diff --git a/boost/locale/gnu_gettext.hpp b/boost/locale/gnu_gettext.hpp
index cc8844f..d0c6b33 100644
--- a/boost/locale/gnu_gettext.hpp
+++ b/boost/locale/gnu_gettext.hpp
@@ -126,34 +126,77 @@ namespace gnu_gettext {
 
     };
 
-    ///
-    /// Create a message_format facet using GNU Gettext catalogs. It uses \a info structure to get
-    /// information about where to read them from and uses it for character set conversion (if needed)
-    ///
+    /// \cond INTERNAL
 
+    struct facetData
+    {
+        facetData(messages_info const& newInfo, std::vector<std::string> const& newFormats)
+        : info(newInfo), formats(newFormats)
+        {
+        }
+        
+        messages_info const& info;
+        std::vector<std::string> const& formats;
+    };
+    
     template<typename CharType>
-    message_format<CharType> *create_messages_facet(messages_info const &info);
-
-    /// \cond INTERNAL
+    message_format<CharType> *create_messages_facet(facetData const& data);
     
     template<>
-    BOOST_LOCALE_DECL message_format<char> *create_messages_facet(messages_info const &info);
+    BOOST_LOCALE_DECL message_format<char> *create_messages_facet(facetData const& data);
     
     template<>
-    BOOST_LOCALE_DECL message_format<wchar_t> *create_messages_facet(messages_info const &info);
-
+    BOOST_LOCALE_DECL message_format<wchar_t> *create_messages_facet(facetData const& data);
+    
     #ifdef BOOST_HAS_CHAR16_T
     template<>
-    BOOST_LOCALE_DECL message_format<char16_t> *create_messages_facet(messages_info const &info);
+    BOOST_LOCALE_DECL message_format<char16_t> *create_messages_facet(facetData const& data);
     #endif
     
     #ifdef BOOST_HAS_CHAR32_T
     template<>
-    BOOST_LOCALE_DECL message_format<char32_t> *create_messages_facet(messages_info const &info);
+    BOOST_LOCALE_DECL message_format<char32_t> *create_messages_facet(facetData const& data);
     #endif
 
     /// \endcond
 
+    ///
+    /// Create a message_format facet using GNU Gettext catalogs. It uses \a info structure to get
+    /// information about where to read them from and uses it for character set conversion (if needed)
+    ///
+
+    template<typename CharType>
+    message_format<CharType> *create_messages_facet(messages_info const &info)
+    {
+        // Default argument for formats is to use the Gettext hierarchy.
+        std::vector<std::string> formats;
+        formats.push_back("{1}/{2}/{3}/{4}.mo");
+        
+        return create_messages_facet<CharType>(facetData(info, formats));
+    }
+
+    ///
+    /// Creates a messages facet with special path formats
+    ///
+    /// Formats are the same syntax as the Boost format functions, but
+    /// use the following variables:
+    ///
+    /// \li {1} A path to search for catalogs in.
+    /// \li {2} The locale's name.
+    /// \li {3} The locale's category.
+    /// \li {4} The Gettext domain.
+    ///
+    /// For example, \c {1}/{2}/{3}/{4}.mo is the standard Gettext layout.
+    /// Using something like \c {1}/{2}.mo would compact the folder hierarchy.
+    ///
+
+    template<typename CharType>
+    message_format<CharType> *create_messages_facet(messages_info const &info,
+        std::vector<std::string> const &path_formats)
+    {
+        return create_messages_facet<CharType>(facetData(info, path_formats));
+    }
+
 } // gnu_gettext
 
 /// @}
diff --git a/libs/locale/src/shared/message.cpp b/libs/locale/src/shared/message.cpp
index 56a4fdc..ce4b97c 100644
--- a/libs/locale/src/shared/message.cpp
+++ b/libs/locale/src/shared/message.cpp
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
 #include <boost/config.hpp>
 #include <boost/locale/message.hpp>
 #include <boost/locale/gnu_gettext.hpp>
+#include <boost/locale/format.hpp>
 #include <boost/shared_ptr.hpp>
 #include <boost/locale/encoding.hpp>
 #ifdef BOOST_MSVC
@@ -533,8 +534,11 @@ namespace boost {
                     return p->second;
                 }
 
-                mo_message(messages_info const &inf)
+                mo_message(facetData const& data)
                 {
+                    messages_info inf = data.info;
+                    std::vector<std::string> const& formats = data.formats;
+                    
                     std::string language = inf.language;
                     std::string variant = inf.variant;
                     std::string country = inf.country;
@@ -574,8 +578,10 @@ namespace boost {
                         bool found=false; 
                         for(unsigned j=0;!found && j<paths.size();j++) {
                             for(unsigned i=0;!found && i<search_paths.size();i++) {
-                                std::string full_path = search_paths[i]+"/"+paths[j]+"/" + lc_cat + "/"+domain+".mo";
-                                found = load_file(full_path,encoding,key_encoding,id,inf.callback);
+                                for(unsigned k=0;!found && k<formats.size();k++) {
+                                    std::string full_path = (format(formats[k]) % search_paths[i] % paths[j] % lc_cat % domain).str(std::locale::classic());
+                                    found = load_file(full_path,encoding,key_encoding,id,inf.callback);
+                                }
                             }
                         }
                     }
@@ -744,36 +750,34 @@ namespace boost {
             };
 
             template<>
-            message_format<char> *create_messages_facet(messages_info const &info)
+            message_format<char> *create_messages_facet(facetData const& data)
             {
-                return new mo_message<char>(info);
+                return new mo_message<char>(data);
             }
 
             template<>
-            message_format<wchar_t> *create_messages_facet(messages_info const &info)
+            message_format<wchar_t> *create_messages_facet(facetData const& data)
             {
-                return new mo_message<wchar_t>(info);
+                return new mo_message<wchar_t>(data);
             }
             
             #ifdef BOOST_HAS_CHAR16_T
 
             template<>
-            message_format<char16_t> *create_messages_facet(messages_info const &info)
+            message_format<char16_t> *create_messages_facet(facetData const& data)
             {
-                return new mo_message<char16_t>(info);
+                return new mo_message<char16_t>(data);
             }
             #endif
             
             #ifdef BOOST_HAS_CHAR32_T
 
             template<>
-            message_format<char32_t> *create_messages_facet(messages_info const &info)
+            message_format<char32_t> *create_messages_facet(facetData const& data)
             {
-                return new mo_message<char32_t>(info);
+                return new mo_message<char32_t>(data);
             }
             #endif
-
-
         } /// gnu_gettext
 
     } // locale