diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 89f74e8ba8..398b05a5d6 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -601,6 +601,16 @@ fi
 AC_DEFINE_UNQUOTED(IPTABLES_PATH, "$IPTABLES_PATH", [Define to path of iptables binary])
 AC_SUBST(IPTABLES_PATH)
 
+# dnsmasq path
+AC_ARG_WITH(dnsmasq, AS_HELP_STRING([--with-dnsmasq=/path/to/dnsmasq], [path to dnsmasq]))
+if test "x${with_dnsmasq}" = x; then
+  AC_PATH_PROG(DNSMASQ_PATH, dnsmasq, [], $PATH:/sbin:/usr/sbin)
+else
+  DNSMASQ_PATH="$with_dnsmasq"
+fi
+AC_DEFINE_UNQUOTED(DNSMASQ_PATH, "$DNSMASQ_PATH", [Define to path of dnsmasq binary])
+AC_SUBST(DNSMASQ_PATH)
+
 # system CA certificates path
 AC_ARG_WITH(system-ca-path, AS_HELP_STRING([--with-system-ca-path=/path/to/ssl/certs], [path to system CA certificates])) 
 if test "x${with_system_ca_path}" = x; then
diff --git a/src/dns-manager/nm-dns-dnsmasq.c b/src/dns-manager/nm-dns-dnsmasq.c
index 23f46e9de1..8367693da7 100644
--- a/src/dns-manager/nm-dns-dnsmasq.c
+++ b/src/dns-manager/nm-dns-dnsmasq.c
@@ -54,6 +54,7 @@ static inline const char *
 find_dnsmasq (void)
 {
 	static const char *paths[] = {
+		DNSMASQ_PATH,
 		"/usr/local/sbin/dnsmasq",
 		"/usr/sbin/dnsmasq",
 		"/sbin/dnsmasq",
@@ -62,7 +63,7 @@ find_dnsmasq (void)
 	const char **binary = paths;
 
 	while (*binary != NULL) {
-		if (g_file_test (*binary, G_FILE_TEST_EXISTS))
+		if (**binary && g_file_test (*binary, G_FILE_TEST_EXISTS))
 			return *binary;
 		binary++;
 	}
diff --git a/src/dnsmasq-manager/nm-dnsmasq-manager.c b/src/dnsmasq-manager/nm-dnsmasq-manager.c
index 5ad6b005d1..fb1a367c99 100644
--- a/src/dnsmasq-manager/nm-dnsmasq-manager.c
+++ b/src/dnsmasq-manager/nm-dnsmasq-manager.c
@@ -169,16 +169,16 @@ static inline const char *
 nm_find_dnsmasq (void)
 {
 	static const char *dnsmasq_binary_paths[] = {
+		DNSMASQ_PATH,
 		"/usr/local/sbin/dnsmasq",
 		"/usr/sbin/dnsmasq",
 		"/sbin/dnsmasq",
 		NULL
 	};
-
 	const char **dnsmasq_binary = dnsmasq_binary_paths;
 
 	while (*dnsmasq_binary != NULL) {
-		if (g_file_test (*dnsmasq_binary, G_FILE_TEST_EXISTS))
+		if (**dnsmasq_binary && g_file_test (*dnsmasq_binary, G_FILE_TEST_EXISTS))
 			break;
 		dnsmasq_binary++;
 	}