diff --git a/alakazam.py b/alakazam.py
index 0fbd873..2d85428 100755
--- a/alakazam.py
+++ b/alakazam.py
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ ALL_CONFIGS = {}
 #    ...
 #}
 SETTINGS = {}
-SETTINGS_PATH = "~/.config/alakazam.yml"
+SETTINGS_PATH = "alakazam.yml" if Path("alakazam.yml").exists() else "~/.config/alakazam.yml"
 
 
 class MySafeConstructor(SafeConstructor):
@@ -467,8 +467,27 @@ def generate_all_secrets(domain: str) -> None:
             print(f"\t {gen_sec['name']}: {gen_sec['value']}")
 
 
+def get_abra_dir() -> Path:
+    if abra_dir := os.environ.get("ABRA_DIR"):
+        return Path(abra_dir)
+    home = Path.home()
+    current = Path.cwd()
+    while current != current.parent:
+        for name in ("abra.yaml", "abra.yml"):
+            config_file = current / name
+            if config_file.exists():
+                abra_config = read_config(str(config_file))
+                if abra_dir := abra_config.get("abraDir"):
+                    p = Path(abra_dir)
+                    return (current / p).resolve() if not p.is_absolute() else p
+        if current == home:
+            break
+        current = current.parent
+    return home / ".abra"
+
+
 def get_env_path(server: str, domain: str) -> Path:
-    return Path(f"~/.abra/servers/{server}/{domain}.env").expanduser()
+    return Path(ABRA_DIR / "servers" / server / f"{domain}.env")
 
 
 def exchange_secrets(app1: str, instance_config: Dict[str, Any], apps: Tuple[str]) -> None:
@@ -806,7 +825,9 @@ def cli(loglevel: str, group_path: str, exclude:Tuple[str]) -> None:
     global INSTANCE_CONFIGS
     global ALL_CONFIGS
     global SETTINGS
+    global ABRA_DIR
     SETTINGS = read_config(SETTINGS_PATH)
+    ABRA_DIR = get_abra_dir()
     if not (root_path:= SETTINGS.get('root')):
         root_path = os.getcwd()
         logging.warning(f"There is no 'root' path defined in '{SETTINGS_PATH}', use current path '{root_path}'instead")
@@ -817,9 +838,11 @@ def cli(loglevel: str, group_path: str, exclude:Tuple[str]) -> None:
         exit(1)
     all_group_configs = merge_all_group_configs(_root_path)
     exclude_paths = list(map(lambda p: str(Path(p).absolute()), exclude))
+    if ABRA_DIR.is_relative_to(_root_path) and str(ABRA_DIR) not in exclude_paths:
+        exclude_paths.append(str(ABRA_DIR))
     instance_configs = get_merged_instance_configs(_group_path, all_group_configs, exclude_paths)
     INSTANCE_CONFIGS = merge_connection_configs(instance_configs)
-    all_configs = get_merged_instance_configs(_root_path, all_group_configs, [])
+    all_configs = get_merged_instance_configs(_root_path, all_group_configs, exclude_paths)
     ALL_CONFIGS = merge_connection_configs(all_configs)
     if loglevel:
         numeric_level = getattr(logging, loglevel.upper(), None)
@@ -1357,11 +1380,11 @@ def install() -> None:
 @click.option('-p', '--push', is_flag=True, help='Push all changes to the remote')
 def git(recipes: Tuple[str], message: str, push: bool = False) -> None:
     """
-    Run multiple git commands on each ~/.abra/servers. Without any specified options each repository will only be pulled.
+    Run multiple git commands on each {ABRA_DIR}/servers. Without any specified options each repository will only be pulled.
     """
     servers = get_server(recipes)
     for server in servers:
-        server_path = Path(f"~/.abra/servers/{server}").expanduser()
+        server_path = Path(ABRA_DIR / "servers" / server)
         try:
             repo = Repo(server_path)
         except InvalidGitRepositoryError:
@@ -1391,12 +1414,12 @@ def git(recipes: Tuple[str], message: str, push: bool = False) -> None:
 @click.option('recipes', '-r', '--recipe', multiple=True, metavar='<RecipeName>', help='Filter for selcted recipes, this option can be specified multiple times.')
 def diff(recipes: Tuple[str]) -> None:
     """
-    Show the changes in the .env repositories inside ~/.abra/servers. 
+    Show the changes in the .env repositories inside {ABRA_DIR}/servers.
     """
     init(autoreset=True)
     servers = get_server(recipes)
     for server in servers:
-        server_path = Path(f"~/.abra/servers/{server}").expanduser()
+        server_path = Path(ABRA_DIR / "servers" / server)
         try:
             repo = Repo(server_path)
         except InvalidGitRepositoryError: