diff --git a/source/net/yacy/yacy.java b/source/net/yacy/yacy.java
index 1a0661181..f30349335 100644
--- a/source/net/yacy/yacy.java
+++ b/source/net/yacy/yacy.java
@@ -789,14 +789,26 @@ public final class yacy {
 	        if ((args.length >= 1) && (args[0].toLowerCase(Locale.ROOT).equals("-startup") || args[0].equals("-start"))) {
 	            // normal start-up of yacy
 	            if (args.length > 1) {
-	            	dataRoot = new File(System.getProperty("user.home").replace('\\', '/'), args[1]);
+	            	if(args[1].startsWith(File.separator)) {
+	            		/* data root folder provided as an absolute path */
+	            		dataRoot = new File(args[1]);
+	            	} else {
+	            		/* data root folder provided as a path relative to the user home folder */
+	            		dataRoot = new File(System.getProperty("user.home").replace('\\', '/'), args[1]);
+	            	}
 	            }
                 preReadSavedConfigandInit(dataRoot);
 	            startup(dataRoot, applicationRoot, startupMemFree, startupMemTotal, false);
 	        } else if (args.length >= 1 && args[0].toLowerCase(Locale.ROOT).equals("-gui")) {
 	            // start-up of yacy with gui
 	            if (args.length > 1) {
-	            	dataRoot = new File(System.getProperty("user.home").replace('\\', '/'), args[1]);
+	            	if(args[1].startsWith(File.separator)) {
+	            		/* data root folder provided as an absolute path */
+	            		dataRoot = new File(args[1]);
+	            	} else {
+	            		/* data root folder provided as a path relative to the user home folder */
+	            		dataRoot = new File(System.getProperty("user.home").replace('\\', '/'), args[1]);
+	            	}
 	            }
                 preReadSavedConfigandInit(dataRoot);
 	            startup(dataRoot, applicationRoot, startupMemFree, startupMemTotal, true);
@@ -908,4 +920,4 @@ class shutdownHookThread extends Thread {
             ConcurrentLog.severe("SHUTDOWN","Unexpected error. " + e.getClass().getName(),e);
         }
     }
-}
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/startYACY.sh b/startYACY.sh
index a6ebf88e2..6e9101030 100755
--- a/startYACY.sh
+++ b/startYACY.sh
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ then
 		
         options="`getopt hdlptsg: $*`"
 else
-        options="`getopt -n YaCy -o h,d,f,l,p,t,s,g -l help,debug,foreground,logging,print-out,tail-log,startup,gui -- $@`"
+        options="`getopt -u -n YaCy -o h,d,f,l,p,t,s,g -l help,debug,foreground,logging,print-out,tail-log,startup,gui -- $@`"
 fi
 
 if [ $? -ne 0 ];then