diff --git a/doc/fcconfig.fncs b/doc/fcconfig.fncs
index 5f1ef43..82769d5 100644
--- a/doc/fcconfig.fncs
+++ b/doc/fcconfig.fncs
@@ -344,6 +344,15 @@ to be up to date, and used.
 @TYPE1@         const FcChar8 *			@ARG1@          name
 @PURPOSE@	Find a config file
 @DESC@
+This function is deprecated and is replaced by <function>FcConfigGetFilename</function>.
+@@
+
+@RET@           FcChar8 *
+@FUNC@          FcConfigGetFilename
+@TYPE1@         FcConfig *			@ARG1@          config
+@TYPE2@         const FcChar8 *			@ARG2@          name
+@PURPOSE@	Find a config file
+@DESC@
 Given the specified external entity name, return the associated filename.
 This provides applications a way to convert various configuration file
 references into filename form.
@@ -355,6 +364,8 @@ refers to a file in the current users home directory.  Otherwise if the name
 doesn't start with '/', it refers to a file in the default configuration
 directory; the built-in default directory can be overridden with the
 FONTCONFIG_PATH environment variable.
+    </para><para>
+The result of this function is affected by the FONTCONFIG_SYSROOT environment variable or equivalent functionality.
 @@
 
 @RET@		FcBool
diff --git a/fontconfig/fontconfig.h b/fontconfig/fontconfig.h
index 9586616..2f0e8cf 100644
--- a/fontconfig/fontconfig.h
+++ b/fontconfig/fontconfig.h
@@ -393,6 +393,10 @@ FcConfigHome (void);
 FcPublic FcBool
 FcConfigEnableHome (FcBool enable);
 
+FcPublic FcChar8 *
+FcConfigGetFilename (FcConfig      *config,
+		     const FcChar8 *url);
+
 FcPublic FcChar8 *
 FcConfigFilename (const FcChar8 *url);
     
diff --git a/src/fccfg.c b/src/fccfg.c
index e81eeba..21ccd25 100644
--- a/src/fccfg.c
+++ b/src/fccfg.c
@@ -686,7 +686,7 @@ FcConfigAddConfigFile (FcConfig	    *config,
 		       const FcChar8   *f)
 {
     FcBool	ret;
-    FcChar8	*file = FcConfigFilename (f);
+    FcChar8	*file = FcConfigGetFilename (config, f);
 
     if (!file)
 	return FcFalse;
@@ -2284,10 +2284,19 @@ FcConfigEnableHome (FcBool enable)
 }
 
 FcChar8 *
-FcConfigFilename (const FcChar8 *url)
+FcConfigGetFilename (FcConfig      *config,
+		     const FcChar8 *url)
 {
     FcChar8    *file, *dir, **path, **p;
+    const FcChar8 *sysroot;
 
+    if (!config)
+    {
+	config = FcConfigGetCurrent ();
+	if (!config)
+	    return NULL;
+    }
+    sysroot = FcConfigGetSysRoot (config);
     if (!url || !*url)
     {
 	url = (FcChar8 *) getenv ("FONTCONFIG_FILE");
@@ -2297,13 +2306,23 @@ FcConfigFilename (const FcChar8 *url)
     file = 0;
 
     if (FcStrIsAbsoluteFilename(url))
-	return FcConfigFileExists (0, url);
+	return FcConfigFileExists (sysroot, url);
 
     if (*url == '~')
     {
 	dir = FcConfigHome ();
 	if (dir)
-	    file = FcConfigFileExists (dir, url + 1);
+	{
+	    FcChar8 *s;
+
+	    if (sysroot)
+		s = FcStrBuildFilename (sysroot, dir, NULL);
+	    else
+		s = dir;
+	    file = FcConfigFileExists (s, url + 1);
+	    if (sysroot)
+		FcStrFree (s);
+	}
 	else
 	    file = 0;
     }
@@ -2314,7 +2333,15 @@ FcConfigFilename (const FcChar8 *url)
 	    return NULL;
 	for (p = path; *p; p++)
 	{
-	    file = FcConfigFileExists (*p, url);
+	    FcChar8 *s;
+
+	    if (sysroot)
+		s = FcStrBuildFilename (sysroot, *p, NULL);
+	    else
+		s = *p;
+	    file = FcConfigFileExists (s, url);
+	    if (sysroot)
+		FcStrFree (s);
 	    if (file)
 		break;
 	}
@@ -2323,33 +2350,31 @@ FcConfigFilename (const FcChar8 *url)
     return file;
 }
 
+FcChar8 *
+FcConfigFilename (const FcChar8 *url)
+{
+    return FcConfigGetFilename (NULL, url);
+}
+
 FcChar8 *
 FcConfigRealFilename (FcConfig		*config,
 		      const FcChar8	*url)
 {
-    const FcChar8 *sysroot = FcConfigGetSysRoot (config);
-    FcChar8 *n = FcConfigFilename (url);
-    FcChar8 *nn = NULL;
+    FcChar8 *n = FcConfigGetFilename (config, url);
 
     if (n)
     {
 	FcChar8 buf[FC_PATH_MAX];
 	ssize_t len;
 
-	if (sysroot)
-	    nn = FcStrBuildFilename (sysroot, n, NULL);
-	else
-	    nn = FcStrdup (n);
-	FcStrFree (n);
-
-	if ((len = FcReadLink (nn, buf, sizeof (buf) - 1)) != -1)
+	if ((len = FcReadLink (n, buf, sizeof (buf) - 1)) != -1)
 	{
 	    buf[len] = 0;
 
 	    if (!FcStrIsAbsoluteFilename (buf))
 	    {
-		FcChar8 *dirname = FcStrDirname (nn);
-		FcStrFree (nn);
+		FcChar8 *dirname = FcStrDirname (n);
+		FcStrFree (n);
 		if (!dirname)
 		    return NULL;
 
@@ -2358,18 +2383,18 @@ FcConfigRealFilename (FcConfig		*config,
 		if (!path)
 		    return NULL;
 
-		nn = FcStrCanonFilename (path);
+		n = FcStrCanonFilename (path);
 		FcStrFree (path);
 	    }
 	    else
 	    {
-		FcStrFree (nn);
-		nn = FcStrdup (buf);
+		FcStrFree (n);
+		n = FcStrdup (buf);
 	    }
 	}
     }
 
-    return nn;
+    return n;
 }
 
 /*
diff --git a/src/fcxml.c b/src/fcxml.c
index d9a67f6..a366644 100644
--- a/src/fcxml.c
+++ b/src/fcxml.c
@@ -2541,7 +2541,7 @@ FcParseInclude (FcConfigParse *parse)
         FcChar8 *filename;
 	static FcBool warn_conf = FcFalse, warn_confd = FcFalse;
 
-        filename = FcConfigFilename(s);
+        filename = FcConfigGetFilename(parse->config, s);
 	if (deprecated == FcTrue &&
 	    filename != NULL &&
 	    userdir != NULL &&
@@ -3532,7 +3532,9 @@ _FcConfigParse (FcConfig	*config,
     FcStrBuf	    sbuf;
     char            buf[BUFSIZ];
     FcBool	    ret = FcFalse, complain_again = complain;
+    FcStrBuf	    reason;
 
+    FcStrBufInit (&reason, NULL, 0);
 #ifdef _WIN32
     if (!pGetSystemWindowsDirectory)
     {
@@ -3549,12 +3551,20 @@ _FcConfigParse (FcConfig	*config,
     }
 #endif
 
-    filename = FcConfigFilename (name);
+    filename = FcConfigGetFilename (config, name);
     if (!filename)
+    {
+	FcStrBufString (&reason, (FcChar8 *)"No such file: ");
+	FcStrBufString (&reason, name ? name : (FcChar8 *)"(null)");
 	goto bail0;
+    }
     realfilename = FcConfigRealFilename (config, name);
     if (!realfilename)
+    {
+	FcStrBufString (&reason, (FcChar8 *)"No such realfile: ");
+	FcStrBufString (&reason, name ? name : (FcChar8 *)"(null)");
 	goto bail0;
+    }
     if (FcStrSetMember (config->availConfigFiles, realfilename))
     {
         FcStrFree (filename);
@@ -3582,7 +3592,11 @@ _FcConfigParse (FcConfig	*config,
 
     fd = FcOpen ((char *) realfilename, O_RDONLY);
     if (fd == -1)
+    {
+	FcStrBufString (&reason, (FcChar8 *)"Unable to open ");
+	FcStrBufString (&reason, realfilename);
 	goto bail1;
+    }
 
     do {
 	len = read (fd, buf, BUFSIZ);
@@ -3623,11 +3637,13 @@ bail0:
     if (!ret && complain_again)
     {
 	if (name)
-	    FcConfigMessage (0, FcSevereError, "Cannot %s config file \"%s\"", load ? "load" : "scan", name);
+	    FcConfigMessage (0, FcSevereError, "Cannot %s config file \"%s\": %s", load ? "load" : "scan", name, FcStrBufDoneStatic (&reason));
 	else
-	    FcConfigMessage (0, FcSevereError, "Cannot %s default config file", load ? "load" : "scan");
+	    FcConfigMessage (0, FcSevereError, "Cannot %s default config file: %s", load ? "load" : "scan", FcStrBufDoneStatic (&reason));
+	FcStrBufDestroy (&reason);
 	return FcFalse;
     }
+    FcStrBufDestroy (&reason);
     return ret;
 }