diff --git a/docs/rolereference.rst b/docs/rolereference.rst
index 9e71c748eb0cf878e602a547f856d7737b3b1110..7b5804678c4aa0136c9e1c8aa731d4fb1e916636 100644
--- a/docs/rolereference.rst
+++ b/docs/rolereference.rst
@@ -241,6 +241,8 @@ The role implements the following:
 * Installs sudo.
 * Sets-up uniform bash prompt for all accounts (optionally coloured and with
   identifier). This is useful for distinguishing machines and/or environments.
+* Sets-up ability to have user-specific ``/etc/profile.d/`` entries via
+  ``$HOME/.profile.d/``.
 * Installs additional base packages, as configured.
 * Disables ``electric-indent-mode`` in Emacs globally if either the ``emacs24``
   or ``emacs24-nox`` are installed through the role.
diff --git a/roles/common/files/user_profile_d.sh b/roles/common/files/user_profile_d.sh
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..e90a177a122090921c31a263f2e146d261b85ccc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/roles/common/files/user_profile_d.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+# Read user-specific profile "configuration" files.
+if [ -d "$HOME/.profile.d" ]; then
+    for conf in "$HOME"/.profile.d/*.sh; do
+        if [ -r "$conf" ]; then
+            . "$conf"
+        fi
+    done
+fi
diff --git a/roles/common/tasks/main.yml b/roles/common/tasks/main.yml
index 5766bcf1c71485d96768a55bbb890453aaf72ee1..60c18e3c3eafc0372bfbf5a5357cbb2faaf2989f 100644
--- a/roles/common/tasks/main.yml
+++ b/roles/common/tasks/main.yml
@@ -23,6 +23,10 @@
   template: src="bash_prompt.sh.j2" dest="/etc/profile.d/bash_prompt.sh"
             owner=root group=root mode=644
 
+- name: Deploy profile configuration that allows for user-specific profile.d files
+  copy: src="user_profile_d.sh" dest="/etc/profile.d/z99-user_profile_d.sh"
+        owner=root group=root mode=644
+
 - name: Replace default and skeleton bashrc
   copy: src="{{ item.key }}" dest="{{ item.value }}"
         owner=root group=root mode=644
diff --git a/roles/php_website/tasks/main.yml b/roles/php_website/tasks/main.yml
index de3be751a3b9ea4099a56ad24906282c851035ae..bc826f82fc81b05bb96211230145112eb7359e0a 100644
--- a/roles/php_website/tasks/main.yml
+++ b/roles/php_website/tasks/main.yml
@@ -11,11 +11,11 @@
 
 - name: Create PHP website admin user
   user: name="{{ admin }}" uid="{{ admin_uid | default(omit) }}" group="{{ user }}"
-        shell=/bin/bash createhome=no home="{{ home }}" state=present
+        shell=/bin/bash createhome=yes home="{{ home }}" state=present
 
-- name: Create home directory for the user (avoid populating with skeleton)
-  file: path="{{ home }}" state=directory
-        owner="{{ admin }}" group="{{ user }}" mode=2750
+- name: Set-up directory for storing user profile configuration files
+  file: path="{{ home }}/.profile.d" state=directory
+        owner="{{ admin }}" group="{{ user }}" mode=750
 
 - name: Create PHP website user
   user: name="{{ user }}" uid="{{ uid | default(omit) }}" group="{{ user }}" comment="umask=0007"
diff --git a/roles/wsgi_website/files/bashrc b/roles/wsgi_website/files/profile_virtualenv.sh
similarity index 100%
rename from roles/wsgi_website/files/bashrc
rename to roles/wsgi_website/files/profile_virtualenv.sh
diff --git a/roles/wsgi_website/tasks/main.yml b/roles/wsgi_website/tasks/main.yml
index 5ffaa1b01730afaab10e8f9ca6ca8cc4602af3c5..61b8d036d6f2bf890c01be1a8fcf44172e535fdc 100644
--- a/roles/wsgi_website/tasks/main.yml
+++ b/roles/wsgi_website/tasks/main.yml
@@ -10,11 +10,15 @@
 
 - name: Create WSGI website admin user
   user: name="{{ admin }}" uid="{{ admin_uid | default(omit) }}" group="{{ user }}"
-        shell=/bin/bash createhome=no home="{{ home }}" state=present
+        shell=/bin/bash createhome=yes home="{{ home }}" state=present
 
-- name: Create home directory for the user (avoid populating with skeleton)
-  file: path="{{ home }}" state=directory
-        owner="{{ admin }}" group="{{ user }}" mode=2750
+- name: Set-up directory for storing user profile configuration files
+  file: path="{{ home }}/.profile.d" state=directory
+        owner="{{ admin }}" group="{{ user }}" mode=750
+
+- name: Deploy profile configuration file for auto-activating the virtual environment
+  copy: src="profile_virtualenv.sh" dest="{{ home }}/.profile.d/virtualenv.sh"
+        owner="root" group="{{ user }}" mode="640"
 
 - name: Create WSGI website user
   user: name="{{ user }}" uid="{{ uid | default(omit) }}" group="{{ user }}" comment="umask=0007"
@@ -47,13 +51,6 @@
   template: src="venv_exec.j2" dest="{{ home }}/virtualenv/bin/exec"
             owner="{{ admin }}" group="{{ user }}" mode="750"
 
-- name: Deploy minimalistic bashrc for auto-activating the virtual environment
-  copy: src="bashrc" dest="{{ item }}"
-        owner="root" group="{{ user }}" mode="640"
-  with_items:
-    - "{{ home }}/.bashrc"
-    - "{{ home }}/.profile"
-
 - name: Install futures package for use with Gunicorn thread workers
   become_user: "{{ admin }}"
   pip: name=futures version="{{ futures_version }}" state=present virtualenv="{{ home }}/virtualenv"