If I understand things correctly, the preferred way to add stuff to Info directory search path is using `Info-directory-list', e.g.: (push "~/my-info-dir" Info-directory-list) or: (setq Info-directory-list (append '("dir1" "dir2" "dir3") Info-directory-list)) This works in .emacs because Info-directory-list is autoloaded rather than set in info.el. The documentation says: The first directory in this list, the "dir" file there will become the (dir)Top node of the Info documentation tree. If you wish to modify the info search path, use `M-x customize-variable, Info-directory-list' to do so. The last sentence is IMO wrong: if you change the value of the variable, you will completely override the autoloaded defaults. This means that if the autoloaded stuff changes, e.g. by installing a new package, the new values get ignored. Info-directory-list should not be customizable at all.