diff --git a/applications/utilities/miscellaneous/foamDebugSwitches/foamDebugSwitches.C b/applications/utilities/miscellaneous/foamDebugSwitches/foamDebugSwitches.C
index 8f0e53f4e2..7f84d96bc2 100644
--- a/applications/utilities/miscellaneous/foamDebugSwitches/foamDebugSwitches.C
+++ b/applications/utilities/miscellaneous/foamDebugSwitches/foamDebugSwitches.C
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
   =========                 |
   \\      /  F ield         | OpenFOAM: The Open Source CFD Toolbox
    \\    /   O peration     |
-    \\  /    A nd           | Copyright (C) 2004-2010 OpenCFD Ltd.
+    \\  /    A nd           | Copyright (C) 2004-2011 OpenCFD Ltd.
      \\/     M anipulation  |
 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 License
@@ -61,7 +61,12 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 
     if (args.optionFound("old") || args.optionFound("new"))
     {
-        dictionary controlDict(IFstream(findEtcFile("controlDict", true))());
+        fileNameList controlDictFiles = findEtcFile("controlDict", true);
+        dictionary controlDict;
+        forAllReverse(controlDictFiles, cdfi)
+        {
+            controlDict.merge(dictionary(IFstream(controlDictFiles[cdfi])()));
+        }
 
         wordHashSet oldDebug
         (
diff --git a/src/OSspecific/POSIX/POSIX.C b/src/OSspecific/POSIX/POSIX.C
index c79d8f0290..920d720cf5 100644
--- a/src/OSspecific/POSIX/POSIX.C
+++ b/src/OSspecific/POSIX/POSIX.C
@@ -264,10 +264,11 @@ bool Foam::chDir(const fileName& dir)
 }
 
 
-Foam::fileName Foam::findEtcFile(const fileName& name, bool mandatory)
+Foam::fileNameList Foam::findEtcFiles(const fileName& name, bool mandatory)
 {
-    //
-    // search for user files in
+    fileNameList results;
+
+    // Search for user files in
     // * ~/.OpenFOAM/VERSION
     // * ~/.OpenFOAM
     //
@@ -277,19 +278,17 @@ Foam::fileName Foam::findEtcFile(const fileName& name, bool mandatory)
         fileName fullName = searchDir/FOAMversion/name;
         if (isFile(fullName))
         {
-            return fullName;
+            results.append(fullName);
         }
 
         fullName = searchDir/name;
         if (isFile(fullName))
         {
-            return fullName;
+            results.append(fullName);
         }
     }
 
-
-    //
-    // search for group (site) files in
+    // Search for group (site) files in
     // * $WM_PROJECT_SITE/VERSION
     // * $WM_PROJECT_SITE
     //
@@ -301,19 +300,18 @@ Foam::fileName Foam::findEtcFile(const fileName& name, bool mandatory)
             fileName fullName = searchDir/FOAMversion/name;
             if (isFile(fullName))
             {
-                return fullName;
+                results.append(fullName);
             }
 
             fullName = searchDir/name;
             if (isFile(fullName))
             {
-                return fullName;
+                results.append(fullName);
             }
         }
     }
     else
     {
-        //
         // OR search for group (site) files in
         // * $WM_PROJECT_INST_DIR/site/VERSION
         // * $WM_PROJECT_INST_DIR/site
@@ -324,20 +322,18 @@ Foam::fileName Foam::findEtcFile(const fileName& name, bool mandatory)
             fileName fullName = searchDir/"site"/FOAMversion/name;
             if (isFile(fullName))
             {
-                return fullName;
+                results.append(fullName);
             }
 
             fullName = searchDir/"site"/name;
             if (isFile(fullName))
             {
-                return fullName;
+                results.append(fullName);
             }
         }
     }
 
-
-    //
-    // search for other (shipped) files in
+    // Search for other (shipped) files in
     // * $WM_PROJECT_DIR/etc
     //
     searchDir = getEnv("WM_PROJECT_DIR");
@@ -346,24 +342,41 @@ Foam::fileName Foam::findEtcFile(const fileName& name, bool mandatory)
         fileName fullName = searchDir/"etc"/name;
         if (isFile(fullName))
         {
-            return fullName;
+            results.append(fullName);
         }
     }
 
     // Not found
-    // abort if the file is mandatory, otherwise return null
-    if (mandatory)
+    if (results.empty())
     {
-        std::cerr
-            << "--> FOAM FATAL ERROR in Foam::findEtcFile() :"
-               " could not find mandatory file\n    '"
-            << name.c_str() << "'\n\n" << std::endl;
-        ::exit(1);
+        // Abort if the file is mandatory, otherwise return null
+        if (mandatory)
+        {
+            std::cerr
+                << "--> FOAM FATAL ERROR in Foam::findEtcFiles() :"
+                   " could not find mandatory file\n    '"
+                << name.c_str() << "'\n\n" << std::endl;
+            ::exit(1);
+        }
     }
 
-    // Return null-constructed fileName rather than fileName::null
-    // to avoid cyclic dependencies in the construction of globals
-    return fileName();
+    // Return list of matching paths or empty list if none found
+    return results;
+}
+
+
+Foam::fileName Foam::findEtcFile(const fileName& name, bool mandatory)
+{
+    fileNameList results(findEtcFiles(name, mandatory));
+
+    if (results.size())
+    {
+        return results[0];
+    }
+    else
+    {
+        return fileName();
+    }
 }
 
 
diff --git a/src/OpenFOAM/global/debug/debug.C b/src/OpenFOAM/global/debug/debug.C
index b0c696987a..2cd9c861fe 100644
--- a/src/OpenFOAM/global/debug/debug.C
+++ b/src/OpenFOAM/global/debug/debug.C
@@ -75,10 +75,15 @@ Foam::dictionary& Foam::debug::controlDict()
 {
     if (!controlDictPtr_)
     {
-        controlDictPtr_ = new dictionary
-        (
-            IFstream(findEtcFile("controlDict", true))()
-        );
+        fileNameList controlDictFiles = findEtcFiles("controlDict", true);
+        controlDictPtr_ = new dictionary();
+        forAllReverse(controlDictFiles, cdfi)
+        {
+            controlDictPtr_->merge
+            (
+                dictionary(IFstream(controlDictFiles[cdfi])())
+            );
+        }
     }
 
     return *controlDictPtr_;
diff --git a/src/OpenFOAM/include/OSspecific.H b/src/OpenFOAM/include/OSspecific.H
index b774997339..119c669b5f 100644
--- a/src/OpenFOAM/include/OSspecific.H
+++ b/src/OpenFOAM/include/OSspecific.H
@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ fileName cwd();
 //  else return false
 bool chDir(const fileName& dir);
 
-//- Search for a file from user/group/shipped directories.
+//- Search for files from user/group/shipped directories.
 //  The search scheme allows for version-specific and
 //  version-independent files using the following hierarchy:
 //  - \b user settings:
@@ -108,7 +108,14 @@ bool chDir(const fileName& dir);
 //  - \b other (shipped) settings:
 //    - $WM_PROJECT_DIR/etc/
 //
-//  \return The full path name or fileName() if the name cannot be found
+//  \return The list of full paths of all the matching files or
+//  an empty list if the name cannot be found.
+//  Optionally abort if the file cannot be found
+fileNameList findEtcFiles(const fileName&, bool mandatory=false);
+
+//- Search for a file using findEtcFiles.
+//  \return The full path name of the first file found which in the
+//  search hierarchy or an empty fileName if the name cannot be found.
 //  Optionally abort if the file cannot be found
 fileName findEtcFile(const fileName&, bool mandatory=false);