diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index d547e5a9a..a6ba74d26 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -36,3 +36,4 @@ debian/plinth.preinst.debhelper
 debian/plinth.prerm.debhelper
 debian/plinth.substvars
 debian/plinth/
+*.pytest_cache/
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/custom-shortcuts.json b/custom-shortcuts.json
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e69de29bb
diff --git a/data/etc/plinth/custom-shortcuts.json b/data/etc/plinth/custom-shortcuts.json
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e69de29bb
diff --git a/debian/control b/debian/control
index 41a980ae6..3e7bb9c85 100644
--- a/debian/control
+++ b/debian/control
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ Build-Depends: debhelper (>= 11~)
  , python3-django-stronghold (>= 0.3.0)
  , python3-gi
  , python3-psutil
+ , python3-pytest
  , python3-requests
  , python3-ruamel.yaml
  , python3-setuptools
diff --git a/plinth/modules/api/views.py b/plinth/modules/api/views.py
index 0f230d784..4433ed0b1 100644
--- a/plinth/modules/api/views.py
+++ b/plinth/modules/api/views.py
@@ -20,12 +20,13 @@ FreedomBox app for api for android app.
 
 import copy
 import json
+import os
 
 from django.core.serializers.json import DjangoJSONEncoder
 from django.http import HttpResponse
 from django.templatetags.static import static
 
-from plinth import frontpage, module_loader
+from plinth import cfg, frontpage, module_loader
 from plinth.modules import names
 
 
@@ -44,14 +45,31 @@ def shortcuts(request, **kwargs):
     """API view to return the list of frontpage services."""
     # XXX: Get the module (or module name) from shortcut properly.
     username = str(request.user) if request.user.is_authenticated else None
+    response = get_shortcuts_as_json(username)
+    return HttpResponse(
+        json.dumps(response, cls=DjangoJSONEncoder),
+        content_type='application/json')
+
+
+def get_shortcuts_as_json(username=None):
     shortcuts = [
         _get_shortcut_data(shortcut['id'].split('_')[0], shortcut)
         for shortcut in frontpage.get_shortcuts(username)
     ]
-    response = {'shortcuts': shortcuts}
-    return HttpResponse(
-        json.dumps(response, cls=DjangoJSONEncoder),
-        content_type='application/json')
+    custom_shortcuts = get_custom_shortcuts()
+    if custom_shortcuts:
+        shortcuts += custom_shortcuts['shortcuts']
+    return {'shortcuts': shortcuts}
+
+
+def get_custom_shortcuts():
+    cfg_dir = os.path.dirname(cfg.config_file)
+    shortcuts_file = os.path.join(cfg_dir, 'custom-shortcuts.json')
+    if os.path.isfile(shortcuts_file) and os.stat(shortcuts_file).st_size:
+        with open(shortcuts_file) as shortcuts:
+            custom_shortcuts = json.load(shortcuts)
+            return custom_shortcuts
+    return None
 
 
 def _get_shortcut_data(module_name, shortcut):
diff --git a/plinth/tests/data/etc/plinth/custom-shortcuts.json b/plinth/tests/data/etc/plinth/custom-shortcuts.json
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..dde31ee29
--- /dev/null
+++ b/plinth/tests/data/etc/plinth/custom-shortcuts.json
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+{"shortcuts": [{"name": "NextCloud", "short_description": "File Hosting Service", "description": "Nextcloud is a suite of client-server software for creating and using file hosting services.", "icon_url": "/plinth/custom/static/themes/default/icons/nextcloud.png", "clients": [{"name": "nextcloud", "platforms": [{"type": "web", "url": "/nextcloud"}]}]}]}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/plinth/tests/data/etc/plinth/plinth.config b/plinth/tests/data/etc/plinth/plinth.config
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e428bd3f6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/plinth/tests/data/etc/plinth/plinth.config
@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+[Path]
+# directory locations
+file_root = %(root)s
+config_dir = %(file_root)s/data/etc/plinth
+data_dir = %(file_root)s/data/var/lib/plinth
+log_dir = %(file_root)s/data/var/log/plinth
+server_dir = /plinth
+actions_dir = %(file_root)s/actions
+doc_dir = %(file_root)s/doc
+custom_static_dir = %(file_root)s/data/var/www/plinth/custom/static
+
+# file locations
+store_file = %(data_dir)s/plinth.sqlite3
+status_log_file = %(log_dir)s/status.log
+access_log_file = %(log_dir)s/access.log
+
+[Network]
+host = 127.0.0.1
+port = 8000
+
+# Enable the following only if Plinth is behind a proxy server.  The
+# proxy server should properly clean and the following HTTP headers:
+#   X-Forwarded-Host
+#   X-Forwarded-Proto
+# If you enable these unnecessarily, this will lead to serious security
+# problems. For more information, see
+# https://docs.djangoproject.com/en/1.7/ref/settings/
+#
+# These are enabled by default in Plinth because the default
+# configuration allows only connections from localhost
+#
+# Leave the values blank to disable
+use_x_forwarded_host = True
+secure_proxy_ssl_header = HTTP_X_FORWARDED_PROTO
+
+[Misc]
+box_name = FreedomBox
+# The danube_edition changes the firstboot process and offers entering a
+# voucher for a freedombox.me sub-domain. This functionality requires
+# additional debian packages to be installed:
+#
+# pagekite, python3-requests
+#
+# They are not added as dependencies to keep the normal installation images
+# lean, but make sure to add them if you want to build danube-edition images.
+danube_edition = False
diff --git a/plinth/tests/test_cfg.py b/plinth/tests/test_cfg.py
index f81d8ddcf..4ac85db3a 100644
--- a/plinth/tests/test_cfg.py
+++ b/plinth/tests/test_cfg.py
@@ -115,10 +115,12 @@ class TestCfg(unittest.TestCase):
         """Compare two sets of configuration values."""
         # Note that the count of items within each section includes the number
         # of default items (1, for 'root').
-        self.assertEqual(11, len(parser.items('Path')))
+        self.assertEqual(12, len(parser.items('Path')))
         self.assertEqual(parser.get('Path', 'root'), cfg.root)
         self.assertEqual(parser.get('Path', 'file_root'), cfg.file_root)
         self.assertEqual(parser.get('Path', 'config_dir'), cfg.config_dir)
+        self.assertEqual(
+            parser.get('Path', 'custom_static_dir'), cfg.custom_static_dir)
         self.assertEqual(parser.get('Path', 'data_dir'), cfg.data_dir)
         self.assertEqual(parser.get('Path', 'store_file'), cfg.store_file)
         self.assertEqual(parser.get('Path', 'actions_dir'), cfg.actions_dir)
diff --git a/plinth/tests/test_custom_shortcuts.py b/plinth/tests/test_custom_shortcuts.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..be8e7240b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/plinth/tests/test_custom_shortcuts.py
@@ -0,0 +1,123 @@
+#
+# This file is part of FreedomBox.
+#
+# This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+# it under the terms of the GNU Affero General Public License as
+# published by the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the
+# License, or (at your option) any later version.
+#
+# This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+# but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+# MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+# GNU Affero General Public License for more details.
+#
+# You should have received a copy of the GNU Affero General Public License
+# along with this program.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+#
+"""
+Test module for custom shortcuts.
+"""
+
+import json
+import os
+
+import pytest
+
+from plinth import cfg
+from plinth.modules.api.views import get_shortcuts_as_json
+
+TEST_CONFIG_DIR = \
+    os.path.join(os.path.dirname(os.path.realpath(__file__)), 'data')
+
+CUSTOM_SHORTCUTS_FILE = os.path.join(TEST_CONFIG_DIR,
+                                     'etc/plinth/custom-shortcuts.json')
+
+NEXTCLOUD_SHORTCUT = {
+    'name':
+        'NextCloud',
+    'short_description':
+        'File Hosting Service',
+    'description':
+        'Nextcloud is a suite of client-server software for creating '
+        'and using file hosting services.',
+    'icon_url':
+        '/plinth/custom/static/themes/default/icons/nextcloud.png',
+    'clients': [{
+        'name': 'nextcloud',
+        'platforms': [{
+            'type': 'web',
+            'url': '/nextcloud'
+        }]
+    }]
+}
+
+
+def setup_module(module):
+    """Load test configuration."""
+    root = os.path.dirname(os.path.realpath(__file__))
+    cfg_file = os.path.join(TEST_CONFIG_DIR, 'etc', 'plinth', 'plinth.config')
+    cfg.read(cfg_file, root)
+
+
+def teardown_module(module):
+    """Reset configuration."""
+    cfg.read()
+
+
+@pytest.fixture
+def no_custom_shortcuts_file():
+    """Delete the custom_shortcuts file."""
+    if os.path.exists(CUSTOM_SHORTCUTS_FILE):
+        os.remove(CUSTOM_SHORTCUTS_FILE)
+
+
+@pytest.fixture
+def blank_custom_shortcuts_file():
+    """Create a blank shortcuts file."""
+    open(CUSTOM_SHORTCUTS_FILE, 'w').close()
+
+
+@pytest.fixture
+def empty_custom_shortcuts():
+    """Create a custom_shortcuts file with an empty list of shortcuts."""
+    with open(CUSTOM_SHORTCUTS_FILE, 'w') as shortcuts_file:
+        shortcuts = {'shortcuts': []}
+        json.dump(shortcuts, shortcuts_file)
+
+
+@pytest.fixture
+def nextcloud_shortcut():
+    with open(CUSTOM_SHORTCUTS_FILE, 'w') as shortcuts_file:
+        shortcuts = {'shortcuts': [NEXTCLOUD_SHORTCUT]}
+        json.dump(shortcuts, shortcuts_file)
+
+
+def test_shortcuts_api_with_no_custom_shortcuts_file(no_custom_shortcuts_file):
+    get_shortcuts_as_json()
+
+
+def test_shortcuts_api_with_blank_custom_shortcuts_file(
+        blank_custom_shortcuts_file):
+    get_shortcuts_as_json()
+
+
+def test_shortcuts_api_with_empty_custom_shortcuts_list(
+        empty_custom_shortcuts):
+    get_shortcuts_as_json()
+
+
+def test_shortcuts_api_with_custom_nextcloud_shortcut(nextcloud_shortcut):
+    shortcuts = get_shortcuts_as_json()
+    assert len(shortcuts['shortcuts']) >= 1
+    assert any(
+        shortcut['name'] == 'NextCloud' for shortcut in shortcuts['shortcuts'])
+
+
+def test_retrieved_custom_shortcut_from_api_is_correct(nextcloud_shortcut):
+    shortcuts = get_shortcuts_as_json()
+    nextcloud_shortcut = [
+        shortcut for shortcut in shortcuts['shortcuts']
+        if shortcut['name'] == 'NextCloud'
+    ]
+    assert nextcloud_shortcut
+    assert nextcloud_shortcut[0] == NEXTCLOUD_SHORTCUT
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index fc41fb086..0c557008c 100755
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -252,7 +252,10 @@ setuptools.setup(
         ('/usr/share/polkit-1/rules.d',
          ['data/usr/share/polkit-1/rules.d/50-plinth.rules']),
         ('/usr/share/man/man1', ['doc/plinth.1']),
-        ('/etc/plinth', ['data/etc/plinth/plinth.config']),
+        ('/etc/plinth', [
+            'data/etc/plinth/plinth.config',
+            'data/etc/plinth/custom-shortcuts.json'
+        ]),
         ('/usr/share/augeas/lenses',
          glob.glob('data/usr/share/augeas/lenses/*.aug')),
         ('/usr/share/augeas/lenses/tests',
@@ -271,7 +274,7 @@ setuptools.setup(
                 'data/var/www/plinth/custom/static/themes/default/icons/.gitignore',
                 # TODO Cannot be copied since a symlink is not a regular file
                 # 'data/var/www/plinth/custom/static/theme',
-            ])
+            ]),
     ],
     cmdclass={
         'install': CustomInstall,