Index: src/main/java/org/apache/logging/log4j/core/config/ConfigurationFactory.java
===================================================================
--- src/main/java/org/apache/logging/log4j/core/config/ConfigurationFactory.java	(revision 1520419)
+++ src/main/java/org/apache/logging/log4j/core/config/ConfigurationFactory.java	(working copy)
@@ -37,6 +37,8 @@
 import org.apache.logging.log4j.core.config.plugins.PluginType;
 import org.apache.logging.log4j.core.helpers.FileUtils;
 import org.apache.logging.log4j.core.helpers.Loader;
+import org.apache.logging.log4j.core.lookup.Interpolator;
+import org.apache.logging.log4j.core.lookup.StrSubstitutor;
 import org.apache.logging.log4j.status.StatusLogger;
 import org.apache.logging.log4j.util.PropertiesUtil;
 
@@ -87,6 +89,8 @@
      * File name prefix for standard configurations.
      */
     protected static final String DEFAULT_PREFIX = "log4j2";
+    
+    protected final StrSubstitutor substitutor = new StrSubstitutor(new Interpolator());
 
     /**
      * The name of the classloader URI scheme.
@@ -360,26 +364,28 @@
          */
         @Override
         public Configuration getConfiguration(final String name, final URI configLocation) {
-
-            if (configLocation == null) {
-                final String config = PropertiesUtil.getProperties().getStringProperty(CONFIGURATION_FILE_PROPERTY);
-                if (config != null) {
-                    final ClassLoader loader = this.getClass().getClassLoader();
-                    final ConfigurationSource source = getInputFromString(config, loader);
-                    if (source != null) {
-                        for (final ConfigurationFactory factory : factories) {
-                            final String[] types = factory.getSupportedTypes();
-                            if (types != null) {
-                                for (final String type : types) {
-                                    if (type.equals("*") || config.endsWith(type)) {
-                                        final Configuration c = factory.getConfiguration(source);
-                                        if (c != null) {
-                                            return c;
+           if (configLocation == null) {
+                final String config = this.substitutor.replace(PropertiesUtil.getProperties().getStringProperty(CONFIGURATION_FILE_PROPERTY));
+                if(config!=null) {
+                    try {
+                        final ConfigurationSource source = getInputFromURI(new URI(config));                    
+                        if (source != null) {
+                            for (final ConfigurationFactory factory : factories) {
+                                final String[] types = factory.getSupportedTypes();
+                                if (types != null) {
+                                    for (final String type : types) {
+                                        if (type.equals("*") || config.endsWith(type)) {
+                                            final Configuration c = factory.getConfiguration(source);
+                                            if (c != null) {
+                                                return c;
+                                            }
                                         }
                                     }
                                 }
                             }
-                        }
+                        }                    
+                    } catch(Exception ex) {
+                        ex.printStackTrace();
                     }
                 }
             } else {