diff --git a/api/src/main/java/edu/cornell/mannlib/vitro/webapp/config/ConfigurationPropertiesSetup.java b/api/src/main/java/edu/cornell/mannlib/vitro/webapp/config/ConfigurationPropertiesSetup.java
index c2ce8f764..773f43e87 100644
--- a/api/src/main/java/edu/cornell/mannlib/vitro/webapp/config/ConfigurationPropertiesSetup.java
+++ b/api/src/main/java/edu/cornell/mannlib/vitro/webapp/config/ConfigurationPropertiesSetup.java
@@ -23,22 +23,22 @@ import edu.cornell.mannlib.vitro.webapp.startup.StartupStatus;
 /**
  * Locates the runtime configuration properties and stores them in the servlet
  * context.
- * 
+ *
  * This must be invoked before any listener that requires configuration
  * properties.
- * 
+ *
  * The properties are determined from a file called 'build.properties' in the
  * resources directory of the webapp, and a file called 'runtime.properties' in
  * the Vitro home directory. In case of conflict, runtime.properties wins.
- * 
+ *
  * The path to the Vitro home directory can be specifed by an JNDI value, or by
  * a System property, or by a property in build.properties, in that order. If
  * the Vitro home directory is specified in more than one way, a warning is
  * issued and the first value is used.
- * 
+ *
  * The value that was determined for 'vitro.home' is also included in the
  * ConfigurationProperties bean.
- * 
+ *
  * If build.properties or runtime.properties cannot be located or loaded, a
  * fatal error is registered to abort the startup.
  */
@@ -52,6 +52,9 @@ public class ConfigurationPropertiesSetup implements ServletContextListener {
 	/** Configuration property to store the Vitro home directory */
 	private static final String VHD_CONFIGURATION_PROPERTY = "vitro.home";
 
+	/** Configuration property used to determine if there are runtime.properties files in multiple locations **/
+	static final String RP_MULTIPLE = "rp.multiple";
+
 	@Override
 	public void contextInitialized(ServletContextEvent sce) {
 		ServletContext ctx = sce.getServletContext();
@@ -63,12 +66,18 @@ public class ConfigurationPropertiesSetup implements ServletContextListener {
 				File vitroHomeDir = ApplicationUtils.instance()
 						.getHomeDirectory().getPath().toFile();
 
+				File vitroHomeDirConfig = new File(vitroHomeDir.getPath()
+						.concat(File.separator).concat("config"));
+
+				String rpfLocation = findMultipleRuntimePropertiesFiles(
+						vitroHomeDir, vitroHomeDirConfig);
+
 				File runtimePropertiesFile = locateRuntimePropertiesFile(
-						vitroHomeDir, ss);
+						vitroHomeDir, vitroHomeDirConfig, ss);
 				stream = new FileInputStream(runtimePropertiesFile);
 
 				Map<String, String> preempts = createPreemptiveProperties(
-						VHD_CONFIGURATION_PROPERTY, vitroHomeDir);
+						VHD_CONFIGURATION_PROPERTY, vitroHomeDir, RP_MULTIPLE, rpfLocation);
 
 				ConfigurationPropertiesImpl bean = new ConfigurationPropertiesImpl(
 						stream, preempts, new BuildProperties(ctx).getMap());
@@ -90,14 +99,36 @@ public class ConfigurationPropertiesSetup implements ServletContextListener {
 		}
 	}
 
-	private File locateRuntimePropertiesFile(File vitroHomeDir, StartupStatus ss) {
-		File rpf = new File(vitroHomeDir, FILE_RUNTIME_PROPERTIES);
+	private String findMultipleRuntimePropertiesFiles(File vitroHomeDir,
+			File vitroHomeDirConfig) {
 
-		if (!rpf.exists()) {
+		File rpf = new File(vitroHomeDir, FILE_RUNTIME_PROPERTIES);
+		File rpfc = new File(vitroHomeDirConfig, FILE_RUNTIME_PROPERTIES);
+
+		if (rpf.exists() && !rpfc.exists()) {
+			return "home";
+		} else if (rpf.exists() && rpfc.exists()) {
+			return "both";
+		} else if (rpfc.exists()) {
+			return "config";
+		} else {
 			throw new IllegalStateException("Did not find '"
 					+ FILE_RUNTIME_PROPERTIES + "' in vitro home directory '"
-					+ vitroHomeDir + "'");
+					+ vitroHomeDir + "' or config directory '" + vitroHomeDirConfig + "'");
 		}
+	}
+
+
+	private File locateRuntimePropertiesFile(File vitroHomeDir,
+			File vitroHomeDirConfig, StartupStatus ss) {
+
+		File rpf = new File(vitroHomeDir, FILE_RUNTIME_PROPERTIES);
+		File rpfc = new File(vitroHomeDirConfig, FILE_RUNTIME_PROPERTIES);
+
+		if (!rpf.exists()) {
+			rpf = rpfc;
+		}
+
 		if (!rpf.isFile()) {
 			throw new IllegalStateException("'" + rpf.getPath()
 					+ "' is not a file.");
@@ -111,9 +142,11 @@ public class ConfigurationPropertiesSetup implements ServletContextListener {
 	}
 
 	private Map<String, String> createPreemptiveProperties(
-			String propertyVitroHome, File vitroHomeDir) {
+			String propertyVitroHome, File vitroHomeDir, String propertyRpfMultiple,
+			String rpfLocation) {
 		Map<String, String> map = new HashMap<String, String>();
 		map.put(propertyVitroHome, vitroHomeDir.getAbsolutePath());
+		map.put(propertyRpfMultiple, rpfLocation);
 		return map;
 	}
 
diff --git a/api/src/main/java/edu/cornell/mannlib/vitro/webapp/config/ConfigurationPropertiesSmokeTests.java b/api/src/main/java/edu/cornell/mannlib/vitro/webapp/config/ConfigurationPropertiesSmokeTests.java
index e5d92aeeb..7238bacfa 100644
--- a/api/src/main/java/edu/cornell/mannlib/vitro/webapp/config/ConfigurationPropertiesSmokeTests.java
+++ b/api/src/main/java/edu/cornell/mannlib/vitro/webapp/config/ConfigurationPropertiesSmokeTests.java
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ public class ConfigurationPropertiesSmokeTests implements
 		StartupStatus ss = StartupStatus.getBean(ctx);
 
 		checkDefaultNamespace(ctx, props, ss);
+		checkMultipleRPFs(ctx, props, ss);
 		checkLanguages(props, ss);
 	}
 
@@ -72,9 +73,35 @@ public class ConfigurationPropertiesSmokeTests implements
 		}
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * Warn if runtime.properties exists in multiple locations
+	 * or is located vivo.home instead of vivo.home/config
+	 */
+	private void checkMultipleRPFs(ServletContext ctx,
+			ConfigurationProperties props, StartupStatus ss) {
+		String rpfStatus = props.getProperty(ConfigurationPropertiesSetup.RP_MULTIPLE);
+
+		if (rpfStatus.equals("both")) {
+			ss.warning(this,
+					"Deprecation warning: Files matching the name 'runtime.properties' "
+							+ "were found in both vivo.home and vivo.home/config. Using "
+							+ "the file in vivo.home. Future releases may require "
+							+ "runtime.properties be placed in vivo.home/config.");
+		}
+
+		if (rpfStatus.equals("home")) {
+			ss.warning(this,
+					"Deprecation warning: runtime.properties was found in the "
+							+ "vivo.home directory. The recommended directory for "
+							+ "runtime.properties is now vivo.home/config. Future releases "
+							+ "may require runtime.properties be placed in "
+							+ "vivo.home/config.");
+		}
+	}
+
 	/**
 	 * Warn if we set up the languages incorrectly:
-	 * 
+	 *
 	 * Must build with a language in order to select languages. Can't select
 	 * languages and force language. Shouldn't build with language unless
 	 * language filtering is enabled.