diff --git a/.github/workflows/lint.yml b/.github/workflows/lint.yml
index 8dfbc31f..4a828c26 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/lint.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/lint.yml
@@ -10,11 +10,13 @@ jobs:
       matrix:
         python-version: ["3.11"]
     steps:
-    - uses: actions/checkout@v2
+    - uses: actions/checkout@v3
     - name: Set up Python ${{ matrix.python-version }}
-      uses: actions/setup-python@v2
+      uses: actions/setup-python@v4
       with:
         python-version: ${{ matrix.python-version }}
+        cache: 'pip'
+        cache-dependency-path: setup.py
     - name: Install dependencies
       run: |
         scripts/ci-install-deps.sh
diff --git a/.github/workflows/reviewdog.yml b/.github/workflows/reviewdog.yml
index 8bc0b28d..f59d0484 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/reviewdog.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/reviewdog.yml
@@ -13,12 +13,14 @@ jobs:
         python-version: ["3.11"]
 
     steps:
-      - uses: actions/checkout@v2
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v3
 
       - name: Set up Python ${{ matrix.python-version }}
-        uses: actions/setup-python@v2
+        uses: actions/setup-python@v4
         with:
           python-version: ${{ matrix.python-version }}
+          cache: 'pip'
+          cache-dependency-path: setup.py
       - uses: reviewdog/action-setup@master
         with:
           reviewdog_version: latest
diff --git a/.github/workflows/test.yml b/.github/workflows/test.yml
index 3825660a..d43023e3 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/test.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/test.yml
@@ -11,11 +11,14 @@ jobs:
       matrix:
         python-version: ["3.7", "3.11"] # min and max supported versions?
     steps:
-    - uses: actions/checkout@v2
+    - uses: actions/checkout@v3
     - name: Set up Python ${{ matrix.python-version }}
-      uses: actions/setup-python@v2
+      uses: actions/setup-python@v4
       with:
         python-version: ${{ matrix.python-version }}
+        # broken "Error: Cache folder path is retrieved for pip but doesn't exist on disk: /home/runner/.cache/pip"
+        # cache: 'pip'
+        # cache-dependency-path: setup.py
     - name: Install dependencies
       run: |
         # Install deps as root since we will run tests as root
@@ -25,4 +28,10 @@ jobs:
       run: |
         # FIXME: Had some permissions issues, currently worked around by running tests as root
         mkdir test_tmp
-        TMPDIR="$(realpath test_tmp)" sudo python tests/test.py --start-dir unit
+        export TMPDIR="$(realpath test_tmp)"
+
+        export DATA_DIR="/home/runner/work/input-remapper/input-remapper/data/"
+        # try this if input-remappers data cannot be found, and set DATA_DIR to a matching directory
+        # find / -type f -name "input-remapper.glade"
+
+        sudo -E python tests/test.py --start-dir unit
diff --git a/inputremapper/configs/data.py b/inputremapper/configs/data.py
index 49afbee9..7635d251 100644
--- a/inputremapper/configs/data.py
+++ b/inputremapper/configs/data.py
@@ -33,20 +33,23 @@ logged = False
 
 
 def _try_standard_locations():
-    """Look for the data dir where it typically can be found."""
-    candidates = [
-        "/usr/share/input-remapper",
-        "/usr/local/share/input-remapper",
-        os.path.join(site.USER_BASE, "share/input-remapper"),
-    ]
-
-    # try any of the options
-    for candidate in candidates:
+    # https://specifications.freedesktop.org/basedir-spec/basedir-spec-latest.html
+    # ensure at least /usr/local/share/ and /usr/share/ are tried
+    xdg_data_dirs = set(
+        os.environ.get("XDG_DATA_DIRS", "").split(":")
+        + [
+            "/usr/local/share/",
+            "/usr/share/",
+            os.path.join(site.USER_BASE, "share/"),
+        ]
+    )
+
+    for xdg_data_dir in xdg_data_dirs:
+        candidate = os.path.join(xdg_data_dir, "input-remapper")
         if os.path.exists(candidate):
-            data = candidate
-            break
+            return candidate
 
-    return data
+    return None
 
 
 def _try_python_package_location():
@@ -55,8 +58,8 @@ def _try_python_package_location():
     try:
         source = pkg_resources.require("input-remapper")[0].location
         # failed in some ubuntu installations
-    except pkg_resources.DistributionNotFound:
-        logger.debug("DistributionNotFound")
+    except Exception:
+        logger.debug("failed to figure out package location")
         pass
 
     data = None
@@ -73,6 +76,21 @@ def _try_python_package_location():
     return data
 
 
+def _try_env_data_dir():
+    """Check if input-remappers data can be found at DATA_DIR."""
+    data_dir = os.environ.get("DATA_DIR", None)
+
+    if data_dir is None:
+        return None
+
+    if os.path.exists(data_dir):
+        return data_dir
+    else:
+        logger.error(f'"{ data_dir }" does not exist')
+
+    return None
+
+
 def get_data_path(filename=""):
     """Depending on the installation prefix, return the data dir.
 
@@ -86,7 +104,11 @@ def get_data_path(filename=""):
     # prefix path for data
     # https://docs.python.org/3/distutils/setupscript.html?highlight=package_data#installing-additional-files # noqa pylint: disable=line-too-long
 
-    data = _try_python_package_location() or _try_standard_locations()
+    data = (
+        _try_env_data_dir()
+        or _try_python_package_location()
+        or _try_standard_locations()
+    )
 
     if data is None:
         logger.error("Could not find the application data")