diff --git a/THANKS b/THANKS
index db1a28f2..16ad99e1 100644
--- a/THANKS
+++ b/THANKS
@@ -170,3 +170,4 @@ Ryan Peck <ryan@rypeck.com>
 Alex Conrad <alexandre.conrad@gmail.com>
 Nik Nyby <nnyby@columbia.edu>
 Ed Morley <edmorley@users.noreply.github.com>
+Oliver Bristow <evilumbrella+github@gmail.com>
diff --git a/gunicorn/app/base.py b/gunicorn/app/base.py
index 263ed8e3..79acb0dc 100644
--- a/gunicorn/app/base.py
+++ b/gunicorn/app/base.py
@@ -147,26 +147,26 @@ class Application(BaseApplication):
             for k, v in cfg.items():
                 self.cfg.set(k.lower(), v)
 
+        env_args = parser.parse_args(self.cfg.get_cmd_args_from_env())
+
         if args.config:
             self.load_config_from_file(args.config)
+        elif env_args.config:
+            self.load_config_from_file(env_args.config)
         else:
             default_config = get_default_config_file()
             if default_config is not None:
                 self.load_config_from_file(default_config)
 
         # Load up environment configuration
-        env_vars = self.cfg.get_cmd_args_from_env()
-        if env_vars:
-            env_args = parser.parse_args(env_vars)
-            for k, v in vars(env_args).items():
-                if v is None:
-                    continue
-                if k == "args":
-                    continue
-                self.cfg.set(k.lower(), v)
+        for k, v in vars(env_args).items():
+            if v is None:
+                continue
+            if k == "args":
+                continue
+            self.cfg.set(k.lower(), v)
 
-        # Lastly, update the configuration with any command line
-        # settings.
+        # Lastly, update the configuration with any command line settings.
         for k, v in vars(args).items():
             if v is None:
                 continue
diff --git a/tests/config/test_cfg_alt.py b/tests/config/test_cfg_alt.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..a0a15dd8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/config/test_cfg_alt.py
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+proc_name = "not-fooey"
diff --git a/tests/test_config.py b/tests/test_config.py
index 8f1af79d..28d470fa 100644
--- a/tests/test_config.py
+++ b/tests/test_config.py
@@ -18,8 +18,12 @@ from gunicorn.instrument import statsd
 dirname = os.path.dirname(__file__)
 def cfg_module():
     return 'config.test_cfg'
+def alt_cfg_module():
+    return 'config.test_cfg_alt'
 def cfg_file():
     return os.path.join(dirname, "config", "test_cfg.py")
+def alt_cfg_file():
+    return os.path.join(dirname, "config", "test_cfg_alt.py")
 def paster_ini():
     return os.path.join(dirname, "..", "examples", "frameworks", "pylonstest", "nose.ini")
 
@@ -329,6 +333,16 @@ def test_load_enviroment_variables_config(monkeypatch):
         app = NoConfigApp()
     assert app.cfg.workers == 4
 
+def test_config_file_environment_variable(monkeypatch):
+    monkeypatch.setenv("GUNICORN_CMD_ARGS", "--config=" + alt_cfg_file())
+    with AltArgs():
+        app = NoConfigApp()
+    assert app.cfg.proc_name == "not-fooey"
+    assert app.cfg.config == alt_cfg_file()
+    with AltArgs(["prog_name", "--config", cfg_file()]):
+        app = NoConfigApp()
+    assert app.cfg.proc_name == "fooey"
+    assert app.cfg.config == cfg_file()
 
 def test_invalid_enviroment_variables_config(monkeypatch, capsys):
     monkeypatch.setenv("GUNICORN_CMD_ARGS", "--foo=bar")