diff --git a/etc/bashrc b/etc/bashrc
index 07e5411ce3..b1a4cc45db 100644
--- a/etc/bashrc
+++ b/etc/bashrc
@@ -27,7 +27,15 @@
 #         -  $WM_PROJECT_SITE/site/$WM_PROJECT_VERSION/prefs.sh
 #         -  $WM_PROJECT_SITE/site/prefs.sh
 #
-# Note: Changes made to this bashrc file may be lost with the next upgrade.
+# Environment
+#     FOAM_VERBOSE (set/unset)
+#         - add extra verbosity when sourcing files
+#     FOAM_CONFIG_NOUSER (set/unset)
+#         - suppress use of user/group configuration files
+#
+# Note
+#     Changes made to this bashrc file may be lost with the next upgrade.
+#
 #------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 export WM_PROJECT=OpenFOAM
@@ -130,13 +138,22 @@ export WM_PROJECT_USER_DIR=$HOME/$WM_PROJECT/$USER-$WM_PROJECT_VERSION
 . $WM_PROJECT_DIR/etc/config.sh/functions
 
 # Overrides via <prefs.sh>
-_foamEtc -mode=o  prefs.sh      # 1) other (system) values
-_foamEtc -mode=ug prefs.sh      # 2) user or group values
+# 1. other (system) values
+_foamEtc -mode=o prefs.sh
+
+# 2. user or group values (unless disabled)
+[ -z "$FOAM_CONFIG_NOUSER" ] && _foamEtc -mode=ug prefs.sh
 
 # Evaluate command-line parameters and record settings for later.
 # These can be used to set/unset values, specify additional files etc.
-export FOAM_SETTINGS="$@"
-_foamEval $@
+FOAM_SETTINGS="$@"
+if [ -z "$FOAM_SETTINGS" ]
+then
+    unset FOAM_SETTINGS
+else
+    export FOAM_SETTINGS
+    _foamEval $@
+fi
 
 # Clean standard environment variables (PATH, MANPATH, LD_LIBRARY_PATH)
 # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
diff --git a/etc/config.csh/compiler b/etc/config.csh/compiler
index 2083665f46..7ca721fe5f 100644
--- a/etc/config.csh/compiler
+++ b/etc/config.csh/compiler
@@ -15,12 +15,14 @@
 #
 # Description
 #     Setup for custom compiler versions for OpenFOAM
+#     Per-compiler overrides in "compiler-$WM_COMPILER" files
 #
 #------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 switch ("$WM_COMPILER_TYPE")
 case ThirdParty:
     # Default versions of GMP, MPFR, MPC - override as necessary
+
     set gmp_version=gmp-system
     set mpfr_version=mpfr-system
     set mpc_version=mpc-system
@@ -102,6 +104,9 @@ Please check your settings
 UNKNOWN_COMPILER
         breaksw
     endsw
+
+    # Per-compiler overrides in "compiler-$WM_COMPILER" files
+    _foamEtc -config "compiler-$WM_COMPILER"
     breaksw
 endsw
 
diff --git a/etc/config.csh/functions b/etc/config.csh/functions
index cd03815058..7365e632bc 100644
--- a/etc/config.csh/functions
+++ b/etc/config.csh/functions
@@ -35,9 +35,17 @@ alias _foamAddLibAuto 'eval `$WM_PROJECT_DIR/bin/tools/lib-dir -csh \!*`'
 
 # Source an etc file, possibly with some verbosity
 if ($?FOAM_VERBOSE && $?prompt) then
-    alias _foamEtc 'eval `$WM_PROJECT_DIR/bin/foamEtcFile -csh-verbose \!*`'
+    if ($?FOAM_CONFIG_NOUSER) then
+        alias _foamEtc 'eval `$WM_PROJECT_DIR/bin/foamEtcFile -csh-verbose -mode=o \!*`'
+    else
+        alias _foamEtc 'eval `$WM_PROJECT_DIR/bin/foamEtcFile -csh-verbose \!*`'
+    endif
 else
-    alias _foamEtc 'eval `$WM_PROJECT_DIR/bin/foamEtcFile -csh \!*`'
+    if ($?FOAM_CONFIG_NOUSER) then
+        alias _foamEtc 'eval `$WM_PROJECT_DIR/bin/foamEtcFile -csh -mode=o \!*`'
+    else
+        alias _foamEtc 'eval `$WM_PROJECT_DIR/bin/foamEtcFile -csh \!*`'
+    endif
 endif
 
 
diff --git a/etc/config.sh/compiler b/etc/config.sh/compiler
index 5c9c318dd1..efa2e135a1 100644
--- a/etc/config.sh/compiler
+++ b/etc/config.sh/compiler
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
 #
 # Description
 #     Setup for custom compiler versions for OpenFOAM
+#     Per-compiler overrides in "compiler-$WM_COMPILER" files
 #
 #------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
@@ -100,6 +101,9 @@ Please check your settings
 UNKNOWN_COMPILER
         ;;
     esac
+
+    # Per-compiler overrides in "compiler-$WM_COMPILER" files
+    _foamEtc -config "compiler-$WM_COMPILER"
     ;;
 esac
 
diff --git a/etc/config.sh/functions b/etc/config.sh/functions
index 9358e2d9ba..0ff0ea3704 100644
--- a/etc/config.sh/functions
+++ b/etc/config.sh/functions
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@
 # Description
 #     Shell functions and variables used when sourcing the OpenFOAM environment
 #
-#     Some functionality is shadowed in bin/tools/lib-dir
+#     Some functionality mirrored by bin/tools/lib-dir
 #
 #------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
@@ -33,11 +33,27 @@ then
     # Cleaning environment variables
     _foamClean()
     {
-         local var=$1
+         foamVar_name=$1
          shift
-         eval $($WM_PROJECT_DIR/bin/foamCleanPath -sh-env=$var "$@")
+         eval $($WM_PROJECT_DIR/bin/foamCleanPath -sh-env=$foamVar_name "$@")
+         unset foamVar_name
     }
 
+    # Source an etc file, possibly with some verbosity
+    # - use eval to avoid intermediate variables (ksh doesn't have 'local')
+    if [ "$FOAM_VERBOSE" -a "$PS1" ]
+    then
+        _foamEtc()
+        {
+            eval "$($WM_PROJECT_DIR/bin/foamEtcFile -sh-verbose ${FOAM_CONFIG_NOUSER:+-mode=o} $@)";
+        }
+    else
+        _foamEtc()
+        {
+            eval "$($WM_PROJECT_DIR/bin/foamEtcFile -sh ${FOAM_CONFIG_NOUSER:+-mode=o} $@)";
+        }
+    fi
+
     # Prepend PATH
     _foamAddPath()
     {
@@ -133,15 +149,6 @@ then
     fi
 
 
-    # Source an etc file, possibly with some verbosity
-    # - use eval to avoid intermediate variables (ksh doesn't have 'local')
-    if [ "$FOAM_VERBOSE" -a "$PS1" ]
-    then
-        _foamEtc(){ eval "$($WM_PROJECT_DIR/bin/foamEtcFile -sh-verbose $@)"; }
-    else
-        _foamEtc(){ eval "$($WM_PROJECT_DIR/bin/foamEtcFile -sh $@)"; }
-    fi
-
     # Evaluate command-line parameters
     _foamEval()
     {
diff --git a/etc/cshrc b/etc/cshrc
index a1125b5b70..6333be76e0 100644
--- a/etc/cshrc
+++ b/etc/cshrc
@@ -27,7 +27,15 @@
 #         -  $WM_PROJECT_SITE/site/$WM_PROJECT_VERSION/prefs.csh
 #         -  $WM_PROJECT_SITE/site/prefs.csh
 #
-# Note: Changes made to this cshrc file may be lost with the next upgrade.
+# Environment
+#     FOAM_VERBOSE (set/unset)
+#         - add extra verbosity when sourcing files
+#     FOAM_CONFIG_NOUSER (set/unset)
+#         - suppress use of user/group configuration files
+#
+# Note
+#     Changes made to this cshrc file may be lost with the next upgrade.
+#
 #------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 setenv WM_PROJECT OpenFOAM
@@ -141,8 +149,13 @@ setenv WM_PROJECT_USER_DIR $HOME/$WM_PROJECT/$LOGNAME-$WM_PROJECT_VERSION
 source $WM_PROJECT_DIR/etc/config.csh/functions
 
 # Overrides via <prefs.csh>
-_foamEtc -mode=o  prefs.csh     # 1) other (system) systems
-_foamEtc -mode=ug prefs.csh     # 2) user or group settings
+# 1. other (system) values
+_foamEtc -mode=o prefs.csh
+
+# 2. user or group values (unless disabled)
+if (! $?FOAM_CONFIG_NOUSER ) then
+    _foamEtc -mode=ug prefs.csh
+endif
 
 # Evaluate command-line parameters and record settings for later.
 # These can be used to set/unset values, specify additional files etc.
@@ -188,7 +201,6 @@ _foamClean PATH "$foamOldDirs"
 _foamClean MANPATH "$foamOldDirs"
 _foamClean LD_LIBRARY_PATH "$foamOldDirs"
 
-
 # Setup for OpenFOAM compilation etc
 # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 _foamEtc -config  settings