diff --git a/src/Mod/Fem/Gui/DlgSettingsFem.ui b/src/Mod/Fem/Gui/DlgSettingsFem.ui
index e626a7647e..faf303e618 100644
--- a/src/Mod/Fem/Gui/DlgSettingsFem.ui
+++ b/src/Mod/Fem/Gui/DlgSettingsFem.ui
@@ -173,6 +173,22 @@
             </property>
            </widget>
           </item>
+          <item>
+           <widget class="Gui::PrefCheckBox" name="cb_use_mat_from_config_dir">
+            <property name="text">
+             <string>Use materials from .FreeCAD/Materials directory</string>
+            </property>
+            <property name="checked">
+             <bool>true</bool>
+            </property>
+            <property name="prefEntry" stdset="0">
+             <cstring>UseMaterialsFromConfigDir</cstring>
+            </property>
+            <property name="prefPath" stdset="0">
+             <cstring>Mod/Fem</cstring>
+            </property>
+           </widget>
+          </item>
           <item>
            <layout class="QGridLayout" name="gridLayout">
             <item row="1" column="1">
diff --git a/src/Mod/Fem/Gui/DlgSettingsFemImp.cpp b/src/Mod/Fem/Gui/DlgSettingsFemImp.cpp
index a2c3153310..b749251626 100644
--- a/src/Mod/Fem/Gui/DlgSettingsFemImp.cpp
+++ b/src/Mod/Fem/Gui/DlgSettingsFemImp.cpp
@@ -47,6 +47,7 @@ void DlgSettingsFemImp::saveSettings()
     fc_ext_editor->onSave();
     fc_ccx_binary->onSave();
     cb_use_built_in_materials->onSave();
+    cb_use_mat_from_config_dir->onSave();
     fc_custom_mat_dir->onSave();
 }
 
@@ -56,6 +57,7 @@ void DlgSettingsFemImp::loadSettings()
     fc_ext_editor->onRestore();
     fc_ccx_binary->onRestore();
     cb_use_built_in_materials->onRestore();
+    cb_use_mat_from_config_dir->onRestore();
     fc_custom_mat_dir->onRestore();
 }
 
diff --git a/src/Mod/Fem/MechanicalMaterial.py b/src/Mod/Fem/MechanicalMaterial.py
index 1d34576f13..a714c9f12a 100644
--- a/src/Mod/Fem/MechanicalMaterial.py
+++ b/src/Mod/Fem/MechanicalMaterial.py
@@ -252,8 +252,10 @@ class _MechanicalMaterialTaskPanel:
             system_mat_dir = FreeCAD.getResourceDir() + "/Mod/Material/StandardMaterial"
             self.add_mat_dir(system_mat_dir, ":/icons/freecad.svg")
 
-        user_mat_dirname = FreeCAD.getUserAppDataDir() + "Materials"
-        self.add_mat_dir(user_mat_dirname, ":/icons/preferences-general.svg")
+        use_mat_from_config_dir = self.fem_preferences.GetBool("UseMaterialsFromConfigDir")
+        if use_mat_from_config_dir:
+            user_mat_dirname = FreeCAD.getUserAppDataDir() + "Materials"
+            self.add_mat_dir(user_mat_dirname, ":/icons/preferences-general.svg")
 
         self.fem_preferences = FreeCAD.ParamGet("User parameter:BaseApp/Preferences/Mod/Fem")
         custom_mat_dir = self.fem_preferences.GetString("CustomMaterialsDir","")