diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index b154bfe..e1b60f4 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -2,8 +2,8 @@
 
 Display the list of functions/methods in the editor via `cmd-r` in Atom.
 
-If your project has a `tags`/`.tags`/`TAGS`/`.TAGS` file at the root then
-following are supported:
+If your project has a `tags`/`.tags`/`TAGS`/`.TAGS` file at the root or at a
+custom directory defined in `tagsDirectory` then the following are supported:
 
 |Command|Description|Keybinding (Linux)|Keybinding (OS X)|Keybinding (Windows)|
 |-------|-----------|------------------|-----------------|--------------------|
diff --git a/lib/load-tags-handler.coffee b/lib/load-tags-handler.coffee
index 5ef3bf3..919210f 100644
--- a/lib/load-tags-handler.coffee
+++ b/lib/load-tags-handler.coffee
@@ -2,16 +2,18 @@ async = require 'async'
 ctags = require 'ctags'
 getTagsFile = require './get-tags-file'
 
-module.exports = (directoryPaths) ->
+module.exports = (tagDirectoryObjects) ->
   async.each(
-    directoryPaths,
-    (directoryPath, done) ->
-      tagsFilePath = getTagsFile(directoryPath)
+    tagDirectoryObjects,
+    ({tagsPath, projectPath}, done) ->
+      tagsFilePath = getTagsFile(tagsPath)
       return done() unless tagsFilePath
 
       stream = ctags.createReadStream(tagsFilePath)
       stream.on 'data', (tags) ->
-        tag.directory = directoryPath for tag in tags
+        for tag in tags
+          tag.projectPath = projectPath
+          tag.directory = tagsPath
         emit('tags', tags)
       stream.on('end', done)
       stream.on('error', done)
diff --git a/lib/main.coffee b/lib/main.coffee
index fde3b44..8d2559e 100644
--- a/lib/main.coffee
+++ b/lib/main.coffee
@@ -4,7 +4,10 @@ module.exports =
       default: true
       type: 'boolean'
       description: 'Force ctags to use the name of the current file\'s language in Atom when generating tags. By default, ctags automatically selects the language of a source file, ignoring those files whose language cannot be determined. This option forces the specified language to be used instead of automatically selecting the language based upon its extension.'
-
+    tagsDirectory:
+      default: './'
+      type: 'string'
+      description: 'A directory relative to your project path where symbols-view will look for your tags file. By default this is set to project root.'
   activate: ->
     @stack = []
 
diff --git a/lib/project-view.coffee b/lib/project-view.coffee
index b9a4f4e..d100d48 100644
--- a/lib/project-view.coffee
+++ b/lib/project-view.coffee
@@ -11,9 +11,13 @@ class ProjectView extends SymbolsView
     @reloadTags = true
     @setMaxItems(10)
 
+    @relativeTagsDirectoryWatcher = atom.config.onDidChange 'symbols-view.tagsDirectory', (newValue) =>
+      @triggerReloadTags()
+
   destroy: ->
     @stopTask()
     @unwatchTagsFiles()
+    @relativeTagsDirectoryWatcher.dispose()
     super
 
   toggle: ->
@@ -59,20 +63,22 @@ class ProjectView extends SymbolsView
 
     @watchTagsFiles()
 
+  triggerReloadTags: ->
+    @reloadTags = true
+    @watchTagsFiles()
+
   watchTagsFiles: ->
     @unwatchTagsFiles()
 
     @tagsFileSubscriptions = new CompositeDisposable()
-    reloadTags = =>
-      @reloadTags = true
-      @watchTagsFiles()
 
-    for projectPath in atom.project.getPaths()
-      if tagsFilePath = getTagsFile(projectPath)
+    relativeTagsDirectory = atom.config.get('symbols-view.tagsDirectory')
+    for {tagsPath} in TagReader.getTagsPaths(relativeTagsDirectory)
+      if tagsFilePath = getTagsFile(tagsPath)
         tagsFile = new File(tagsFilePath)
-        @tagsFileSubscriptions.add(tagsFile.onDidChange(reloadTags))
-        @tagsFileSubscriptions.add(tagsFile.onDidDelete(reloadTags))
-        @tagsFileSubscriptions.add(tagsFile.onDidRename(reloadTags))
+        @tagsFileSubscriptions.add(tagsFile.onDidChange(=> @triggerReloadTags()))
+        @tagsFileSubscriptions.add(tagsFile.onDidDelete(=> @triggerReloadTags()))
+        @tagsFileSubscriptions.add(tagsFile.onDidRename(=> @triggerReloadTags()))
 
     return
 
diff --git a/lib/symbols-view.coffee b/lib/symbols-view.coffee
index a26797d..6c376c5 100644
--- a/lib/symbols-view.coffee
+++ b/lib/symbols-view.coffee
@@ -37,12 +37,13 @@ class SymbolsView extends SelectListView
 
   getFilterKey: -> 'name'
 
-  viewForItem: ({position, name, file, directory}) ->
+  viewForItem: ({position, name, file, directory, projectPath}) ->
     # Style matched characters in search results
     matches = match(name, @getFilterQuery())
 
+    file = path.relative(projectPath, path.join(directory, file))
     if atom.project.getPaths().length > 1
-      file = path.join(path.basename(directory), file)
+      file = path.join(path.basename(projectPath), file)
 
     $$ ->
       @li class: 'two-lines', =>
@@ -63,7 +64,8 @@ class SymbolsView extends SelectListView
 
   confirmed: (tag) ->
     if tag.file and not fs.isFileSync(path.join(tag.directory, tag.file))
-      @setError('Selected file does not exist')
+      @setError("Selected file does not exist. Try running ctags with the " +
+                "--tag-relative option inside your project directory.")
       setTimeout((=> @setError()), 2000)
     else
       @cancel()
diff --git a/lib/tag-reader.coffee b/lib/tag-reader.coffee
index 66a9300..9f26662 100644
--- a/lib/tag-reader.coffee
+++ b/lib/tag-reader.coffee
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+path = require 'path'
 {Task} = require 'atom'
 ctags = require 'ctags'
 async = require 'async'
@@ -21,12 +22,14 @@ module.exports =
     allTags = []
 
     async.each(
-      atom.project.getPaths(),
-      (projectPath, done) ->
-        tagsFile = getTagsFile(projectPath)
+      @getTagsPaths(atom.config.get('symbols-view.tagsDirectory'))
+      ({tagsPath, projectPath}, done) ->
+        tagsFile = getTagsFile(tagsPath)
         return done() unless tagsFile?
         ctags.findTags tagsFile, symbol, (err, tags=[]) ->
-          tag.directory = projectPath for tag in tags
+          for tag in tags
+            tag.projectPath = projectPath
+            tag.directory = tagsPath
           allTags = allTags.concat(tags)
           done(err)
       (err) -> callback(err, allTags)
@@ -34,6 +37,16 @@ module.exports =
 
   getAllTags: (callback) ->
     projectTags = []
-    task = Task.once handlerPath, atom.project.getPaths(), -> callback(projectTags)
+    relativeTagsDirectory = atom.config.get('symbols-view.tagsDirectory')
+    task = Task.once handlerPath, @getTagsPaths(relativeTagsDirectory), -> callback(projectTags)
     task.on 'tags', (tags) -> projectTags.push(tags...)
     task
+
+  getTagsPaths: (relativeTagsDirectory) ->
+    paths = []
+    for projectPath in atom.project.getPaths()
+      paths.push(
+        projectPath: projectPath
+        tagsPath: path.join(projectPath, relativeTagsDirectory)
+      )
+    paths
diff --git a/spec/fixtures/js/tagsDir/tags b/spec/fixtures/js/tagsDir/tags
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9209300
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/fixtures/js/tagsDir/tags
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+!_TAG_FILE_FORMAT	2	/extended format; --format=1 will not append ;" to lines/
+!_TAG_FILE_SORTED	1	/0=unsorted, 1=sorted, 2=foldcase/
+!_TAG_PROGRAM_AUTHOR	Darren Hiebert	/dhiebert@users.sourceforge.net/
+!_TAG_PROGRAM_NAME	Exuberant Ctags	//
+!_TAG_PROGRAM_URL	http://ctags.sourceforge.net	/official site/
+!_TAG_PROGRAM_VERSION	5.8	//
+callMeMaybe	../tagged.js	/^function callMeMaybe() {$/;"	f
+duplicate	../tagged-duplicate.js	/^function duplicate() {$/;"	f
+duplicate	../tagged.js	/^function duplicate() {$/;"	f
+thisIsCrazy	../tagged.js	/^var thisIsCrazy = true;$/;"	v
diff --git a/spec/symbols-view-spec.coffee b/spec/symbols-view-spec.coffee
index a75599b..5984195 100644
--- a/spec/symbols-view-spec.coffee
+++ b/spec/symbols-view-spec.coffee
@@ -397,6 +397,54 @@ describe "SymbolsView", ->
 
       runs ->
         expect(symbolsView.list.children('li').length).toBe 0
+    it "displays all tags when the tagsDirectory is set to \"tagsDir\"", ->
+
+      jasmine.unspy(window, 'setTimeout')
+      atom.config.set('symbols-view.tagsDirectory', 'tagsDir')
+
+      waitsForPromise ->
+        atom.workspace.open(directory.resolve("tagged.js"))
+
+      runs ->
+        atom.commands.dispatch(getWorkspaceView(), "symbols-view:toggle-project-symbols")
+
+      waitsForPromise ->
+        activationPromise
+
+      runs ->
+        symbolsView = $(getWorkspaceView()).find('.symbols-view').view()
+
+      waitsFor "loading", ->
+        symbolsView.setLoading.callCount > 1
+
+      waitsFor ->
+        symbolsView.list.children('li').length > 0
+
+      runs ->
+        directoryBasename = path.basename(directory.getPath())
+        expect(symbolsView.loading).toBeEmpty()
+        expect($(getWorkspaceView()).find('.symbols-view')).toExist()
+        expect(symbolsView.list.children('li').length).toBe 4
+        expect(symbolsView.list.children('li:first').find('.primary-line')).toHaveText 'callMeMaybe'
+        expect(symbolsView.list.children('li:first').find('.secondary-line')).toHaveText path.join(directoryBasename, 'tagged.js')
+        expect(symbolsView.list.children('li:last').find('.primary-line')).toHaveText 'thisIsCrazy'
+        expect(symbolsView.list.children('li:last').find('.secondary-line')).toHaveText path.join(directoryBasename, 'tagged.js')
+        expect(symbolsView.error).not.toBeVisible()
+        atom.commands.dispatch(getWorkspaceView(), "symbols-view:toggle-project-symbols")
+
+        fs.removeSync(directory.resolve('tagsDir/tags'))
+
+      waitsFor ->
+        symbolsView.reloadTags
+
+      runs ->
+        atom.commands.dispatch(getWorkspaceView(), "symbols-view:toggle-project-symbols")
+
+      waitsFor ->
+        symbolsView.error.text().length > 0
+
+      runs ->
+        expect(symbolsView.list.children('li').length).toBe 0
 
     describe "when there is only one project", ->
       beforeEach ->