diff --git a/applications/utilities/parallelProcessing/decomposePar/decomposePar.C b/applications/utilities/parallelProcessing/decomposePar/decomposePar.C
index f9425cc50..c5ba4132e 100644
--- a/applications/utilities/parallelProcessing/decomposePar/decomposePar.C
+++ b/applications/utilities/parallelProcessing/decomposePar/decomposePar.C
@@ -74,6 +74,9 @@ Usage
         be used with caution when the underlying (serial) geometry or the
         decomposition method etc. have been changed between decompositions.
 
+      - \par -dict \<filename\>
+        Specify alternative dictionary for the decomposition.
+
 \*---------------------------------------------------------------------------*/
 
 #include "OSspecific.H"
@@ -248,6 +251,13 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
         "only decompose geometry if the number of domains has changed"
     );
 
+    argList::addOption
+    (
+        "dict",
+        "dictionary file name",
+        "specify alternative decomposition dictionary"
+    );
+
     // Include explicit constant options, have zero from time range
     timeSelector::addOptions(true, false);
 
@@ -262,12 +272,33 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
     bool forceOverwrite          = args.optionFound("force");
     bool ifRequiredDecomposition = args.optionFound("ifRequired");
 
+    const word dictName("decomposeParDict");
+
     // Set time from database
     #include "createTime.H"
+
+    fileName dictPath;
+
+    // Check if the dictionary is specified on the command-line
+    if (args.optionFound("dict"))
+    {
+        dictPath = args["dict"];
+
+        dictPath =
+        (
+            isDir(dictPath)
+          ? dictPath/dictName
+          : dictPath
+        );
+    }
+    else
+    {
+        dictPath = runTime.path()/"system"/dictName;
+    }
+
     // Allow override of time
     instantList times = timeSelector::selectIfPresent(runTime, args);
 
-
     wordList regionNames;
     wordList regionDirs;
     if (allRegions)
@@ -337,7 +368,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
             (
                 IOobject
                 (
-                    "decomposeParDict",
+                    dictName,
                     runTime.time().system(),
                     regionDir,          // use region if non-standard
                     runTime,
@@ -358,7 +389,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
                     << nProcs << " domains"
                     << nl
                     << "instead of " << nDomains
-                    << " domains as specified in decomposeParDict"
+                    << " domains as specified in " << dictName
                     << nl
                     << exit(FatalError);
             }
@@ -421,13 +452,14 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
                 IOobject::NO_READ,
                 IOobject::NO_WRITE,
                 false
-            )
+            ),
+            dictPath
         );
 
         // Decompose the mesh
         if (!decomposeFieldsOnly)
         {
-            mesh.decomposeMesh();
+            mesh.decomposeMesh(dictPath);
 
             mesh.writeDecomposition(decomposeSets);
 
diff --git a/applications/utilities/parallelProcessing/decomposePar/domainDecomposition.C b/applications/utilities/parallelProcessing/decomposePar/domainDecomposition.C
index 3cad0f554..9c1ad8c4d 100644
--- a/applications/utilities/parallelProcessing/decomposePar/domainDecomposition.C
+++ b/applications/utilities/parallelProcessing/decomposePar/domainDecomposition.C
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
   =========                 |
   \\      /  F ield         | OpenFOAM: The Open Source CFD Toolbox
    \\    /   O peration     |
-    \\  /    A nd           | Copyright (C) 2011-2016 OpenFOAM Foundation
+    \\  /    A nd           | Copyright (C) 2011-2017 OpenFOAM Foundation
      \\/     M anipulation  |
 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 License
@@ -69,7 +69,11 @@ void Foam::domainDecomposition::mark
 
 // * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Constructors  * * * * * * * * * * * * * * //
 
-Foam::domainDecomposition::domainDecomposition(const IOobject& io)
+Foam::domainDecomposition::domainDecomposition
+(
+    const IOobject& io,
+    const fileName& dictFile
+)
 :
     fvMesh(io),
     facesInstancePointsPtr_
@@ -96,7 +100,8 @@ Foam::domainDecomposition::domainDecomposition(const IOobject& io)
         (
             decompositionModel::New
             (
-                *this
+                *this,
+                dictFile
             ).lookup("numberOfSubdomains")
         )
     ),
@@ -115,7 +120,8 @@ Foam::domainDecomposition::domainDecomposition(const IOobject& io)
 {
     decompositionModel::New
     (
-        *this
+        *this,
+        dictFile
     ).readIfPresent("distributed", distributed_);
 }
 
diff --git a/applications/utilities/parallelProcessing/decomposePar/domainDecomposition.H b/applications/utilities/parallelProcessing/decomposePar/domainDecomposition.H
index c183b2df6..53884444c 100644
--- a/applications/utilities/parallelProcessing/decomposePar/domainDecomposition.H
+++ b/applications/utilities/parallelProcessing/decomposePar/domainDecomposition.H
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
   =========                 |
   \\      /  F ield         | OpenFOAM: The Open Source CFD Toolbox
    \\    /   O peration     |
-    \\  /    A nd           | Copyright (C) 2011-2016 OpenFOAM Foundation
+    \\  /    A nd           | Copyright (C) 2011-2017 OpenFOAM Foundation
      \\/     M anipulation  |
 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 License
@@ -114,7 +114,7 @@ class domainDecomposition
 
     // Private Member Functions
 
-        void distributeCells();
+        void distributeCells(const fileName& dictFile);
 
         //- Mark all elements with value or -2 if occur twice
         static void mark
@@ -156,8 +156,12 @@ public:
 
     // Constructors
 
-        //- Construct from IOobject
-        domainDecomposition(const IOobject& io);
+        //- Construct from IOobject and decomposition dictionary name
+        domainDecomposition
+        (
+            const IOobject& io,
+            const fileName& dictFile
+        );
 
 
     //- Destructor
@@ -179,7 +183,7 @@ public:
         }
 
         //- Decompose mesh.
-        void decomposeMesh();
+        void decomposeMesh(const fileName& dict);
 
         //- Write decomposition
         bool writeDecomposition(const bool decomposeSets);
diff --git a/applications/utilities/parallelProcessing/decomposePar/domainDecompositionDistribute.C b/applications/utilities/parallelProcessing/decomposePar/domainDecompositionDistribute.C
index c6df1cfa7..f7bb937d5 100644
--- a/applications/utilities/parallelProcessing/decomposePar/domainDecompositionDistribute.C
+++ b/applications/utilities/parallelProcessing/decomposePar/domainDecompositionDistribute.C
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
   =========                 |
   \\      /  F ield         | OpenFOAM: The Open Source CFD Toolbox
    \\    /   O peration     |
-    \\  /    A nd           | Copyright (C) 2011-2016 OpenFOAM Foundation
+    \\  /    A nd           | Copyright (C) 2011-2017 OpenFOAM Foundation
      \\/     M anipulation  |
 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 License
@@ -34,13 +34,12 @@ License
 
 // * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * //
 
-void Foam::domainDecomposition::distributeCells()
+void Foam::domainDecomposition::distributeCells(const fileName& dict)
 {
     Info<< "\nCalculating distribution of cells" << endl;
 
     cpuTime decompositionTime;
-
-    const decompositionModel& method = decompositionModel::New(*this);
+    const decompositionModel& method = decompositionModel::New(*this, dict);
 
     scalarField cellWeights;
     if (method.found("weightField"))
diff --git a/applications/utilities/parallelProcessing/decomposePar/domainDecompositionMesh.C b/applications/utilities/parallelProcessing/decomposePar/domainDecompositionMesh.C
index c4bf9d4f7..ab6b93663 100644
--- a/applications/utilities/parallelProcessing/decomposePar/domainDecompositionMesh.C
+++ b/applications/utilities/parallelProcessing/decomposePar/domainDecompositionMesh.C
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
   =========                 |
   \\      /  F ield         | OpenFOAM: The Open Source CFD Toolbox
    \\    /   O peration     |
-    \\  /    A nd           | Copyright (C) 2011-2016 OpenFOAM Foundation
+    \\  /    A nd           | Copyright (C) 2011-2017 OpenFOAM Foundation
      \\/     M anipulation  |
 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 License
@@ -94,10 +94,10 @@ void Foam::domainDecomposition::addInterProcFace
 }
 
 
-void Foam::domainDecomposition::decomposeMesh()
+void Foam::domainDecomposition::decomposeMesh(const fileName& dict)
 {
     // Decide which cell goes to which processor
-    distributeCells();
+    distributeCells(dict);
 
     // Distribute the cells according to the given processor label