diff --git a/tools/script_manager.lua b/tools/script_manager.lua
index becb3d0..80cdbab 100644
--- a/tools/script_manager.lua
+++ b/tools/script_manager.lua
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ local df = require "lib/dtutils.file"
 local ds = require "lib/dtutils.string"
 local dtsys = require "lib/dtutils.system"
 local log = require "lib/dtutils.log"
-local debug = require "darktable.debug"
+local dtdebug = require "darktable.debug"
 
 local gettext = dt.gettext.gettext
 
@@ -62,6 +62,21 @@ local function _(msgid)
     return gettext(msgid)
 end
 
+-- figure out where we are running from
+
+local info = debug.getinfo(1, "S")
+local scripts_path = info.source:sub(2)
+
+dt.print_log("scripts path is " .. scripts_path)
+
+-- assume user based
+local system_based = false
+
+if string.match(scripts_path, dt.configuration.data_dir) then
+  dt.print_log("script_manager using system based scripts")
+  system_based = true
+end
+
 -- api check
 
 -- du.check_min_api_version("9.3.0", "script_manager")
@@ -71,7 +86,7 @@ end
 -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 
 
 -- script_manager required API version
-local SM_API_VER_REQD <const> = "9.3.0"
+local SM_API_VER_REQD <const> = "9.7.0"
 
 -- path separator
 local PS <const> = dt.configuration.running_os == "windows" and "\\" or "/"
@@ -87,15 +102,29 @@ local DEFAULT_BUTTONS_PER_PAGE <const> = 10
 
 local DEFAULT_LOG_LEVEL <const> = log.warn
 
-local LUA_DIR <const> = dt.configuration.config_dir .. PS .. "lua"
+local USER_LUA_DIR <const> = dt.configuration.config_dir .. PS .. "lua"
+local SYSTEM_LUA_DIR <const> = dt.configuration.data_dir .. PS .. "lua-scripts"
+
 local LUA_SCRIPT_REPO <const> = "https://github.com/darktable-org/lua-scripts.git"
 
 local LUA_API_VER <const> = "API-" .. dt.configuration.api_version_string
 
 -- local POWER_ICON = dt.configuration.config_dir .. "/lua/data/data/icons/power.png"
-local POWER_ICON <const> = dt.configuration.config_dir .. "/lua/data/icons/path20.png"
-local BLANK_ICON <const> = dt.configuration.config_dir .. "/lua/data/icons/blank20.png"
+local USER_POWER_ICON <const> = dt.configuration.config_dir .. "/lua/data/icons/path20.png"
+local USER_BLANK_ICON <const> = dt.configuration.config_dir .. "/lua/data/icons/blank20.png"
 
+local SYSTEM_POWER_ICON <const> = dt.configuration.data_dir .. "/lua-scripts/data/icons/path20.png"
+local SYSTEM_BLANK_ICON <const> = dt.configuration.data_dir .. "/lua-scripts/data/icons/blank20.png"
+
+local LUA_DIR = USER_LUA_DIR
+local POWER_ICON = USER_POWER_ICON
+local BLANK_ICON = USER_BLANK_ICON
+
+if system_based then
+  LUA_DIR = SYSTEM_LUA_DIR
+  POWER_ICON = SYSTEM_POWER_ICON
+  BLANK_ICON = SYSTEM_BLANK_ICON
+end
 -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 
 -- P R E F E R E N C E S
 -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 
@@ -1243,7 +1272,7 @@ end
 
 script_manager_running_script = "script_manager"
 
-if check_for_updates or SM_API_VER_REQD > dt.configuration.api_version_string then
+if (check_for_updates or SM_API_VER_REQD > dt.configuration.api_version_string) and not system_based then
   local repo_data = get_repo_status(LUA_DIR)
   local current_branch = get_current_repo_branch(LUA_DIR)
   local clean = is_repo_clean(repo_data)
@@ -1325,6 +1354,25 @@ end
 scan_scripts(LUA_DIR)
 log.msg(log.debug, "finished processing scripts")
 
+if system_based then
+  -- exec user luarc file if it exists
+  local luarc = loadfile(USER_LUA_DIR .. "rc")
+  if luarc then
+    luarc()
+  end
+
+  if df.test_file(USER_LUA_DIR, "d") then
+    LUA_DIR = USER_LUA_DIR
+    scan_scripts(LUA_DIR)
+    LUA_DIR = SYSTEM_LUA_DIR
+  end
+
+  dt.configuration["lua_dir"] = LUA_DIR
+
+  dt.print_log("lua dir is " .. dt.configuration.lua_dir)
+  -- scan_script(USER_LUA_DIR)
+end
+
 
 -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 
 -- U S E R  I N T E R F A C E