diff --git a/.jshintignore b/.jshintignore
index 25fbf5a..d8f8557 100644
--- a/.jshintignore
+++ b/.jshintignore
@@ -1,2 +1,3 @@
 node_modules/
 coverage/
+test/sandbox/
diff --git a/index.js b/index.js
index ddac1e5..2ec6bfd 100644
--- a/index.js
+++ b/index.js
@@ -99,6 +99,10 @@ var ConfigLoader = require('./lib/config-loader');
  * @property {Object} models Object containing `Model` definitions (optional).
  * @property {Object} dataSources Object containing `DataSource`
  * definitions (optional).
+ * @property {String} modelsRootDir Directory to use when loading `models.json`
+ * and `models/*.js`. Defaults to `appRootDir`.
+ * @property {String} datasourcesRootDir Directory to use when loading
+ * `datasources.json`. Defaults to `appRootDir`.
  * @end
  *
  * @header boot(app, [options])
@@ -115,9 +119,14 @@ exports = module.exports = function bootLoopBackApp(app, options) {
   var env = app.get('env');
 
   var appConfig = options.app || ConfigLoader.loadAppConfig(appRootDir, env);
-  var modelConfig = options.models || ConfigLoader.loadModels(appRootDir, env);
+
+  var modelsRootDir = options.modelsRootDir || appRootDir;
+  var modelConfig = options.models ||
+    ConfigLoader.loadModels(modelsRootDir, env);
+
+  var dsRootDir = options.dsRootDir || appRootDir;
   var dataSourceConfig = options.dataSources ||
-    ConfigLoader.loadDataSources(appRootDir, env);
+    ConfigLoader.loadDataSources(dsRootDir, env);
 
   assertIsValidConfig('app', appConfig);
   assertIsValidConfig('model', modelConfig);
@@ -204,7 +213,7 @@ exports = module.exports = function bootLoopBackApp(app, options) {
   }
 
   // require directories
-  requireDir(path.join(appRootDir, 'models'));
+  requireDir(path.join(modelsRootDir, 'models'));
   requireDir(path.join(appRootDir, 'boot'));
 };
 
diff --git a/test/boot.test.js b/test/boot.test.js
index 524cc6b..745dcef 100644
--- a/test/boot.test.js
+++ b/test/boot.test.js
@@ -300,6 +300,48 @@ describe('bootLoopBackApp', function() {
 
       expect(app.settings).to.have.property('fromJs', true);
     });
+
+    it('supports `dsRootDir` option', function() {
+      givenAppInSandbox();
+
+      var customDir = path.resolve(appDir, 'custom');
+      fs.mkdirsSync(customDir);
+      fs.renameSync(
+        path.resolve(appDir, 'datasources.json'),
+        path.resolve(customDir, 'datasources.json'));
+
+      var app = loopback();
+
+      // workaround for https://github.com/strongloop/loopback/pull/283
+      app.datasources = app.dataSources = {};
+
+      boot(app, {
+        appRootDir: appDir,
+        dsRootDir: path.resolve(appDir, 'custom')
+      });
+
+      expect(app.datasources).to.have.property('db');
+    });
+
+    it('supports `modelsRootDir` option', function() {
+      givenAppInSandbox();
+
+      writeAppConfigFile('custom/models.json', {
+        foo: { dataSource: 'db' }
+      });
+
+      global.testData = {};
+      writeAppFile('custom/models/foo.js', 'global.testData.foo = "loaded";');
+
+      var app = loopback();
+      boot(app, {
+        appRootDir: appDir,
+        modelsRootDir: path.resolve(appDir, 'custom')
+      });
+
+      expect(app.models).to.have.property('foo');
+      expect(global.testData).to.have.property('foo', 'loaded');
+    });
   });
 });
 
@@ -342,5 +384,11 @@ function givenAppInSandbox(appConfig, dataSources, models) {
 }
 
 function writeAppConfigFile(name, json) {
-  fs.writeJsonFileSync(path.resolve(appDir, name), json);
+  writeAppFile(name, JSON.stringify(json, null, 2));
+}
+
+function writeAppFile(name, content) {
+  var filePath = path.resolve(appDir, name);
+  fs.mkdirsSync(path.dirname(filePath));
+  fs.writeFileSync(filePath, content, 'utf-8');
 }