diff --git a/OpenRA.FileFormats/Filesystem/FileSystem.cs b/OpenRA.FileFormats/Filesystem/FileSystem.cs
index b3ef264788..e6457c48d3 100644
--- a/OpenRA.FileFormats/Filesystem/FileSystem.cs
+++ b/OpenRA.FileFormats/Filesystem/FileSystem.cs
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ namespace OpenRA.FileFormats
 	public static class FileSystem
 	{
 		static List<IFolder> mountedFolders = new List<IFolder>();
-		public static string SpecialPackageRoot = "";
+		public static string SupportDir = "."; // Default to "current dir" if we aren't told otherwise
 
 		static Cache<uint, List<IFolder>> allFiles = new Cache<uint, List<IFolder>>( _ => new List<IFolder>() );
 
@@ -72,12 +72,13 @@ namespace OpenRA.FileFormats
 
 		public static void Mount(string name)
 		{
+			var start = name;
 			var optional = name.StartsWith("~");
 			if (optional) name = name.Substring(1);
 			
-			// paths starting with $ are relative to SpecialPackageRoot
-			if (name.StartsWith("$"))
-				name = SpecialPackageRoot+name.Substring(1);
+			// paths starting with ^ are relative to the support dir
+			if (name.StartsWith("^"))
+				name = FileSystem.SupportDir+name.Substring(1);
 			
 			var a = (Action)(() => FileSystem.MountInner(OpenPackage(name)));
 
diff --git a/OpenRA.Game/Game.cs b/OpenRA.Game/Game.cs
index f897b45a4f..14c5404c52 100755
--- a/OpenRA.Game/Game.cs
+++ b/OpenRA.Game/Game.cs
@@ -225,7 +225,7 @@ namespace OpenRA
 												+ Path.DirectorySeparatorChar + "OpenRA";
 
 			SupportDir = args.GetValue("SupportDir", defaultSupport);
-			FileSystem.SpecialPackageRoot = args.GetValue("SpecialPackageRoot", "");
+			FileSystem.SupportDir = SupportDir;
 			
 			Utilities = new Utilities(args.GetValue("UtilityPath", "OpenRA.Utility.exe"));
 			
diff --git a/OpenRA.Mods.RA/Widgets/Delegates/GameInitDelegate.cs b/OpenRA.Mods.RA/Widgets/Delegates/GameInitDelegate.cs
index d78c7e4859..931d1de496 100755
--- a/OpenRA.Mods.RA/Widgets/Delegates/GameInitDelegate.cs
+++ b/OpenRA.Mods.RA/Widgets/Delegates/GameInitDelegate.cs
@@ -101,7 +101,7 @@ namespace OpenRA.Mods.RA.Widgets.Delegates
 			
 			if (Info.InstallMode != "ra")
 				ShowDownloadError(window, "Installing from CD not supported");
-			else if (InstallRAPackages(window, path, FileSystem.SpecialPackageRoot+Info.PackagePath))
+			else if (InstallRAPackages(window, path, Info.ResolvedPackagePath))
 			    Game.RunAfterTick(ContinueLoading);
 		}
 
@@ -130,7 +130,7 @@ namespace OpenRA.Mods.RA.Widgets.Delegates
 					status.GetText = () => "Extracting...";
 					progress.Indeterminate = true;
 
-					if (ExtractZip(window, file, FileSystem.SpecialPackageRoot+Info.PackagePath))
+					if (ExtractZip(window, file, Info.ResolvedPackagePath))
 						Game.RunAfterTick(ContinueLoading);
 				
 				}
diff --git a/OpenRA.Mods.RA/Widgets/GameInitInfoWidget.cs b/OpenRA.Mods.RA/Widgets/GameInitInfoWidget.cs
index 9e00246f5b..4f0b829d35 100755
--- a/OpenRA.Mods.RA/Widgets/GameInitInfoWidget.cs
+++ b/OpenRA.Mods.RA/Widgets/GameInitInfoWidget.cs
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
 using OpenRA.Widgets;
 using System;
 using OpenRA.Mods.RA.Widgets.Delegates;
+using System.IO;
 
 namespace OpenRA.Mods.RA.Widgets
 {
@@ -21,6 +22,8 @@ namespace OpenRA.Mods.RA.Widgets
 		public string PackageURL = "";
 		public string PackagePath = "";
 		public string InstallMode = "";
+		
+		public string ResolvedPackagePath { get { return PackagePath.Replace("^", Game.SupportDir); } }
 
 		public override void DrawInner() {}
 	}
diff --git a/mods/cnc/chrome/gameinit.yaml b/mods/cnc/chrome/gameinit.yaml
index aaf8393e6b..0b4978bfe1 100644
--- a/mods/cnc/chrome/gameinit.yaml
+++ b/mods/cnc/chrome/gameinit.yaml
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ GameInitInfo@INIT_SETUP:
 	TestFile: conquer.mix
 	GameTitle: Command & Conquer
 	PackageURL:http://open-ra.org/get-dependency.php?file=cnc-packages
-	PackagePath:mods/cnc/packages/
+	PackagePath:^/packages/cnc
 	InstallMode:cnc
 	Delegate:GameInitDelegate
 
diff --git a/mods/cnc/mod.yaml b/mods/cnc/mod.yaml
index 1dfbdb6d6f..358a1c281f 100644
--- a/mods/cnc/mod.yaml
+++ b/mods/cnc/mod.yaml
@@ -6,10 +6,11 @@ Metadata:
 	Standalone: true
 Folders:
 	.
-	mods/cnc
-	mods/cnc/bits
-	mods/cnc/uibits
-	$mods/cnc/packages
+	./mods/cnc
+	./mods/cnc/bits
+	./mods/cnc/uibits
+	~./mods/cnc/packages
+	~^/packages/cnc
 
 Packages:
 	overrides.mix
diff --git a/mods/ra/chrome/gameinit.yaml b/mods/ra/chrome/gameinit.yaml
index 801d8753bc..ecb95c76e0 100644
--- a/mods/ra/chrome/gameinit.yaml
+++ b/mods/ra/chrome/gameinit.yaml
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ GameInitInfo@INIT_SETUP:
 	TestFile: redalert.mix
 	GameTitle: Red Alert
 	PackageURL:http://open-ra.org/get-dependency.php?file=ra-packages
-	PackagePath:mods/ra/packages/
+	PackagePath:^/packages/ra
 	InstallMode:ra
 	Delegate:GameInitDelegate
 
diff --git a/mods/ra/mod.yaml b/mods/ra/mod.yaml
index 29a184e8fd..b5e5556463 100644
--- a/mods/ra/mod.yaml
+++ b/mods/ra/mod.yaml
@@ -7,10 +7,11 @@ Metadata:
 
 Folders:
 	.
-	mods/ra
-	mods/ra/bits
-	mods/ra/uibits
-	$mods/ra/packages
+	./mods/ra
+	./mods/ra/bits
+	./mods/ra/uibits
+	~./mods/ra/packages
+	~^/packages/ra
 
 Packages:
 	~main.mix