diff --git a/src/rime_api.cc b/src/rime_api.cc
index 02271b25e..39e8251d5 100644
--- a/src/rime_api.cc
+++ b/src/rime_api.cc
@@ -542,24 +542,28 @@ RIME_API Bool RimeSelectSchema(RimeSessionId session_id, const char* schema_id)
 
 // config
 
-RIME_API Bool RimeSchemaOpen(const char *schema_id, RimeConfig* config) {
-  if (!schema_id || !config) return False;
-  Config::Component* cc = Config::Require("schema");
+static Bool open_config_in_component(const char* config_component,
+                                     const char* config_id,
+                                     RimeConfig* config) {
+  if (!config_id || !config) return False;
+  Config::Component* cc = Config::Require(config_component);
   if (!cc) return False;
-  Config* c = cc->Create(schema_id);
+  Config* c = cc->Create(config_id);
   if (!c) return False;
   config->ptr = (void*)c;
   return True;
 }
 
+RIME_API Bool RimeSchemaOpen(const char *schema_id, RimeConfig* config) {
+  return open_config_in_component("schema", schema_id, config);
+}
+
 RIME_API Bool RimeConfigOpen(const char *config_id, RimeConfig* config) {
-  if (!config_id || !config) return False;
-  Config::Component* cc = Config::Require("config");
-  if (!cc) return False;
-  Config* c = cc->Create(config_id);
-  if (!c) return False;
-  config->ptr = (void*)c;
-  return True;
+  return open_config_in_component("config", config_id, config);
+}
+
+RIME_API Bool RimeUserConfigOpen(const char* config_id, RimeConfig* config) {
+  return open_config_in_component("user_config", config_id, config);
 }
 
 RIME_API Bool RimeConfigClose(RimeConfig *config) {
@@ -1008,6 +1012,7 @@ RIME_API RimeApi* rime_get_api() {
     s_api.select_schema = &RimeSelectSchema;
     s_api.schema_open = &RimeSchemaOpen;
     s_api.config_open = &RimeConfigOpen;
+    s_api.user_config_open = &RimeUserConfigOpen;
     s_api.config_close = &RimeConfigClose;
     s_api.config_get_bool = &RimeConfigGetBool;
     s_api.config_get_int = &RimeConfigGetInt;
diff --git a/src/rime_api.h b/src/rime_api.h
index 07cdf82c2..2d39d21e7 100644
--- a/src/rime_api.h
+++ b/src/rime_api.h
@@ -283,6 +283,8 @@ RIME_API Bool RimeSelectSchema(RimeSessionId session_id, const char* schema_id);
 RIME_API Bool RimeSchemaOpen(const char* schema_id, RimeConfig* config);
 // <config_id>.yaml
 RIME_API Bool RimeConfigOpen(const char* config_id, RimeConfig* config);
+// access config files in user data directory, eg. user.yaml and installation.yaml
+RIME_API Bool RimeUserConfigOpen(const char* config_id, RimeConfig* config);
 RIME_API Bool RimeConfigClose(RimeConfig* config);
 RIME_API Bool RimeConfigInit(RimeConfig* config);
 RIME_API Bool RimeConfigLoadString(RimeConfig* config, const char* yaml);
@@ -513,6 +515,9 @@ typedef struct rime_api_t {
   Bool (*candidate_list_next)(RimeCandidateListIterator* iterator);
   void (*candidate_list_end)(RimeCandidateListIterator* iterator);
 
+  // access config files in user data directory, eg. user.yaml and installation.yaml
+  Bool (*user_config_open)(const char *config_id, RimeConfig* config);
+
 } RimeApi;
 
 //! API entry