path = parseOpts()
+profile, config_path, profile_separation = parseOpts()
 del parseOpts
 
 import common.configpaths
-common.configpaths.gajimpaths.init(config_path, profile)
+common.configpaths.gajimpaths.init(config_path, profile, profile_separation)
 del config_path
 del profile