diff --git a/samples/CSharpCodeCompletion/CodeCompletionProvider.cs b/samples/CSharpCodeCompletion/CodeCompletionProvider.cs
index 76465e2061..72a29e6865 100644
--- a/samples/CSharpCodeCompletion/CodeCompletionProvider.cs
+++ b/samples/CSharpCodeCompletion/CodeCompletionProvider.cs
@@ -119,7 +119,7 @@ namespace CSharpEditor
 			if (MainForm.IsVisualBasic) {
 				finder = new Dom.VBNet.VBExpressionFinder();
 			} else {
-				finder = new Dom.CSharp.CSharpExpressionFinder(delegate { return mainForm.parseInformation; });
+				finder = new Dom.CSharp.CSharpExpressionFinder(mainForm.parseInformation);
 			}
 			return finder.FindExpression(textArea.Document.TextContent, textArea.Caret.Offset - 1);
 		}
diff --git a/samples/CSharpCodeCompletion/MainForm.cs b/samples/CSharpCodeCompletion/MainForm.cs
index 25ae52d32c..9a968fb04d 100644
--- a/samples/CSharpCodeCompletion/MainForm.cs
+++ b/samples/CSharpCodeCompletion/MainForm.cs
@@ -102,9 +102,10 @@ class A
 			
 			pcRegistry = new Dom.ProjectContentRegistry(); // Default .NET 2.0 registry
 			
-			// Persistence caches referenced project contents for faster loading.
-			// It also activates loading XML documentation files and caching them
-			// for faster loading and lower memory usage.
+			// Persistence lets SharpDevelop.Dom create a cache file on disk so that
+			// future starts are faster.
+			// It also caches XML documentation files in an on-disk hash table, thus
+			// reducing memory usage.
 			pcRegistry.ActivatePersistence(Path.Combine(Path.GetTempPath(),
 			                                            "CSharpCodeCompletion"));
 			
diff --git a/src/Main/Base/Project/Src/Services/ParserService/ParserService.cs b/src/Main/Base/Project/Src/Services/ParserService/ParserService.cs
index 4f5f0d84cd..531561bf6d 100644
--- a/src/Main/Base/Project/Src/Services/ParserService/ParserService.cs
+++ b/src/Main/Base/Project/Src/Services/ParserService/ParserService.cs
@@ -39,23 +39,26 @@ namespace ICSharpCode.SharpDevelop
 				parser = AddInTree.BuildItems<ParserDescriptor>("/Workspace/Parser", null, false);
 				registries = AddInTree.BuildItems<ProjectContentRegistryDescriptor>("/Workspace/ProjectContentRegistry", null, false);
 				
-				domPersistencePath = Path.Combine(Path.GetTempPath(), "SharpDevelop" + RevisionClass.MainVersion);
-				#if DEBUG
-				domPersistencePath = Path.Combine(domPersistencePath, "Debug");
-				#endif
-				Directory.CreateDirectory(domPersistencePath);
-				defaultProjectContentRegistry.ActivatePersistence(domPersistencePath);
+				if (!string.IsNullOrEmpty(domPersistencePath)) {
+					Directory.CreateDirectory(domPersistencePath);
+					defaultProjectContentRegistry.ActivatePersistence(domPersistencePath);
+				}
 				ProjectService.SolutionClosed += ProjectServiceSolutionClosed;
 			}
 		}
 		
 		/// <summary>
-		/// Gets the cache directory used for DOM persistence.
+		/// Gets/Sets the cache directory used for DOM persistence.
 		/// </summary>
 		public static string DomPersistencePath {
 			get {
 				return domPersistencePath;
 			}
+			set {
+				if (parser != null)
+					throw new InvalidOperationException("Cannot set DomPersistencePath after ParserService was initialized");
+				domPersistencePath = value;
+			}
 		}
 		
 		public static ProjectContentRegistry DefaultProjectContentRegistry {
diff --git a/src/Main/ICSharpCode.SharpDevelop.Dom/Project/Src/ProjectContent/ReflectionProjectContent.cs b/src/Main/ICSharpCode.SharpDevelop.Dom/Project/Src/ProjectContent/ReflectionProjectContent.cs
index 1e99a45248..5ce02d0640 100644
--- a/src/Main/ICSharpCode.SharpDevelop.Dom/Project/Src/ProjectContent/ReflectionProjectContent.cs
+++ b/src/Main/ICSharpCode.SharpDevelop.Dom/Project/Src/ProjectContent/ReflectionProjectContent.cs
@@ -124,8 +124,12 @@ namespace ICSharpCode.SharpDevelop.Dom
 				}
 			}
 			
-			if (fileName != null && registry.persistence != null) {
-				this.XmlDoc = XmlDoc.Load(fileName, Path.Combine(registry.persistence.CacheDirectory, "XmlDoc"));
+			if (fileName != null) {
+				if (registry.persistence != null) {
+					this.XmlDoc = XmlDoc.Load(fileName, Path.Combine(registry.persistence.CacheDirectory, "XmlDoc"));
+				} else {
+					this.XmlDoc = XmlDoc.Load(fileName, null);
+				}
 			}
 		}
 		
diff --git a/src/Main/ICSharpCode.SharpDevelop.Dom/Project/Src/XmlDoc.cs b/src/Main/ICSharpCode.SharpDevelop.Dom/Project/Src/XmlDoc.cs
index 4d26c89b7d..a7dd400a81 100644
--- a/src/Main/ICSharpCode.SharpDevelop.Dom/Project/Src/XmlDoc.cs
+++ b/src/Main/ICSharpCode.SharpDevelop.Dom/Project/Src/XmlDoc.cs
@@ -240,20 +240,23 @@ namespace ICSharpCode.SharpDevelop.Dom
 		public static XmlDoc Load(string fileName, string cachePath)
 		{
 			//LoggingService.Debug("Loading XmlDoc for " + fileName);
-			Directory.CreateDirectory(cachePath);
-			string cacheName = cachePath + "/" + Path.GetFileNameWithoutExtension(fileName)
-				+ "." + fileName.GetHashCode().ToString("x") + ".dat";
 			XmlDoc doc;
-			if (File.Exists(cacheName)) {
-				doc = new XmlDoc();
-				if (doc.LoadFromBinary(cacheName, File.GetLastWriteTimeUtc(fileName))) {
-					//LoggingService.Debug("XmlDoc: Load from cache successful");
-					return doc;
-				} else {
-					doc.Dispose();
-					try {
-						File.Delete(cacheName);
-					} catch {}
+			string cacheName = null;
+			if (cachePath != null) {
+				Directory.CreateDirectory(cachePath);
+				cacheName = cachePath + "/" + Path.GetFileNameWithoutExtension(fileName)
+					+ "." + fileName.GetHashCode().ToString("x") + ".dat";
+				if (File.Exists(cacheName)) {
+					doc = new XmlDoc();
+					if (doc.LoadFromBinary(cacheName, File.GetLastWriteTimeUtc(fileName))) {
+						//LoggingService.Debug("XmlDoc: Load from cache successful");
+						return doc;
+					} else {
+						doc.Dispose();
+						try {
+							File.Delete(cacheName);
+						} catch {}
+					}
 				}
 			}
 			
@@ -266,7 +269,7 @@ namespace ICSharpCode.SharpDevelop.Dom
 				return new XmlDoc();
 			}
 			
-			if (doc.xmlDescription.Count > cacheLength * 2) {
+			if (cachePath != null && doc.xmlDescription.Count > cacheLength * 2) {
 				LoggingService.Debug("XmlDoc: Creating cache for " + fileName);
 				DateTime date = File.GetLastWriteTimeUtc(fileName);
 				try {
diff --git a/src/Main/ICSharpCode.SharpDevelop.Sda/Src/CallHelper.cs b/src/Main/ICSharpCode.SharpDevelop.Sda/Src/CallHelper.cs
index 32475a060b..179249cd9a 100644
--- a/src/Main/ICSharpCode.SharpDevelop.Sda/Src/CallHelper.cs
+++ b/src/Main/ICSharpCode.SharpDevelop.Sda/Src/CallHelper.cs
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@ namespace ICSharpCode.SharpDevelop.Sda
 			if (properties.PropertiesName != null) {
 				startup.PropertiesName = properties.PropertiesName;
 			}
+			ParserService.DomPersistencePath = properties.DomPersistencePath;
 			
 			// disable RTL: translations for the RTL languages are inactive
 			RightToLeftConverter.RightToLeftLanguages = new string[0];
@@ -262,3 +263,4 @@ namespace ICSharpCode.SharpDevelop.Sda
 	}
 }
 
+
diff --git a/src/Main/ICSharpCode.SharpDevelop.Sda/Src/StartupSettings.cs b/src/Main/ICSharpCode.SharpDevelop.Sda/Src/StartupSettings.cs
index 930983d51c..463b110b07 100644
--- a/src/Main/ICSharpCode.SharpDevelop.Sda/Src/StartupSettings.cs
+++ b/src/Main/ICSharpCode.SharpDevelop.Sda/Src/StartupSettings.cs
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ namespace ICSharpCode.SharpDevelop.Sda
 		string propertiesName;
 		string configDirectory;
 		string dataDirectory;
+		string domPersistencePath;
 		string resourceAssemblyName = "SharpDevelop";
 		internal List<string> addInDirectories = new List<string>();
 		internal List<string> addInFiles = new List<string>();
@@ -120,6 +121,15 @@ namespace ICSharpCode.SharpDevelop.Sda
 			set { propertiesName = value; }
 		}
 		
+		/// <summary>
+		/// Sets the directory used to store the code completion cache.
+		/// Use null (default) to disable the code completion cache.
+		/// </summary>
+		public string DomPersistencePath {
+			get { return domPersistencePath; }
+			set { domPersistencePath = value; }
+		}
+		
 		/// <summary>
 		/// Find AddIns by searching all .addin files recursively in <paramref name="addInDir"/>.
 		/// </summary>
diff --git a/src/Main/ICSharpCode.SharpDevelop.Sda/Src/WorkbenchSettings.cs b/src/Main/ICSharpCode.SharpDevelop.Sda/Src/WorkbenchSettings.cs
index 8375b582ab..630185009a 100644
--- a/src/Main/ICSharpCode.SharpDevelop.Sda/Src/WorkbenchSettings.cs
+++ b/src/Main/ICSharpCode.SharpDevelop.Sda/Src/WorkbenchSettings.cs
@@ -18,7 +18,6 @@ namespace ICSharpCode.SharpDevelop.Sda
 	public sealed class WorkbenchSettings
 	{
 		bool runOnNewThread = true;
-		bool useTipOfTheDay;
 		Collection<string> fileList = new Collection<string>();
 		
 		/// <summary>
@@ -34,19 +33,6 @@ namespace ICSharpCode.SharpDevelop.Sda
 			}
 		}
 		
-		/// <summary>
-		/// Gets/Sets whether the tip of the day is supported.
-		/// The default is false.
-		/// </summary>
-		public bool UseTipOfTheDay {
-			get {
-				return useTipOfTheDay;
-			}
-			set {
-				useTipOfTheDay = value;
-			}
-		}
-		
 		/// <summary>
 		/// Put files to open at workbench startup into this collection.
 		/// </summary>
diff --git a/src/Main/StartUp/Project/SharpDevelopMain.cs b/src/Main/StartUp/Project/SharpDevelopMain.cs
index b462bd6dbc..addb4fd526 100644
--- a/src/Main/StartUp/Project/SharpDevelopMain.cs
+++ b/src/Main/StartUp/Project/SharpDevelopMain.cs
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 // </file>
 
 using System;
+using System.Configuration;
 using System.Diagnostics;
 using System.IO;
 using System.Reflection;
@@ -113,8 +114,24 @@ namespace ICSharpCode.SharpDevelop
 				Assembly exe = typeof(SharpDevelopMain).Assembly;
 				startup.ApplicationRootPath = Path.Combine(Path.GetDirectoryName(exe.Location), "..");
 				startup.AllowUserAddIns = true;
-				startup.ConfigDirectory = Path.Combine(Environment.GetFolderPath(Environment.SpecialFolder.ApplicationData),
-				                                       "ICSharpCode/SharpDevelop3.0");
+				
+				string configDirectory = ConfigurationManager.AppSettings["settingsPath"];
+				if (String.IsNullOrEmpty(configDirectory)) {
+					startup.ConfigDirectory = Path.Combine(Environment.GetFolderPath(Environment.SpecialFolder.ApplicationData),
+					                                       "ICSharpCode/SharpDevelop" + RevisionClass.MainVersion);
+				} else {
+					startup.ConfigDirectory = Path.Combine(Path.GetDirectoryName(exe.Location), configDirectory);
+				}
+				
+				startup.DomPersistencePath = ConfigurationManager.AppSettings["domPersistencePath"];
+				if (string.IsNullOrEmpty(startup.DomPersistencePath)) {
+					startup.DomPersistencePath = Path.Combine(Path.GetTempPath(), "SharpDevelop" + RevisionClass.MainVersion);
+					#if DEBUG
+					startup.DomPersistencePath = Path.Combine(startup.DomPersistencePath, "Debug");
+					#endif
+				} else if (startup.DomPersistencePath == "none") {
+					startup.DomPersistencePath = null;
+				}
 				
 				startup.AddAddInsFromDirectory(Path.Combine(startup.ApplicationRootPath, "AddIns"));
 				
@@ -137,7 +154,6 @@ namespace ICSharpCode.SharpDevelop
 				
 				WorkbenchSettings workbenchSettings = new WorkbenchSettings();
 				workbenchSettings.RunOnNewThread = false;
-				workbenchSettings.UseTipOfTheDay = true;
 				for (int i = 0; i < fileList.Length; i++) {
 					workbenchSettings.InitialFileList.Add(fileList[i]);
 				}
diff --git a/src/Main/StartUp/Project/StartUp.csproj b/src/Main/StartUp/Project/StartUp.csproj
index 20dc590695..45accba64e 100644
--- a/src/Main/StartUp/Project/StartUp.csproj
+++ b/src/Main/StartUp/Project/StartUp.csproj
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@
   </PropertyGroup>
   <ItemGroup>
     <Reference Include="System" />
+    <Reference Include="System.Configuration" />
     <Reference Include="System.Drawing" />
     <Reference Include="System.Windows.Forms" />
   </ItemGroup>
diff --git a/src/Main/StartUp/Project/app.template.config b/src/Main/StartUp/Project/app.template.config
index 08d7523834..08c2a114f5 100644
--- a/src/Main/StartUp/Project/app.template.config
+++ b/src/Main/StartUp/Project/app.template.config
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 	<configSections>
 		<section name="log4net" type="System.Configuration.IgnoreSectionHandler" />
 	</configSections>
+	
 	<runtime>
 		<!--
 			
@@ -39,6 +40,20 @@
 			<probing privatePath="Tools\NUnit"/>
 		</assemblyBinding>
 	</runtime>
+	<appSettings>
+		<!-- Use this configuration setting to store settings in a directory relative to the location
+		     of SharpDevelop.exe instead of the user's profile directory. -->
+		<!-- <add key="settingsPath" value="..\Settings" /> -->
+		
+		<!-- Use this setting to specify a different path for the code completion cache.
+ 		     The cache contains information about referenced assemblies to speed up loading
+ 		     the information on future SharpDevelop starts. -->
+		<!-- <add key="domPersistencePath" value="..\DomCache" /> -->
+		
+		<!-- Use this setting to disable the code completion cache. Code completion will still be
+		     available, but take longer to load and use more RAM. -->
+		<!-- <add key="domPersistencePath" value="none" /> -->
+	</appSettings>
 	<log4net>
 		<appender name="ColoredConsoleAppender" type="log4net.Appender.ColoredConsoleAppender">
 			<mapping>