diff --git a/include/libcamera/internal/pipeline_handler.h b/include/libcamera/internal/pipeline_handler.h
index ec4f662d7399..4c4dfe62a680 100644
--- a/include/libcamera/internal/pipeline_handler.h
+++ b/include/libcamera/internal/pipeline_handler.h
@@ -65,6 +65,9 @@ public:
 	bool completeBuffer(Request *request, FrameBuffer *buffer);
 	void completeRequest(Request *request);
 
+	std::string configurationFile(const std::string &subdir,
+				      const std::string &name) const;
+
 	const char *name() const { return name_; }
 
 protected:
diff --git a/src/libcamera/pipeline_handler.cpp b/src/libcamera/pipeline_handler.cpp
index cfade4908118..f72613b8e515 100644
--- a/src/libcamera/pipeline_handler.cpp
+++ b/src/libcamera/pipeline_handler.cpp
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
 #include "libcamera/internal/pipeline_handler.h"
 
 #include <chrono>
+#include <sys/stat.h>
 #include <sys/sysmacros.h>
 
 #include <libcamera/base/log.h>
@@ -534,6 +535,62 @@ void PipelineHandler::completeRequest(Request *request)
 	}
 }
 
+/**
+ * \brief Retrieve the absolute path to a platform configuration file
+ * \param[in] subdir The pipeline handler specific subdirectory name
+ * \param[in] name The configuration file name
+ *
+ * This function locates a named platform configuration file and returns
+ * its absolute path to the pipeline handler. It searches the following
+ * directories, in order:
+ *
+ * - If libcamera is not installed, the src/libcamera/pipeline/\<subdir\>/data/
+ *   directory within the source tree ; otherwise
+ * - The system data (share/libcamera/pipeline/\<subdir\>) directory.
+ *
+ * The system directories are not searched if libcamera is not installed.
+ *
+ * \return The full path to the pipeline handler configuration file, or an empty
+ * string if no configuration file can be found
+ */
+std::string PipelineHandler::configurationFile(const std::string &subdir,
+					       const std::string &name) const
+{
+	std::string confPath;
+	struct stat statbuf;
+	int ret;
+
+	std::string root = utils::libcameraSourcePath();
+	if (!root.empty()) {
+		/*
+		 * When libcamera is used before it is installed, load
+		 * configuration files from the source directory. The
+		 * configuration files are then located in the 'data'
+		 * subdirectory of the corresponding pipeline handler.
+		 */
+		std::string confDir = root + "src/libcamera/pipeline/";
+		confPath = confDir + subdir + "/data/" + name;
+
+		LOG(Pipeline, Info)
+			<< "libcamera is not installed. Loading platform configuration file from '"
+			<< confPath << "'";
+	} else {
+		/* Else look in the system locations. */
+		confPath = std::string(LIBCAMERA_DATA_DIR)
+				+ "/pipeline/" + subdir + '/' + name;
+	}
+
+	ret = stat(confPath.c_str(), &statbuf);
+	if (ret == 0 && (statbuf.st_mode & S_IFMT) == S_IFREG)
+		return confPath;
+
+	LOG(Pipeline, Error)
+		<< "Configuration file '" << confPath
+		<< "' not found for pipeline handler '" << PipelineHandler::name() << "'";
+
+	return std::string();
+}
+
 /**
  * \brief Register a camera to the camera manager and pipeline handler
  * \param[in] camera The camera to be added