diff --git a/libretroshare/src/retroshare/rsplugin.h b/libretroshare/src/retroshare/rsplugin.h
index fd78d3b5b..5beff72fd 100644
--- a/libretroshare/src/retroshare/rsplugin.h
+++ b/libretroshare/src/retroshare/rsplugin.h
@@ -130,7 +130,7 @@ class RsPlugin
 		//
 		virtual PopupChatDialog    *qt_allocate_new_popup_chat_dialog() const { return NULL ; }	
 
-		virtual QTranslator    *qt_translator(QApplication * /* app */, const QString& /* languageCode */ ) const	{ return NULL ; }
+		virtual QTranslator    *qt_translator(QApplication * /* app */, const QString& /* languageCode */, const QString& /* externalDir */ ) const	{ return NULL ; }
 
 		// 
 		//========================== Plugin Description ==============================//
diff --git a/plugins/LinksCloud/LinksCloudPlugin.cpp b/plugins/LinksCloud/LinksCloudPlugin.cpp
index d2c844a48..131f52d16 100644
--- a/plugins/LinksCloud/LinksCloudPlugin.cpp
+++ b/plugins/LinksCloud/LinksCloudPlugin.cpp
@@ -98,7 +98,7 @@ std::string LinksCloudPlugin::getPluginName() const
 	return QApplication::translate("LinksCloudPlugin", "LinksCloud").toUtf8().constData();
 }
 
-QTranslator* LinksCloudPlugin::qt_translator(QApplication */*app*/, const QString& languageCode) const
+QTranslator* LinksCloudPlugin::qt_translator(QApplication */*app*/, const QString& languageCode, const QString& externalDir) const
 {
 	if (languageCode == "en") {
 		return NULL;
@@ -106,7 +106,7 @@ QTranslator* LinksCloudPlugin::qt_translator(QApplication */*app*/, const QStrin
 
 	QTranslator* translator = new QTranslator();
 
-	if (translator->load(QCoreApplication::applicationDirPath() + "/translations/LinksCloud_" + languageCode + ".qm")) {
+	if (translator->load(externalDir + "/LinksCloud_" + languageCode + ".qm")) {
 		return translator;
 	} else if (translator->load(":/lang/LinksCloud_" + languageCode + ".qm")) {
 		return translator;
diff --git a/plugins/LinksCloud/LinksCloudPlugin.h b/plugins/LinksCloud/LinksCloudPlugin.h
index ea972850f..e1c590ca5 100644
--- a/plugins/LinksCloud/LinksCloudPlugin.h
+++ b/plugins/LinksCloud/LinksCloudPlugin.h
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ class LinksCloudPlugin: public RsPlugin
 		virtual MainPage       *qt_page()       			const	;
 		virtual QIcon          *qt_icon()       			const	;
 		virtual uint16_t        rs_service_id()         const { return RS_SERVICE_TYPE_RANK ; }
-		virtual QTranslator    *qt_translator(QApplication *app, const QString& languageCode) const;
+		virtual QTranslator    *qt_translator(QApplication *app, const QString& languageCode, const QString& externalDir) const;
 
 		virtual void getPluginVersion(int& major,int& minor,int& svn_rev) const ;
 		virtual void setPlugInHandler(RsPluginHandler *pgHandler);
diff --git a/plugins/VOIP/VOIP.pro b/plugins/VOIP/VOIP.pro
index ca89e005d..92bea5593 100644
--- a/plugins/VOIP/VOIP.pro
+++ b/plugins/VOIP/VOIP.pro
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ SOURCES = services/p3vors.cc \
           gui/AudioPopupChatDialog.cpp \
           gui/PluginGUIHandler.cpp \
           gui/PluginNotifier.cpp \
-          VOIPPlugin.cpp 
+          VOIPPlugin.cpp
 
 HEADERS = services/p3vors.h \
 			 services/rsvoipitems.h \
@@ -48,7 +48,8 @@ HEADERS = services/p3vors.h \
           gui/AudioPopupChatDialog.h \
           gui/PluginGUIHandler.h \
           gui/PluginNotifier.h \
-			 interface/rsvoip.h
+			 interface/rsvoip.h \
+          VOIPPlugin.h
 
 FORMS   = gui/AudioInputConfig.ui \
           gui/AudioStats.ui \
diff --git a/plugins/VOIP/VOIPPlugin.cpp b/plugins/VOIP/VOIPPlugin.cpp
index f92374686..4c9d77762 100644
--- a/plugins/VOIP/VOIPPlugin.cpp
+++ b/plugins/VOIP/VOIPPlugin.cpp
@@ -157,7 +157,7 @@ std::string VOIPPlugin::getPluginName() const
 	return QApplication::translate("VOIPPlugin", "VOIP").toUtf8().constData();
 }
 
-QTranslator* VOIPPlugin::qt_translator(QApplication */*app*/, const QString& languageCode) const
+QTranslator* VOIPPlugin::qt_translator(QApplication */*app*/, const QString& languageCode, const QString& externalDir) const
 {
 	if (languageCode == "en") {
 		return NULL;
@@ -165,7 +165,7 @@ QTranslator* VOIPPlugin::qt_translator(QApplication */*app*/, const QString& lan
 
 	QTranslator* translator = new QTranslator();
 
-	if (translator->load(QCoreApplication::applicationDirPath() + "/translations/VOIP_" + languageCode + ".qm")) {
+	if (translator->load(externalDir + "/VOIP_" + languageCode + ".qm")) {
 		return translator;
 	} else if (translator->load(":/lang/VOIP_" + languageCode + ".qm")) {
 		return translator;
diff --git a/plugins/VOIP/VOIPPlugin.h b/plugins/VOIP/VOIPPlugin.h
index d63d97e47..c237c23b6 100644
--- a/plugins/VOIP/VOIPPlugin.h
+++ b/plugins/VOIP/VOIPPlugin.h
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ class VOIPPlugin: public RsPlugin
 		virtual PopupChatDialog *qt_allocate_new_popup_chat_dialog() const ;
 		
 		virtual QIcon *qt_icon() const;
-		virtual QTranslator    *qt_translator(QApplication *app, const QString& languageCode) const;
+		virtual QTranslator    *qt_translator(QApplication *app, const QString& languageCode, const QString& externalDir) const;
 
 		virtual void getPluginVersion(int& major,int& minor,int& svn_rev) const ;
 		virtual void setPlugInHandler(RsPluginHandler *pgHandler);
diff --git a/retroshare-gui/src/lang/languagesupport.cpp b/retroshare-gui/src/lang/languagesupport.cpp
index 476660806..c436b954a 100644
--- a/retroshare-gui/src/lang/languagesupport.cpp
+++ b/retroshare-gui/src/lang/languagesupport.cpp
@@ -25,11 +25,14 @@
 #include <QLibraryInfo>
 #include <rshare.h>
 #include <retroshare/rsplugin.h>
+#include <retroshare/rsinit.h>
 
 #include "languagesupport.h"
 
 static QMap<RsPlugin*, QTranslator*> translatorPlugins;
 
+#define EXTERNAL_TRANSLATION_DIR QString::fromUtf8(RsInit::getRetroshareDataDirectory().c_str())
+
 /** Initializes the list of available languages. */
 QMap<QString, QString>
 LanguageSupport::languages()
@@ -175,7 +178,7 @@ LanguageSupport::translate(const QString &languageCode)
 
   bool result = true;
 
-  if (retroshareTranslator->load(QCoreApplication::applicationDirPath() + "/translations/retroshare_" + languageCode + ".qm")) {
+  if (retroshareTranslator->load(EXTERNAL_TRANSLATION_DIR + "/translations/retroshare_" + languageCode + ".qm")) {
     QApplication::installTranslator(retroshareTranslator);
   } else if (retroshareTranslator->load(":/lang/retroshare_" + languageCode + ".qm")) {
     QApplication::installTranslator(retroshareTranslator);
@@ -199,11 +202,13 @@ bool LanguageSupport::translatePlugins(const QString &languageCode)
 		return true;
 	}
 
+	QString externalDir = EXTERNAL_TRANSLATION_DIR + "/translations";
+
 	int count = rsPlugins->nbPlugins();
 	for (int i = 0; i < count; ++i) {
 		RsPlugin* plugin = rsPlugins->plugin(i);
 		if (plugin) {
-			QTranslator* translator = plugin->qt_translator(rApp, languageCode);
+			QTranslator* translator = plugin->qt_translator(rApp, languageCode, externalDir);
 			if (translator) {
 				QApplication::installTranslator(translator);
 				translatorPlugins[plugin] = translator;