diff --git a/debian/changelog b/debian/changelog
index 2caecf3d..5cd9b7b3 100644
--- a/debian/changelog
+++ b/debian/changelog
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@ byobu (5.64) unreleased; urgency=low
 
   * usr/share/byobu/profiles/bashrc:
     - adjust whitespace
+  * usr/bin/byobu:
+    - handle the backend better
 
  -- Dustin Kirkland <kirkland@ubuntu.com>  Thu, 07 Nov 2013 11:55:15 -0600
 
diff --git a/usr/bin/byobu b/usr/bin/byobu
index b5788b1e..ab4dcdd6 100755
--- a/usr/bin/byobu
+++ b/usr/bin/byobu
@@ -52,6 +52,7 @@ export BYOBU_CHARMAP=$(locale charmap)
 . "${BYOBU_PREFIX}/lib/${PKG}/include/common"
 
 # Override backend if we can determine intentions from argv[0]
+[ -r "$HOME/.$PKG/backend" ] && . "$HOME/.$PKG/backend"
 case "$0" in
 	*byobu-screen) BYOBU_BACKEND="screen" ;;
 	*byobu-tmux) BYOBU_BACKEND="tmux" ;;