diff --git a/conf/e2/config.json b/conf/e2/config.json
index 863a64c0a..beb582a97 100644
--- a/conf/e2/config.json
+++ b/conf/e2/config.json
@@ -1,11 +1,30 @@
 {
     "include": [
-        "keywords.json",
-        "calendar.json",
-        "prefixes.json",
-        "e2/terrains.json",
-        "e2/rules.xml",
-        "e2/locales.xml"
+        "config://keywords.json",
+        "config://calendar.json",
+        "config://prefixes.json",
+        "config://e2/terrains.json",
+        "config://e2/locales.xml",
+        "config://e2/rules.xml",
+        "rules://core/ships.xml",
+        "rules://core/spoils.xml",
+        "rules://core/common/buildings.xml",
+        "rules://core/common/items.xml",
+        "rules://core/common/resources.xml",
+        "rules://core/common/luxuries.xml",
+        "rules://core/common/herbs.xml",
+        "rules://core/common/potions.xml",
+        "rules://core/common/armor.xml",
+        "rules://core/common/weapons.xml",
+        "rules://eressea/races.xml",
+        "rules://eressea/artrewards.xml",
+        "rules://eressea/buildings.xml",
+        "rules://eressea/familiars.xml",
+        "rules://eressea/buildings.xml",
+        "rules://eressea/equipment.xml",
+        "rules://eressea/items.xml",
+        "rules://eressea/spells.xml",
+        "rules://adamantium.xml"
     ],
     "disabled": [
         "jsreport"
diff --git a/conf/e2/rules.xml b/conf/e2/rules.xml
index 22ff8109f..9e40910e0 100644
--- a/conf/e2/rules.xml
+++ b/conf/e2/rules.xml
@@ -1,24 +1,6 @@
 <?xml version="1.0"?>
-<eressea xmlns:xi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XInclude">
+<eressea>
 
-  <xi:include href="config://core/common/items.xml" />
-  <xi:include href="config://core/common/armor.xml" />
-  <xi:include href="config://core/common/weapons.xml" />
-  <xi:include href="config://core/common/resources.xml" />
-  <xi:include href="config://core/common/luxuries.xml" />
-  <xi:include href="config://core/common/herbs.xml" />
-  <xi:include href="config://core/common/potions.xml" />
-  <xi:include href="config://core/spoils.xml"/>
-  <xi:include href="config://game/races.xml"/>
-  <xi:include href="config://core/ships.xml"/>
-  <xi:include href="config://core/common/buildings.xml"/>
-  <xi:include href="config://game/familiars.xml"/>
-  <xi:include href="config://game/artrewards.xml"/>
-  <xi:include href="config://game/buildings.xml"/>
-  <xi:include href="config://game/equipment.xml"/>
-  <xi:include href="config://game/items.xml"/>
-  <xi:include href="config://game/spells.xml"/>
-  <xi:include href="config://default/adamantium.xml"/>
   <equipment>
     <set name="first_unit">
       <item name="money" amount="2500"/>
diff --git a/res/core/common/items.xml b/res/core/common/items.xml
index 564e9fafd..d04b6a252 100644
--- a/res/core/common/items.xml
+++ b/res/core/common/items.xml
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 <?xml version="1.0"?>
+<eressea>
 <resources>
 
   <resource name="money">
@@ -133,3 +134,4 @@
   </resource>
 
 </resources>
+</eressea>
diff --git a/scripts/eressea/xmlconf.lua b/scripts/eressea/xmlconf.lua
index 1b70b0ccd..756d3c18a 100644
--- a/scripts/eressea/xmlconf.lua
+++ b/scripts/eressea/xmlconf.lua
@@ -1,11 +1,10 @@
-local confdir = 'conf/'
-if config.install then
-    confdir = config.install .. '/' .. confdir
-end
+local rules = 'conf'
+
 if config.rules then
-    local rules = config.rules .. '/'
-    assert(0 == eressea.config.read(rules .. 'config.json', confdir), "could not read JSON data")
+    rules = rules  .. '/' .. config.rules
+    assert(0 == eressea.config.read(rules .. '/config.json', config.install), "could not read JSON data")
 --    assert(0 == read_xml(confdir .. rules .. 'rules.xml', confdir .. rules .. 'catalog.xml'), "could not load XML data, did you compile with LIBXML2 ?")
 --    assert(0 == read_xml(confdir .. rules .. 'locales.xml', confdir .. rules .. 'catalog.xml'), "could not load XML data, did you compile with LIBXML2 ?")
 end
+
 eressea.game.reset()
diff --git a/src/jsonconf.c b/src/jsonconf.c
index 15cc563b6..56ff2e675 100644
--- a/src/jsonconf.c
+++ b/src/jsonconf.c
@@ -887,16 +887,32 @@ static void json_races(cJSON *json) {
 
 const char * json_relpath;
 
-static void include_json(const char *filename) {
+static const char * uri_to_file(const char * uri, char *name, size_t size) {
+    const char *pos, *path = json_relpath;
+
+    pos = strstr(uri, "://");
+    if (pos) {
+        size_t slen = pos - uri;
+        /* identify scheme */
+        if (strncmp(uri, "config", slen) == 0) {
+            path = path_join(path, "conf", name, size);
+        }
+        else if (strncmp(uri, "rules", slen) == 0) {
+            path = path_join(path, "res", name, size);
+        }
+        if (path) {
+            return path_join(path, pos + 3, name, size);
+        }
+    }
+    return uri;
+}
+
+static void include_json(const char *uri) {
     FILE *F;
-    if (json_relpath) {
-        char name[PATH_MAX];
-        path_join(json_relpath, filename, name, sizeof(name));
-        F = fopen(name, "r");
-    }
-    else {
-        F = fopen(filename, "r");
-    }
+    char name[PATH_MAX];
+    const char *filename = uri_to_file(uri, name, sizeof(name));
+
+    F = fopen(filename, "r");
     if (F) {
         long pos;
         fseek(F, 0, SEEK_END);
@@ -917,21 +933,20 @@ static void include_json(const char *filename) {
                 cJSON_Delete(config);
             }
             else {
-                log_error("invalid JSON, could not parse %s", filename);
+                log_error("could not parse JSON from %s", uri);
             }
         }
         fclose(F);
     }
 }
 
-static void include_xml(const char *filename) {
+static void include_xml(const char *uri) {
     char name[PATH_MAX];
-
-    if (json_relpath) {
-        path_join(json_relpath, filename, name, sizeof(name));
-        filename = name;
+    const char *filename = uri_to_file(uri, name, sizeof(name));
+    int err = read_xml(filename, NULL);
+    if (err != 0) {
+        log_error("could not parse XML from %s", uri);
     }
-    read_xml(filename, NULL);
 }
 
 static void json_include(cJSON *json) {
@@ -941,12 +956,13 @@ static void json_include(cJSON *json) {
         return;
     }
     for (child = json->child; child; child = child->next) {
-        const char * filename = child->valuestring;
-        if (strstr(filename, ".xml") != NULL) {
-            include_xml(filename);
+        const char *uri = child->valuestring;
+
+        if (strstr(uri, ".xml") != NULL) {
+            include_xml(uri);
         }
         else {
-            include_json(filename);
+            include_json(uri);
         }
     }
 }