-- ``$XDG_CONFIG_HOME/notmuch/<profile>/config`` where ``<profile>`` is
- defined by ``$NOTMUCH_PROFILE`` or "default"
-- ``${HOME}/.notmuch-config<profile>`` where ``<profile>`` is
- ``.$NOTMUCH_PROFILE`` or ""
+1. File specified by :option:`notmuch --config` global option; see
+ :any:`notmuch(1)`.
+
+2. File specified by :envvar:`NOTMUCH_CONFIG` environment variable.
+
+3. ``$XDG_CONFIG_HOME/notmuch/<profile>/config`` where ``<profile>``
+ is defined by :envvar:`NOTMUCH_PROFILE` environment variable if
+ set, ``$XDG_CONFIG_HOME/notmuch/default/config`` otherwise.
+
+4. ``$HOME/.notmuch-config.<profile>`` where ``<profile>`` is defined
+ by :envvar:`NOTMUCH_PROFILE` environment variable if set,
+ ``$HOME/.notmuch-config`` otherwise.
+
+.. _database:
+
+DATABASE LOCATION
+-----------------
+
+Notmuch database search order:
+
+1. Directory specified by :envvar:`NOTMUCH_DATABASE` environment variable.
+
+2. Directory specified by config key ``database.path``.
+
+3. ``$XDG_DATA_HOME/notmuch/<profile>`` where ``<profile>``
+ is defined by :envvar:`NOTMUCH_PROFILE` environment variable if
+ set, ``$XDG_DATA_HOME/notmuch/default`` otherwise.
+
+4. Directory specified by :envvar:`MAILDIR` environment variable.
+
+5. ``$HOME/mail``