diff --git a/lang/en/admin.php b/lang/en/admin.php
index 275640438ca..dca5bfa8846 100644
--- a/lang/en/admin.php
+++ b/lang/en/admin.php
@@ -503,7 +503,7 @@ $string['errorsetting'] = 'Could not save setting:';
 $string['errorwithsettings'] = 'Some settings were not changed due to an error.';
 $string['everyonewhocan'] = 'Everyone who can \'{$a}\'';
 $string['exceptions'] = 'exceptions';
-$string['execpathnotallowed'] = 'Setting executable paths disabled in config.php';
+$string['execpathnotallowed'] = 'Setting executable and local paths disabled in config.php';
 $string['experimental'] = 'Experimental';
 $string['experimentalsettings'] = 'Experimental settings';
 $string['extendedusernamechars'] = 'Allow extended characters in usernames';
diff --git a/lib/adminlib.php b/lib/adminlib.php
index f2c96b5c097..b4be4cdf01b 100644
--- a/lib/adminlib.php
+++ b/lib/adminlib.php
@@ -2418,6 +2418,7 @@ class admin_setting_configfile extends admin_setting_configtext {
      * @return string XHTML field
      */
     public function output_html($data, $query='') {
+        global $CFG;
         $default = $this->get_defaultsetting();
 
         if ($data) {
@@ -2429,9 +2430,14 @@ class admin_setting_configfile extends admin_setting_configtext {
         } else {
             $executable = '';
         }
+        $readonly = '';
+        if (!empty($CFG->preventexecpath)) {
+            $this->visiblename .= '<div class="form-overridden">'.get_string('execpathnotallowed', 'admin').'</div>';
+            $readonly = 'readonly="readonly"';
+        }
 
         return format_admin_setting($this, $this->visiblename,
-        '<div class="form-file defaultsnext"><input type="text" size="'.$this->size.'" id="'.$this->get_id().'" name="'.$this->get_full_name().'" value="'.s($data).'" />'.$executable.'</div>',
+        '<div class="form-file defaultsnext"><input '.$readonly.' type="text" size="'.$this->size.'" id="'.$this->get_id().'" name="'.$this->get_full_name().'" value="'.s($data).'" />'.$executable.'</div>',
         $this->description, true, '', $default, $query);
     }
 
@@ -2483,12 +2489,14 @@ class admin_setting_configexecutable extends admin_setting_configfile {
         } else {
             $executable = '';
         }
+        $readonly = '';
         if (!empty($CFG->preventexecpath)) {
             $this->visiblename .= '<div class="form-overridden">'.get_string('execpathnotallowed', 'admin').'</div>';
+            $readonly = 'readonly="readonly"';
         }
 
         return format_admin_setting($this, $this->visiblename,
-        '<div class="form-file defaultsnext"><input type="text" size="'.$this->size.'" id="'.$this->get_id().'" name="'.$this->get_full_name().'" value="'.s($data).'" />'.$executable.'</div>',
+        '<div class="form-file defaultsnext"><input '.$readonly.' type="text" size="'.$this->size.'" id="'.$this->get_id().'" name="'.$this->get_full_name().'" value="'.s($data).'" />'.$executable.'</div>',
         $this->description, true, '', $default, $query);
     }
 }
@@ -2509,6 +2517,7 @@ class admin_setting_configdirectory extends admin_setting_configfile {
      * @return string XHTML
      */
     public function output_html($data, $query='') {
+        global $CFG;
         $default = $this->get_defaultsetting();
 
         if ($data) {
@@ -2520,9 +2529,14 @@ class admin_setting_configdirectory extends admin_setting_configfile {
         } else {
             $executable = '';
         }
+        $readonly = '';
+        if (!empty($CFG->preventexecpath)) {
+            $this->visiblename .= '<div class="form-overridden">'.get_string('execpathnotallowed', 'admin').'</div>';
+            $readonly = 'readonly="readonly"';
+        }
 
         return format_admin_setting($this, $this->visiblename,
-        '<div class="form-file defaultsnext"><input type="text" size="'.$this->size.'" id="'.$this->get_id().'" name="'.$this->get_full_name().'" value="'.s($data).'" />'.$executable.'</div>',
+        '<div class="form-file defaultsnext"><input '.$readonly.' type="text" size="'.$this->size.'" id="'.$this->get_id().'" name="'.$this->get_full_name().'" value="'.s($data).'" />'.$executable.'</div>',
         $this->description, true, '', $default, $query);
     }
 }
diff --git a/lib/tests/admintree_test.php b/lib/tests/admintree_test.php
index 24677af09ff..8a377b7598e 100644
--- a/lib/tests/admintree_test.php
+++ b/lib/tests/admintree_test.php
@@ -272,7 +272,7 @@ class core_admintree_testcase extends advanced_testcase {
         $setting->write_setting('/mm/nn');
         $this->assertSame('', get_config('abc_cde', 'execpath'));
 
-        // This also (most probably incorrectly) affects admin_setting_configfile.
+        // This also affects admin_setting_configfile and admin_setting_configdirectory.
 
         set_config('preventexecpath', 0);
         set_config('execpath', null, 'abc_cde');
@@ -297,5 +297,27 @@ class core_admintree_testcase extends advanced_testcase {
         $setting->write_setting('/mm/nn');
         $this->assertSame('', get_config('abc_cde', 'execpath'));
 
+        set_config('preventexecpath', 0);
+        set_config('execpath', null, 'abc_cde');
+        $this->assertFalse(get_config('abc_cde', 'execpath'));
+        $setting = new admin_setting_configdirectory('abc_cde/execpath', 'some desc', '', '/xx/yy');
+        $setting->write_setting('/oo/pp');
+        $this->assertSame('/oo/pp', get_config('abc_cde', 'execpath'));
+
+        // Prevent changes.
+        set_config('preventexecpath', 1);
+        $setting->write_setting('/mm/nn');
+        $this->assertSame('/oo/pp', get_config('abc_cde', 'execpath'));
+
+        // Use default in install.
+        set_config('execpath', null, 'abc_cde');
+        $setting->write_setting('/mm/nn');
+        $this->assertSame('/xx/yy', get_config('abc_cde', 'execpath'));
+
+        // Use empty value if no default.
+        $setting = new admin_setting_configdirectory('abc_cde/execpath', 'some desc', '', null);
+        set_config('execpath', null, 'abc_cde');
+        $setting->write_setting('/mm/nn');
+        $this->assertSame('', get_config('abc_cde', 'execpath'));
     }
 }