diff --git a/apps/OpenSpace/ext/launcher/src/launcherwindow.cpp b/apps/OpenSpace/ext/launcher/src/launcherwindow.cpp
index 33dd2fdb9d..24d3122c97 100644
--- a/apps/OpenSpace/ext/launcher/src/launcherwindow.cpp
+++ b/apps/OpenSpace/ext/launcher/src/launcherwindow.cpp
@@ -395,7 +395,9 @@ void LauncherWindow::populateProfilesList(std::string preset) {
     }
 
     _profileBox->addItem(QString::fromStdString("--- User Profiles ---"));
-    const QStandardItemModel* model = qobject_cast<const QStandardItemModel*>(_profileBox->model());
+    const QStandardItemModel* model = qobject_cast<const QStandardItemModel*>(
+        _profileBox->model()
+    );
     model->item(_userAssetCount)->setEnabled(false);
     ++_userAssetCount;
 
@@ -410,7 +412,10 @@ void LauncherWindow::populateProfilesList(std::string preset) {
     }
     std::sort(profiles.begin(), profiles.end());
     for (const fs::directory_entry& p : profiles) {
-        _profileBox->addItem(QString::fromStdString(p.path().stem().string()));
+        _profileBox->addItem(
+            QString::fromStdString(p.path().stem().string()),
+            QString::fromStdString(p.path().string())
+        );
     }
 
     _profileBox->addItem(QString::fromStdString("--- OpenSpace Profiles ---"));
@@ -430,14 +435,30 @@ void LauncherWindow::populateProfilesList(std::string preset) {
 
     // Add sorted items to list
     for (const fs::directory_entry& profile : profiles) {
-        _profileBox->addItem(QString::fromStdString(profile.path().stem().string()));
+        std::string abc = profile.path().string();
+        _profileBox->addItem(
+            QString::fromStdString(profile.path().stem().string()),
+            QString::fromStdString(profile.path().string())
+        );
     }
 
     // Try to find the requested profile and set it as the current one
-    const int idx = _profileBox->findText(QString::fromStdString(std::move(preset)));
-    if (idx != -1) {
-        _profileBox->setCurrentIndex(idx);
+    int idx = _profileBox->findText(QString::fromStdString(preset));
+    if (idx == -1) {
+        // We didn't find the preset, so the user probably specified a path in the
+        // configuration file that doesn't match any value in the list
+        _profileBox->addItem(QString::fromStdString("--- Configuration File ---"));
+        model = qobject_cast<const QStandardItemModel*>(_profileBox->model());
+        model->item(_profileBox->count() - 1)->setEnabled(false);
+
+        _profileBox->addItem(
+            QString::fromStdString(preset),
+            QString::fromStdString(preset)
+        );
+        idx = _profileBox->count() - 1;
     }
+
+    _profileBox->setCurrentIndex(idx);
 }
 
 // Returns 'true' if the file was a configuration file, 'false' otherwise
@@ -602,7 +623,8 @@ bool LauncherWindow::wasLaunchSelected() const {
 }
 
 std::string LauncherWindow::selectedProfile() const {
-    return _profileBox->currentText().toStdString();
+    // The user data stores the full path to the profile
+    return _profileBox->currentData().toString().toStdString();
 }
 
 std::string LauncherWindow::selectedWindowConfig() const {
diff --git a/src/engine/openspaceengine.cpp b/src/engine/openspaceengine.cpp
index 3edd3b459c..43323feeab 100644
--- a/src/engine/openspaceengine.cpp
+++ b/src/engine/openspaceengine.cpp
@@ -303,41 +303,50 @@ void OpenSpaceEngine::initialize() {
 
     // Process profile file (must be provided in configuration file)
     if (!global::configuration->profile.empty()) {
-        std::string inputProfilePath = absPath("${PROFILES}").string();
-        std::string outputScenePath = absPath("${TEMPORARY}").string();
-        std::string inputProfile = inputProfilePath + "/" + global::configuration->profile
-            + ".profile";
-        std::string inputUserProfile = absPath("${USER_PROFILES}").string() + "/" +
-            global::configuration->profile + ".profile";
+        std::filesystem::path profile;
+        if (!std::filesystem::is_regular_file(global::configuration->profile)) {
+            std::filesystem::path userCandidate = absPath(fmt::format(
+                "${{USER_PROFILES}}/{}.profile", global::configuration->profile
+            ));
+            std::filesystem::path profileCandidate = absPath(fmt::format(
+                "${{PROFILES}}/{}.profile", global::configuration->profile
+            ));
 
-        if (std::filesystem::is_regular_file(inputUserProfile)) {
-            inputProfile = inputUserProfile;
-        }
-
-        if (!std::filesystem::is_regular_file(inputProfile)) {
-            LERROR(fmt::format(
-                "Could not load profile '{}': File does not exist", inputProfile)
-            );
+            // Give the user profile priority if there are both
+            if (std::filesystem::is_regular_file(userCandidate)) {
+                profile = userCandidate;
+            }
+            else if (std::filesystem::is_regular_file(profileCandidate)) {
+                profile = profileCandidate;
+            }
+            else {
+                throw ghoul::RuntimeError(fmt::format(
+                    "Could not load profile '{}': File does not exist",
+                    global::configuration->profile
+                ));
+            }
         }
         else {
-            // Load the profile
-            std::ifstream inFile;
-            try {
-                inFile.open(inputProfile, std::ifstream::in);
-            }
-            catch (const std::ifstream::failure& e) {
-                throw ghoul::RuntimeError(fmt::format(
-                    "Exception opening profile file for read: {} ({})",
-                    inputProfile, e.what())
-                );
-            }
-
-            std::string content(
-                (std::istreambuf_iterator<char>(inFile)),
-                std::istreambuf_iterator<char>()
-            );
-            *global::profile = Profile(content);
+            profile = global::configuration->profile;
         }
+
+        // Load the profile
+        std::ifstream inFile;
+        try {
+            inFile.open(profile, std::ifstream::in);
+        }
+        catch (const std::ifstream::failure& e) {
+            throw ghoul::RuntimeError(fmt::format(
+                "Exception opening profile file for read: {} ({})",
+                profile, e.what())
+            );
+        }
+
+        std::string content(
+            (std::istreambuf_iterator<char>(inFile)),
+            std::istreambuf_iterator<char>()
+        );
+        *global::profile = Profile(content);
     }
 
     // Set up asset loader