diff --git a/doc/CHANGELOG.md b/doc/CHANGELOG.md
index daff3eac..218ab4bc 100644
--- a/doc/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/doc/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -9,6 +9,16 @@
 # Changelog
 All notable changes to this project will be documented in this file.
 
+* 26-11-2021
+  - zinit packages can now be installed from local files or custom repositories.
+zinit uses [zhdarma-continuum/zinit-packages](https://github.com/p/zdharma-continuum/zinit-packages)
+by default. To use a custom repo you can set `ZINIT[PACKAGES_REPO]=github_org/repo`.
+To install from a specific branch: `ZINIT[PACKAGES_BRANCH]=feature-branch`. For
+repos that are not hosted on GitHub, you can instruct zinit to install packages
+from the local filesystem like so:
+`zinit pack"profile" for local/path/to/package.json` (the user needs to be set
+to `local` and the path to `package.json` must be absolute)
+
 * 22-11-2021
   - We updated zinit's main branch from `master` to `main`. `zinit self-update`
 will try to update the branch locally. If it fails please try to:
diff --git a/zinit-install.zsh b/zinit-install.zsh
index d74b58c6..4cdc0add 100644
--- a/zinit-install.zsh
+++ b/zinit-install.zsh
@@ -123,8 +123,8 @@ builtin source "${ZINIT[BIN_DIR]}/zinit-side.zsh" || { builtin print -P "${ZINIT
 
     local user=$1 pkg=$2 plugin=$2 id_as=$3 dir=$4 profile=$5 \
         local_path=${ZINIT[PLUGINS_DIR]}/${3//\//---} pkgjson \
-        tmpfile=${$(mktemp):-${TMPDIR:-/tmp}/zsh.xYzAbc123} \
-        URL=https://raw.githubusercontent.com/zdharma-continuum/zinit-packages/HEAD/$2/package.json
+        tmpfile=${$(mktemp):-${TMPDIR:-/tmp}/zsh.xYzAbc123}
+    local URL=https://raw.githubusercontent.com/${ZINIT[PACKAGES_REPO]}/${ZINIT[PACKAGES_BRANCH]}/${pkg}/package.json
 
     local pro_sep="{rst}, {profile}" epro_sep="{error}, {profile}" \
         tool_sep="{rst}, {cmd}" \
@@ -133,16 +133,27 @@ builtin source "${ZINIT[BIN_DIR]}/zinit-side.zsh" || { builtin print -P "${ZINIT
     trap "rmdir ${(qqq)local_path} 2>/dev/null; return 1" INT TERM QUIT HUP
     trap "rmdir ${(qqq)local_path} 2>/dev/null" EXIT
 
-    if [[ $profile != ./* ]] {
-        if { ! .zinit-download-file-stdout $URL 0 1 2>/dev/null > $tmpfile } {
-            rm -f $tmpfile; .zinit-download-file-stdout $URL 1 1 2>/dev/null >1 $tmpfile
+    local localpkg
+    if [[ "$user" == "local" ]] && [[ "$pkg" =~ /package.json$ ]]; then
+        localpkg=1
+        local pkgfile="/${pkg}"  # re-add stripped /
+        [[ ! -r "$pkgfile" ]] && {
+            +zinit-message "{u-warn}Error{b-warn}:{error} file does not exist: {apo}\`{pid}$pkgfile{apo}\`{rst}"
+            return 1
+        }
+        pkgjson="$(<${pkgfile})"
+    else
+        if [[ $profile != ./* ]] {
+            if { ! .zinit-download-file-stdout $URL 0 1 2>/dev/null > $tmpfile } {
+                rm -f $tmpfile; .zinit-download-file-stdout $URL 1 1 2>/dev/null >1 $tmpfile
+            }
+        } else {
+            tmpfile=${profile%:*}
+            profile=${${${(M)profile:#*:*}:+${profile#*:}}:-default}
         }
-    } else {
-        tmpfile=${profile%:*}
-        profile=${${${(M)profile:#*:*}:+${profile#*:}}:-default}
-    }
 
-    pkgjson="$(<$tmpfile)"
+        pkgjson="$(<$tmpfile)"
+    fi
 
     if [[ -z $pkgjson ]]; then
         +zinit-message "{u-warn}Error{b-warn}:{error} the package {apo}\`{pid}$id_as{apo}\`"\
@@ -180,6 +191,18 @@ builtin source "${ZINIT[BIN_DIR]}/zinit-side.zsh" || { builtin print -P "${ZINIT
             map=( "\"" "\\\"" "\\" "\\" )
             eval "ICE[id-as]=\"${ICE[id-as]//(#m)[\"\\]/${map[$MATCH]}}\""
         }
+        # DIRTYFIX the id-as ice is pretty much required for local packages
+        # without most snippets won't work as expected as their files end up being
+        # saved as "package.json" and then ziextract etc will fail to detect these
+        # NOTE that the id-as also dictates who the downloaded snippet file will
+        # be named
+        if [[ -n "$localpkg" ]] && [[ -z "${ICE[id-as]}" ]] {
+            # First we'll try using the name field of the package.json
+            # If that fails we default to:
+            # zinit-pack---local---path---to---plugin---dir
+            local pkgname=$(jq -r '.name // ""' <<< "$pkgjson" 2>/dev/null)
+            ICE[id-as]=${pkgname:-zinit-pack---local---${${pkg%%/package.json}//\//---}}
+        }
     } else {
         # Założenie: profil domyślny jest pierwszy w tablicy (patrz: inny kolor).
         +zinit-message "{u-warn}Error{b-warn}:{error} the profile {apo}\`{hi}$profile{apo}\`" \
diff --git a/zinit.zsh b/zinit.zsh
index 0e2fe995..5c958f32 100644
--- a/zinit.zsh
+++ b/zinit.zsh
@@ -72,11 +72,13 @@ aliases|countdown|light-mode|is-snippet|git|verbose|cloneopts|\
 pullopts|debug|null|binary|make|nocompile|notify|reset"
 
 # Can be customized.
-: ${ZINIT[MODULE_DIR]:=${ZINIT[HOME_DIR]}/module}
-: ${ZINIT[PLUGINS_DIR]:=${ZINIT[HOME_DIR]}/plugins}
 : ${ZINIT[COMPLETIONS_DIR]:=${ZINIT[HOME_DIR]}/completions}
-: ${ZINIT[SNIPPETS_DIR]:=${ZINIT[HOME_DIR]}/snippets}
+: ${ZINIT[MODULE_DIR]:=${ZINIT[HOME_DIR]}/module}
+: ${ZINIT[PACKAGES_REPO]:=zdharma-continuum/zinit-packages}
+: ${ZINIT[PACKAGES_BRANCH]:=HEAD}
+: ${ZINIT[PLUGINS_DIR]:=${ZINIT[HOME_DIR]}/plugins}
 : ${ZINIT[SERVICES_DIR]:=${ZINIT[HOME_DIR]}/services}
+: ${ZINIT[SNIPPETS_DIR]:=${ZINIT[HOME_DIR]}/snippets}
 typeset -g ZPFX
 : ${ZPFX:=${ZINIT[HOME_DIR]}/polaris}
 : ${ZINIT[ALIASES_OPT]::=${${options[aliases]:#off}:+1}}