diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 5e0fc2180..956d17dd4 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -4,6 +4,8 @@ This project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](http://semver.org/).
 This change log adheres to standards from [Keep a CHANGELOG](http://keepachangelog.com).
 
 ## [Unreleased]
+### Added
+- [`import/external-module-folders` setting]: a possibility to configure folders for "external" modules ([#444])
 
 ## [1.11.1] - 2016-07-20
 ### Fixed
@@ -243,6 +245,7 @@ for info on changes for earlier releases.
 [`import/ignore` setting]: ./README.md#importignore
 [`import/extensions` setting]: ./README.md#importextensions
 [`import/core-modules` setting]: ./README.md#importcore-modules
+[`import/external-module-folders` setting]: ./README.md#importexternal-module-folders
 
 [`no-unresolved`]: ./docs/rules/no-unresolved.md
 [`no-deprecated`]: ./docs/rules/no-deprecated.md
@@ -264,6 +267,7 @@ for info on changes for earlier releases.
 [`prefer-default-export`]: ./docs/rules/prefer-default-export.md
 [`no-restricted-paths`]: ./docs/rules/no-restricted-paths.md
 
+[#444]: https://github.com/benmosher/eslint-plugin-import/pull/444
 [#428]: https://github.com/benmosher/eslint-plugin-import/pull/428
 [#395]: https://github.com/benmosher/eslint-plugin-import/pull/395
 [#371]: https://github.com/benmosher/eslint-plugin-import/pull/371
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index f3e3c3910..f8d707b43 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -260,6 +260,10 @@ that specifies this for you.
 
 Contribution of more such shared configs for other platforms are welcome!
 
+#### `import/external-module-folders`
+
+An array of folders. Resolved modules only from those folders will be considered as "external". By default - `["node_modules"]`. Makes sense if you have configured your path or webpack to handle your internal paths differently and want to considered modules from some folders, for example `bower_components` or `jspm_modules`, as "external".
+
 #### `import/resolver`
 
 See [resolvers](#resolvers).
diff --git a/docs/rules/order.md b/docs/rules/order.md
index dae5ca904..5a542e7b6 100644
--- a/docs/rules/order.md
+++ b/docs/rules/order.md
@@ -141,3 +141,8 @@ import index from './';
 import sibling from './foo';
 ```
 
+## Related
+
+- [`import/external-module-folders`] setting
+
+[`import/external-module-folders`]: ../../README.md#importexternal-module-folders
diff --git a/src/core/importType.js b/src/core/importType.js
index 86f01bc89..02edc0234 100644
--- a/src/core/importType.js
+++ b/src/core/importType.js
@@ -13,10 +13,14 @@ export function isBuiltIn(name, settings) {
   return builtinModules.indexOf(name) !== -1 || extras.indexOf(name) > -1
 }
 
+function isExternalPath(path, name, settings) {
+  const folders = (settings && settings['import/external-module-folders']) || ['node_modules']
+  return !path || folders.some(folder => -1 < path.indexOf(join(folder, name)))
+}
+
 const externalModuleRegExp = /^\w/
 function isExternalModule(name, settings, path) {
-  if (!externalModuleRegExp.test(name)) return false
-  return (!path || -1 < path.indexOf(join('node_modules', name)))
+  return externalModuleRegExp.test(name) && isExternalPath(path, name, settings)
 }
 
 const scopedRegExp = /^@\w+\/\w+/
@@ -25,8 +29,7 @@ function isScoped(name) {
 }
 
 function isInternalModule(name, settings, path) {
-  if (!externalModuleRegExp.test(name)) return false
-  return (path && -1 === path.indexOf(join('node_modules', name)))
+  return externalModuleRegExp.test(name) && !isExternalPath(path, name, settings)
 }
 
 function isRelativeToParent(name) {
diff --git a/tests/src/core/importType.js b/tests/src/core/importType.js
index 53796ba13..28a8d7f4e 100644
--- a/tests/src/core/importType.js
+++ b/tests/src/core/importType.js
@@ -66,4 +66,18 @@ describe('importType(name)', function () {
     const electronContext = testContext({ 'import/core-modules': ['electron'] })
     expect(importType('electron', electronContext)).to.equal('builtin')
   })
+
+  it("should return 'external' for module from 'node_modules' with default config", function() {
+    expect(importType('builtin-modules', context)).to.equal('external')
+  })
+
+  it("should return 'internal' for module from 'node_modules' if 'node_modules' missed in 'external-module-folders'", function() {
+    const foldersContext = testContext({ 'import/external-module-folders': [] })
+    expect(importType('builtin-modules', foldersContext)).to.equal('internal')
+  })
+
+  it("should return 'external' for module from 'node_modules' if 'node_modules' contained in 'external-module-folders'", function() {
+    const foldersContext = testContext({ 'import/external-module-folders': ['node_modules'] })
+    expect(importType('builtin-modules', foldersContext)).to.equal('external')
+  })
 })