diff --git a/src/App/ApplicationPy.cpp b/src/App/ApplicationPy.cpp
index 4b70a5fcad..815390cee9 100644
--- a/src/App/ApplicationPy.cpp
+++ b/src/App/ApplicationPy.cpp
@@ -86,7 +86,10 @@ PyMethodDef Application::Methods[] = {
     {"getUserAppDataDir", (PyCFunction) Application::sGetUserAppDataDir, METH_VARARGS,
      "Get the root directory of user settings"},
     {"getUserMacroDir", (PyCFunction) Application::sGetUserMacroDir, METH_VARARGS,
-     "Get the directory of the user's macro directory"},
+     "getUserMacroDir(bool=False) -> string"
+     "Get the directory of the user's macro directory\n"
+     "If parameter is False (the default) it returns the standard path in the"
+     "user's home directory, otherwise it returns the user-defined path."},
     {"getHelpDir", (PyCFunction) Application::sGetHelpDir, METH_VARARGS,
      "Get the directory of the documentation"},
     {"getHomePath",    (PyCFunction) Application::sGetHomePath, METH_VARARGS,
@@ -588,10 +591,18 @@ PyObject* Application::sGetUserAppDataDir(PyObject * /*self*/, PyObject *args)
 
 PyObject* Application::sGetUserMacroDir(PyObject * /*self*/, PyObject *args)
 {
-    if (!PyArg_ParseTuple(args, ""))     // convert args: Python->C
-        return NULL;                       // NULL triggers exception
+    PyObject *actual = Py_False;
+    if (!PyArg_ParseTuple(args, "|O!", &PyBool_Type, &actual))
+        return NULL;
 
-    Py::String user_macro_dir(Application::getUserMacroDir(),"utf-8");
+    std::string macroDir = Application::getUserMacroDir();
+    if (PyObject_IsTrue(actual)) {
+        macroDir = App::GetApplication().
+            GetParameterGroupByPath("User parameter:BaseApp/Preferences/Macro")
+            ->GetASCII("MacroPath",macroDir.c_str());
+    }
+
+    Py::String user_macro_dir(macroDir,"utf-8");
     return Py::new_reference_to(user_macro_dir);
 }
 
diff --git a/src/Mod/AddonManager/AddonManager.py b/src/Mod/AddonManager/AddonManager.py
index fe313b478b..f480a762d8 100644
--- a/src/Mod/AddonManager/AddonManager.py
+++ b/src/Mod/AddonManager/AddonManager.py
@@ -117,7 +117,7 @@ def install_macro(macro, macro_repo_dir):
     """
     if not macro.code:
         return False
-    macro_dir = FreeCAD.getUserMacroDir()
+    macro_dir = FreeCAD.getUserMacroDir(True)
     if not os.path.isdir(macro_dir):
         try:
             os.makedirs(macro_dir)
@@ -165,7 +165,7 @@ def remove_macro(macro):
     if not macro.is_installed():
         # Macro not installed, nothing to do.
         return True
-    macro_dir = FreeCAD.getUserMacroDir()
+    macro_dir = FreeCAD.getUserMacroDir(True)
     macro_path = os.path.join(macro_dir, macro.filename)
     macro_path_with_macro_prefix = os.path.join(macro_dir, 'Macro_' + macro.filename)
     if os.path.exists(macro_path):
@@ -184,9 +184,9 @@ def remove_macro(macro):
 def remove_directory_if_empty(dir):
     """Remove the directory if it is empty
 
-    Directory FreeCAD.getUserMacroDir() will not be removed even if empty.
+    Directory FreeCAD.getUserMacroDir(True) will not be removed even if empty.
     """
-    if dir == FreeCAD.getUserMacroDir():
+    if dir == FreeCAD.getUserMacroDir(True):
         return
     if not os.listdir(dir):
         os.rmdir(dir)
@@ -456,7 +456,7 @@ class AddonsInstaller(QtGui.QDialog):
             if not macro.is_installed():
                 # Macro not installed, nothing to do.
                 return
-            macro_path = os.path.join(FreeCAD.getUserMacroDir(), macro.filename)
+            macro_path = os.path.join(FreeCAD.getUserMacroDir(True), macro.filename)
             if os.path.exists(macro_path):
                 macro_path = macro_path.replace("\\","/")
 
@@ -915,7 +915,7 @@ class InstallWorker(QtCore.QThread):
                         self.download(self.repos[idx][1],clonedir)
                     answer = translate("AddonsInstaller", "Workbench successfully installed. Please restart FreeCAD to apply the changes.")
             # symlink any macro contained in the module to the macros folder
-            macro_dir = FreeCAD.getUserMacroDir()
+            macro_dir = FreeCAD.getUserMacroDir(True)
             if not os.path.exists(macro_dir):
                 os.makedirs(macro_dir)
             for f in os.listdir(clonedir):
diff --git a/src/Mod/AddonManager/addonmanager_macro.py b/src/Mod/AddonManager/addonmanager_macro.py
index bc4d8d9810..61e6980898 100644
--- a/src/Mod/AddonManager/addonmanager_macro.py
+++ b/src/Mod/AddonManager/addonmanager_macro.py
@@ -56,8 +56,8 @@ class Macro(object):
     def is_installed(self):
         if self.on_git and not self.src_filename:
             return False
-        return (os.path.exists(os.path.join(FreeCAD.getUserMacroDir(), self.filename))
-                or os.path.exists(os.path.join(FreeCAD.getUserMacroDir(), 'Macro_' + self.filename)))
+        return (os.path.exists(os.path.join(FreeCAD.getUserMacroDir(True), self.filename))
+                or os.path.exists(os.path.join(FreeCAD.getUserMacroDir(True), 'Macro_' + self.filename)))
 
     def fill_details_from_file(self, filename):
         with open(filename) as f: