diff --git a/tools/configure.c b/tools/configure.c
index 2270c8ae30..fd65b0a927 100644
--- a/tools/configure.c
+++ b/tools/configure.c
@@ -365,30 +365,40 @@ static void parse_args(int argc, char **argv)
 
   /* The required option should be the board directory name and the
    * configuration directory name separated by ':', '/' or '\'.  Any are
-   * acceptable in this context.
+   * acceptable in this context. Or using the custom board relative or
+   * absolute path directly here.
    */
 
   g_boarddir = argv[optind];
   optind++;
 
-  ptr = strchr(g_boarddir, ':');
-  if (ptr == NULL)
+  if (!verify_optiondir(g_boarddir))
     {
-      ptr = strchr(g_boarddir, '/');
-      if (!ptr)
+      ptr = strchr(g_boarddir, ':');
+      if (ptr == NULL)
         {
-          ptr = strchr(g_boarddir, '\\');
+          ptr = strchr(g_boarddir, '/');
+          if (!ptr)
+            {
+              ptr = strchr(g_boarddir, '\\');
+            }
         }
-    }
 
-  if (ptr == NULL)
+      if (ptr == NULL)
+        {
+          fprintf(stderr, "ERROR: Invalid <board-name>:<config-name>\n");
+          show_usage(argv[0], EXIT_FAILURE);
+        }
+
+      *ptr++ = '\0';
+      g_configdir = ptr;
+    }
+  else
     {
-      fprintf(stderr, "ERROR: Invalid <board-name>:<config-name>\n");
-      show_usage(argv[0], EXIT_FAILURE);
-    }
+      /* custom board case with relative or absolute path */
 
-  *ptr++ = '\0';
-  g_configdir = ptr;
+      g_configpath = strdup(g_boarddir);
+    }
 
   /* The left arguments will pass to make */
 
@@ -799,48 +809,62 @@ static void enumerate_configs(void)
 
 static void check_configdir(void)
 {
-  /* Get the path to the top level configuration directory: boards/ */
-
-  snprintf(g_buffer, BUFFER_SIZE, "%s%cboards", g_topdir, g_delim);
-  debug("check_configdir: Checking configtop=%s\n", g_buffer);
-
-  verify_directory(g_buffer);
-  g_configtop = strdup(g_buffer);
-
-  /* Get and verify the path to the selected configuration:
-   * boards/<archdir>/<chipdir>/<boarddir>/configs/<configdir>
-   */
-
-  find_archname();
-
-  snprintf(g_buffer, BUFFER_SIZE, "%s%cboards%c%s%c%s%c%s%cconfigs%c%s",
-           g_topdir, g_delim, g_delim, g_archdir, g_delim, g_chipdir,
-           g_delim, g_boarddir, g_delim, g_delim, g_configdir);
-  debug("check_configdir: Checking configpath=%s\n", g_buffer);
-
-  if (!verify_optiondir(g_buffer))
+  if (verify_optiondir(g_configpath))
     {
-      fprintf(stderr, "ERROR: No configuration at %s\n", g_buffer);
-      fprintf(stderr, "Run tools/configure -L"
-                      " to list available configurations.\n");
-      exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
+      /* Get the path to the custom board scripts directory */
+
+      snprintf(g_buffer, BUFFER_SIZE, "%s%c..%c..%cscripts",
+               g_configpath, g_delim, g_delim, g_delim);
+      if (verify_optiondir(g_buffer))
+        {
+          g_scriptspath = strdup(g_buffer);
+        }
     }
-
-  g_configpath = strdup(g_buffer);
-
-  /* Get and verify the path to the scripts directory:
-   * boards/<archdir>/<chipdir>/<boarddir>/scripts
-   */
-
-  snprintf(g_buffer, BUFFER_SIZE, "%s%cboards%c%s%c%s%c%s%cscripts",
-           g_topdir, g_delim, g_delim, g_archdir, g_delim,
-           g_chipdir, g_delim, g_boarddir, g_delim);
-  debug("check_configdir: Checking scriptspath=%s\n", g_buffer);
-
-  g_scriptspath = NULL;
-  if (verify_optiondir(g_buffer))
+  else
     {
-      g_scriptspath = strdup(g_buffer);
+      /* Get the path to the top level configuration directory: boards/ */
+
+      snprintf(g_buffer, BUFFER_SIZE, "%s%cboards", g_topdir, g_delim);
+      debug("check_configdir: Checking configtop=%s\n", g_buffer);
+
+      verify_directory(g_buffer);
+      g_configtop = strdup(g_buffer);
+
+      /* Get and verify the path to the selected configuration:
+       * boards/<archdir>/<chipdir>/<boarddir>/configs/<configdir>
+       */
+
+      find_archname();
+
+      snprintf(g_buffer, BUFFER_SIZE, "%s%cboards%c%s%c%s%c%s%cconfigs%c%s",
+               g_topdir, g_delim, g_delim, g_archdir, g_delim, g_chipdir,
+               g_delim, g_boarddir, g_delim, g_delim, g_configdir);
+      debug("check_configdir: Checking configpath=%s\n", g_buffer);
+
+      if (!verify_optiondir(g_buffer))
+        {
+          fprintf(stderr, "ERROR: No configuration at %s\n", g_buffer);
+          fprintf(stderr, "Run tools/configure -L"
+                          " to list available configurations.\n");
+          exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
+        }
+
+      g_configpath = strdup(g_buffer);
+
+      /* Get and verify the path to the scripts directory:
+       * boards/<archdir>/<chipdir>/<boarddir>/scripts
+       */
+
+      snprintf(g_buffer, BUFFER_SIZE, "%s%cboards%c%s%c%s%c%s%cscripts",
+               g_topdir, g_delim, g_delim, g_archdir, g_delim,
+               g_chipdir, g_delim, g_boarddir, g_delim);
+      debug("check_configdir: Checking scriptspath=%s\n", g_buffer);
+
+      g_scriptspath = NULL;
+      if (verify_optiondir(g_buffer))
+        {
+          g_scriptspath = strdup(g_buffer);
+        }
     }
 }