diff --git a/src/gsi/gsi/gsiInterpreter.h b/src/gsi/gsi/gsiInterpreter.h
index a88f00814..9cd074dc2 100644
--- a/src/gsi/gsi/gsiInterpreter.h
+++ b/src/gsi/gsi/gsiInterpreter.h
@@ -187,7 +187,7 @@ public:
   /**
    *  @brief Add the given path to the search path ($: in ruby)
    */
-  virtual void add_path (const std::string &path) = 0;
+  virtual void add_path (const std::string &path, bool prepend = false) = 0;
 
   /**
    *  @brief Requires the given module (ruby "require")
diff --git a/src/pya/pya/pya.cc b/src/pya/pya/pya.cc
index fb7f16fd3..41a421b62 100644
--- a/src/pya/pya/pya.cc
+++ b/src/pya/pya/pya.cc
@@ -321,7 +321,9 @@ PythonInterpreter::PythonInterpreter (bool embedded)
   //  We can put build-in modules there.
   std::string module_path = tl::get_module_path ((void *) &reset_interpreter);
   if (! module_path.empty ()) {
-    add_path (tl::combine_path (tl::absolute_path (module_path), "pymod"));
+    add_path (tl::combine_path (tl::absolute_path (module_path), "pymod"), true /*prepend*/);
+  } else {
+    tl::warn << tl::to_string (tr ("Unable to find built-in Python module library path"));
   }
 
   PyObject *pya_module = PyImport_ImportModule (pya_module_name);
@@ -368,11 +370,15 @@ PythonInterpreter::make_string (const std::string &s)
 }
 
 void
-PythonInterpreter::add_path (const std::string &p)
+PythonInterpreter::add_path (const std::string &p, bool prepend)
 {
   PyObject *path = PySys_GetObject ((char *) "path");
   if (path != NULL && PyList_Check (path)) {
-    PyList_Append (path, c2python (p));
+    if (prepend) {
+      PyList_Insert (path, 0, c2python (p));
+    } else {
+      PyList_Append (path, c2python (p));
+    }
   }
 }
 
diff --git a/src/pya/pya/pya.h b/src/pya/pya/pya.h
index cd5ebbf83..65fa77cb9 100644
--- a/src/pya/pya/pya.h
+++ b/src/pya/pya/pya.h
@@ -108,7 +108,7 @@ public:
   /**
    *  @brief Add the given path to the search path
    */
-  void add_path (const std::string &path);
+  void add_path (const std::string &path, bool prepend = false);
 
   /**
    *  @brief Adds a package location to this interpreter
diff --git a/src/pyastub/pya.cc b/src/pyastub/pya.cc
index 1ab239f6e..e752bd85b 100644
--- a/src/pyastub/pya.cc
+++ b/src/pyastub/pya.cc
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ PythonInterpreter *PythonInterpreter::instance ()
 }
 
 void 
-PythonInterpreter::add_path (const std::string &)
+PythonInterpreter::add_path (const std::string &, bool prepend)
 {
   // .. nothing ..
 }
diff --git a/src/pyastub/pya.h b/src/pyastub/pya.h
index 64f8400b1..c1bf931d8 100644
--- a/src/pyastub/pya.h
+++ b/src/pyastub/pya.h
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ public:
   /**
    *  @brief Add the given path to the search path
    */
-  void add_path (const std::string &path);
+  void add_path (const std::string &path, bool prepend);
 
   /**
    *  @brief Adds a package location to this interpreter
diff --git a/src/rba/rba/rba.cc b/src/rba/rba/rba.cc
index d11eca094..aba50449c 100644
--- a/src/rba/rba/rba.cc
+++ b/src/rba/rba/rba.cc
@@ -1552,11 +1552,15 @@ struct RubyConstDescriptor
 extern "C" void ruby_prog_init();
 
 static void
-rba_add_path (const std::string &path)
+rba_add_path (const std::string &path, bool prepend)
 {
   VALUE pv = rb_gv_get ("$:");
   if (pv != Qnil && TYPE (pv) == T_ARRAY) {
-    rb_ary_push (pv, rb_str_new (path.c_str (), long (path.size ())));
+    if (prepend) {
+      rb_ary_unshift (pv, rb_str_new (path.c_str (), long (path.size ())));
+    } else {
+      rb_ary_push (pv, rb_str_new (path.c_str (), long (path.size ())));
+    }
   }
 }
 
@@ -2036,7 +2040,7 @@ RubyInterpreter::initialize (int &main_argc, char **main_argv, int (*main_func)
 
             if (v.is_list ()) {
               for (tl::Variant::iterator i = v.begin (); i != v.end (); ++i) {
-                rba_add_path (i->to_string ());
+                rba_add_path (i->to_string (), false);
               }
             }
 
@@ -2133,9 +2137,9 @@ RubyInterpreter::remove_package_location (const std::string & /*package_path*/)
 }
 
 void
-RubyInterpreter::add_path (const std::string &path)
+RubyInterpreter::add_path (const std::string &path, bool prepend)
 {
-  rba_add_path (path);
+  rba_add_path (path, prepend);
 }
 
 void
diff --git a/src/rba/rba/rba.h b/src/rba/rba/rba.h
index f2a1bda43..21535e986 100644
--- a/src/rba/rba/rba.h
+++ b/src/rba/rba/rba.h
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ public:
   /**
    *  @brief Add the given path to the search path ($: in ruby)
    */
-  void add_path (const std::string &path);
+  void add_path (const std::string &path, bool prepend = false);
 
   /**
    *  @brief Adds a package location to this interpreter
diff --git a/src/rbastub/rba.cc b/src/rbastub/rba.cc
index 3ad1e9ddd..e42c34a34 100644
--- a/src/rbastub/rba.cc
+++ b/src/rbastub/rba.cc
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ RubyInterpreter::remove_package_location (const std::string &)
 }
 
 void
-RubyInterpreter::add_path (const std::string &)
+RubyInterpreter::add_path (const std::string &, bool)
 {
   // .. nothing ..
 }
diff --git a/src/rbastub/rba.h b/src/rbastub/rba.h
index 393dbae0c..b178e1cf0 100644
--- a/src/rbastub/rba.h
+++ b/src/rbastub/rba.h
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ public:
   /**
    *  @brief Add the given path to the search path ($: in ruby)
    */
-  void add_path (const std::string &path);
+  void add_path (const std::string &path, bool prepend);
 
   /**
    *  @brief Adds a package location to this interpreter