diff --git a/debian/changelog b/debian/changelog
index 889aa879..59ee5983 100644
--- a/debian/changelog
+++ b/debian/changelog
@@ -1,6 +1,12 @@
 byobu (2.63) unreleased; urgency=low
 
-  * UNRELEASED
+  * etc/byobu/socketdir, usr/bin/byobu-config, usr/bin/byobu-janitor,
+    usr/bin/byobu-select-profile: increase portability to other distros,
+    create socketdir conffile and SOCKETDIR variable for users who don't
+    use /var/run/screen as the socket directory, LP: #535378
+  * usr/bin/byobu-config: change a sample reference from "bash" to "shell"
+    again for portability, LP: #xxxxxx
+
 
  -- Dustin Kirkland <kirkland@ubuntu.com>  Tue, 09 Mar 2010 14:53:10 -0600
 
diff --git a/etc/byobu/socketdir b/etc/byobu/socketdir
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..e3596a24
--- /dev/null
+++ b/etc/byobu/socketdir
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+# Set the location of the socket directory that byobu will use.
+# On Debian/Ubuntu systems, this is in /var/run/screen, but on
+# other distros, it might be elsewhere, such as /tmp
+#
+# This file will be sourced by both shell scripts and python code,
+# so please ensure that:
+#  * the variable name is SOCKETDIR
+#  * there is no space around the "="
+#  * and that the path value is quoted
+SOCKETDIR="/var/run/screen"
diff --git a/usr/bin/byobu-config b/usr/bin/byobu-config
index 46bfaa03..2aa0a837 100755
--- a/usr/bin/byobu-config
+++ b/usr/bin/byobu-config
@@ -37,7 +37,13 @@ if not os.path.exists(DOC):
     DOC = "%s/.%s/%s" % (HOME, PKG, DOC)
 DEF_ESC="A"
 RELOAD = "If you are using the default set of keybindings, press\n<F5> or <ctrl-a-R> to activate these changes.\n\nOtherwise, exit this screen session and start a new one."
-RELOAD_FLAG="/var/run/screen/S-"+USER+"/"+PKG+".reload-required"
+SOCKETDIR="/var/run/screen"
+if os.path.exists("/etc/%s/socketdir" % PKG):
+    try:
+	execfile(i)
+    except:
+	SOCKETDIR="/var/run/screen"
+RELOAD_FLAG="%s/S-%s/%s.reload-required" % (SOCKETDIR, USER, PKG)
 RELOAD_CMD="screen -X at 0 source $HOME/."+PKG+"/profile"
 ESC = ''
 snack.hotkeys[ESC] = ord(ESC)
@@ -183,9 +189,9 @@ def switch_keybindings(set):
     commands.getoutput("sed -i -e 's:^source .*$:source "+SHARE+"/keybindings/"+set+":' "+HOME+"/."+PKG+"/keybindings")
 
 def newwindow(screen, size):
-    title=Entry(8, text="bash", returnExit=1)
+    title=Entry(8, text="shell", returnExit=1)
     titlel=Label(_("Title: "))
-    command=Entry(20, text="/bin/bash", returnExit=1)
+    command=Entry(20, text="/bin/sh", returnExit=1)
     commandl=Label(_("Command: "))
 
     rl=Label(_("Presets: "))
diff --git a/usr/bin/byobu-janitor b/usr/bin/byobu-janitor
index 3648f35c..11444c38 100755
--- a/usr/bin/byobu-janitor
+++ b/usr/bin/byobu-janitor
@@ -20,7 +20,8 @@
 #    along with this program.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
 
 PKG="byobu"
-RUN="/var/run/screen/S-$USER"
+[ -r "/etc/$PKG/socketdir" ] && . "/etc/$PKG/socketdir" || SOCKETDIR="/var/run/screen"
+RUN="$SOCKETDIR/S-$USER"
 FLAG="$RUN/$PKG.reload-required"
 
 # Exit immediately, if we're not forced, and there is no reload flag
diff --git a/usr/bin/byobu-select-profile b/usr/bin/byobu-select-profile
index 6ceeeb9d..7daf3dd6 100755
--- a/usr/bin/byobu-select-profile
+++ b/usr/bin/byobu-select-profile
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@
 #	./debian/rules get-po
 
 PKG="byobu"
+[ -r "/etc/$PKG/socketdir" ] && . "/etc/$PKG/socketdir" || SOCKETDIR="/var/run/screen"
 
 TEXTDOMAIN="$PKG"
 
@@ -175,7 +176,7 @@ setcolor() {
 	fi
 	[ "$MONOCHROME" = "1" ] || MONOCHROME=0
 	printf "FOREGROUND=$FOREGROUND\nBACKGROUND=$BACKGROUND\nMONOCHROME=$MONOCHROME" > $FILE
-	touch "/var/run/screen/S-$USER/$PKG.reload-required"
+	touch "$SOCKETDIR/S-$USER/$PKG.reload-required"
 }
 
 if [ $# -eq 0 ]; then