diff --git a/libs/pbd/pbd/search_path.h b/libs/pbd/pbd/search_path.h
index e4c6c07847..86ab5cdc64 100644
--- a/libs/pbd/pbd/search_path.h
+++ b/libs/pbd/pbd/search_path.h
@@ -97,6 +97,16 @@ public:
 	 */
 	LIBPBD_TEMPLATE_MEMBER_API Searchpath& operator+ (const std::string& directory_path);
 
+	/**
+	 * Remove all the directories in path from this.
+	 */
+	LIBPBD_TEMPLATE_MEMBER_API Searchpath& operator-= (const Searchpath& spath);
+
+	/**
+	 * Remove a directory path from the search path.
+	 */
+	LIBPBD_TEMPLATE_MEMBER_API Searchpath& operator-= (const std::string& directory_path);
+
 	/**
 	 * Add a sub-directory to each path in the search path.
 	 * @param subdir The directory name, it should not contain 
@@ -108,6 +118,8 @@ protected:
 
 	LIBPBD_TEMPLATE_MEMBER_API void add_directory (const std::string& directory_path);
 	LIBPBD_TEMPLATE_MEMBER_API void add_directories (const std::vector<std::string>& paths);
+	LIBPBD_TEMPLATE_MEMBER_API void remove_directory (const std::string& directory_path);
+	LIBPBD_TEMPLATE_MEMBER_API void remove_directories (const std::vector<std::string>& paths);
 };
 
 LIBPBD_API void export_search_path (const std::string& base_dir, const char* varname, const char* dir);
diff --git a/libs/pbd/search_path.cc b/libs/pbd/search_path.cc
index 895bc59909..44438cc85c 100644
--- a/libs/pbd/search_path.cc
+++ b/libs/pbd/search_path.cc
@@ -49,6 +49,30 @@ Searchpath::Searchpath (const vector<std::string>& paths)
 	add_directories (paths);
 }
 
+void
+Searchpath::remove_directory (const std::string& directory_path)
+{
+	if (directory_path.empty()) {
+		return;
+	}
+
+	for (vector<std::string>::iterator i = begin(); i != end();) {
+		if (*i == directory_path) {
+			i = erase (i);
+		} else {
+			++i;
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+void
+Searchpath::remove_directories (const vector<std::string>& paths)
+{
+	for(vector<std::string>::const_iterator i = paths.begin(); i != paths.end(); ++i) {
+		remove_directory (*i);
+	}
+}
+
 void
 Searchpath::add_directory (const std::string& directory_path)
 {
@@ -115,6 +139,21 @@ Searchpath::operator+ (const Searchpath& spath)
 	return *this;
 }
 
+Searchpath&
+Searchpath::operator-= (const Searchpath& spath)
+{
+	remove_directories (spath);
+	return *this;
+}
+
+Searchpath&
+Searchpath::operator-= (const std::string& directory_path)
+{
+	remove_directory (directory_path);
+	return *this;
+}
+
+
 Searchpath&
 Searchpath::add_subdirectory_to_paths (const string& subdir)
 {