diff --git a/src/libcamera/ipa_manager.cpp b/src/libcamera/ipa_manager.cpp
index c30b4555290f..3b1d4c0b295e 100644
--- a/src/libcamera/ipa_manager.cpp
+++ b/src/libcamera/ipa_manager.cpp
@@ -98,24 +98,24 @@ IPAManager::IPAManager()
 	unsigned int ipaCount = 0;
 	int ret;
 
-	ret = addDir(IPA_MODULE_DIR);
-	if (ret > 0)
-		ipaCount += ret;
-
+	/* User specified paths take precedence. */
 	const char *modulePaths = utils::secure_getenv("LIBCAMERA_IPA_MODULE_PATH");
-	if (!modulePaths) {
+	if (modulePaths) {
+		ipaCount += addPath(modulePaths);
+
 		if (!ipaCount)
 			LOG(IPAManager, Warning)
-				<< "No IPA found in '" IPA_MODULE_DIR "'";
-		return;
+				<< "No IPA found in '" << modulePaths << "'";
 	}
 
-	ipaCount += addPath(modulePaths);
+	/* Load IPAs from the installed system path. */
+	ret = addDir(IPA_MODULE_DIR);
+	if (ret > 0)
+		ipaCount += ret;
 
 	if (!ipaCount)
 		LOG(IPAManager, Warning)
-			<< "No IPA found in '" IPA_MODULE_DIR "' and '"
-			<< modulePaths << "'";
+			<< "No IPA found in '" IPA_MODULE_DIR "'";
 }
 
 IPAManager::~IPAManager()