diff --git a/ale_linters/perl/perlcritic.vim b/ale_linters/perl/perlcritic.vim
index 189a9ce..a9e8f11 100644
--- a/ale_linters/perl/perlcritic.vim
+++ b/ale_linters/perl/perlcritic.vim
@@ -1,17 +1,54 @@
-" Author: Vincent Lequertier <https://github.com/SkySymbol>
+" Author: Vincent Lequertier <https://github.com/SkySymbol>, Chris Weyl <cweyl@alumni.drew.edu>
 " Description: This file adds support for checking perl with perl critic
 
-if !exists('g:ale_perl_perlcritic_showrules')
-    let g:ale_perl_perlcritic_showrules = 0
-endif
+let g:ale_perl_perlcritic_executable =
+\   get(g:, 'ale_perl_perlcritic_executable', 'perlcritic')
+
+let g:ale_perl_perlcritic_profile =
+\   get(g:, 'ale_perl_perlcritic_profile', '.perlcriticrc')
+
+let g:ale_perl_perlcritic_options =
+\   get(g:, 'ale_perl_perlcritic_options', '')
+
+let g:ale_perl_perlcritic_showrules =
+\   get(g:, 'ale_perl_perlcritic_showrules', 0)
+
+function! ale_linters#perl#perlcritic#GetExecutable(buffer) abort
+    return ale#Var(a:buffer, 'perl_perlcritic_executable')
+endfunction
+
+function! ale_linters#perl#perlcritic#GetProfile(buffer) abort
+
+    " first see if we've been overridden
+    let l:profile = ale#Var(a:buffer, 'perl_perlcritic_profile')
+    if l:profile ==? ''
+        return ''
+    endif
+
+    " otherwise, iterate upwards to find it
+    return ale#path#FindNearestFile(a:buffer, l:profile)
+endfunction
 
 function! ale_linters#perl#perlcritic#GetCommand(buffer) abort
     let l:critic_verbosity = '%l:%c %m\n'
-    if g:ale_perl_perlcritic_showrules
+    if ale#Var(a:buffer, 'perl_perlcritic_showrules')
         let l:critic_verbosity = '%l:%c %m [%p]\n'
     endif
 
-    return "perlcritic --verbose '". l:critic_verbosity . "' --nocolor"
+    let l:profile = ale_linters#perl#perlcritic#GetProfile(a:buffer)
+    let l:options = ale#Var(a:buffer, 'perl_perlcritic_options')
+
+    let l:command = ale#Escape(ale_linters#perl#perlcritic#GetExecutable(a:buffer))
+    \   . " --verbose '". l:critic_verbosity . "' --nocolor"
+
+    if l:profile !=? ''
+        let l:command .= ' --profile ' . ale#Escape(l:profile)
+    endif
+    if l:options !=? ''
+        let l:command .= ' ' . l:options
+    endif
+
+    return l:command
 endfunction
 
 
@@ -32,8 +69,8 @@ endfunction
 
 call ale#linter#Define('perl', {
 \   'name': 'perlcritic',
-\   'executable': 'perlcritic',
 \   'output_stream': 'stdout',
+\   'executable_callback': 'ale_linters#perl#perlcritic#GetExecutable',
 \   'command_callback': 'ale_linters#perl#perlcritic#GetCommand',
 \   'callback': 'ale_linters#perl#perlcritic#Handle',
 \})
diff --git a/doc/ale-perl.txt b/doc/ale-perl.txt
index 8349dff..4425bda 100644
--- a/doc/ale-perl.txt
+++ b/doc/ale-perl.txt
@@ -25,6 +25,37 @@ g:ale_perl_perl_options                               *g:ale_perl_perl_options*
 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 perlcritic                                                *ale-perl-perlcritic*
 
+g:ale_perl_perlcritic_executable              *g:ale_perl_perlcritic_executable*
+                                              *b:ale_perl_perlcritic_executable*
+  Type: |String|
+  Default: `'perlcritic'`
+
+  This variable can be changed to modify the perlcritic executable used for
+  linting perl.
+
+
+g:ale_perl_perlcritic_profile                    *g:ale_perl_perlcritic_profile*
+                                                 *b:ale_perl_perlcritic_profile*
+  Type: |String|
+  Default: `'.perlcriticrc'`
+
+  This variable can be changed to modify the perlcritic profile used for
+  linting perl.  The current directory is checked for the file, then the
+  parent directory, etc, until it finds one.  If no matching file is found, no
+  profile is passed to perlcritic.
+
+  Set to an empty string to disable using a profile.
+
+
+g:ale_perl_perlcritic_options                    *g:ale_perl_perlcritic_options*
+                                                 *b:ale_perl_perlcritic_options*
+  Type: |String|
+  Default: `''`
+
+  This variable can be changed to supply additional command-line arguments to
+  the perlcritic invocation.
+
+
 g:ale_perl_perlcritic_showrules               *g:ale_perl_perlcritic_showrules*
 
   Type: |Number|
diff --git a/test/test_perlcritic_linter.vader b/test/test_perlcritic_linter.vader
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8b7cf1a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/test_perlcritic_linter.vader
@@ -0,0 +1,62 @@
+" NOTE: We use the 'b:' forms below to ensure that we're properly using
+" ale#Var()
+
+Given perl:
+  #!/usr/bin/env perl
+  use v5.10;
+  say 'Hi there!';
+
+
+Before:
+  Save g:ale_perl_perlcritic_profile
+  Save g:ale_perl_perlcritic_options
+  Save g:ale_perl_perlcritic_executable
+  Save g:ale_perl_perlcritic_showrules
+  silent! unlet g:ale_perl_perlcritic_options
+  silent! unlet g:ale_perl_perlcritic_executable
+  silent! unlet g:ale_perl_perlcritic_showrules
+  let g:ale_perl_perlcritic_profile  = ''
+
+  " enable loading inside test container
+  silent! cd /testplugin
+  source ale_linters/perl/perlcritic.vim
+
+
+After:
+  Restore
+  silent! unlet b:ale_perl_perlcritic_profile
+  silent! unlet b:ale_perl_perlcritic_options
+  silent! unlet b:ale_perl_perlcritic_executable
+  silent! unlet b:ale_perl_perlcritic_showrules
+
+
+Execute(no g:ale_perl_perlcritic_showrules):
+  let b:ale_perl_perlcritic_showrules = 0
+
+  AssertEqual
+  \ "'perlcritic' --verbose '". '%l:%c %m\n' . "' --nocolor",
+  \ ale_linters#perl#perlcritic#GetCommand(bufnr(''))
+
+
+Execute(yes g:ale_perl_perlcritic_showrules):
+  let b:ale_perl_perlcritic_showrules = 1
+
+  AssertEqual
+  \ "'perlcritic' --verbose '". '%l:%c %m [%p]\n' . "' --nocolor",
+  \ ale_linters#perl#perlcritic#GetCommand(bufnr(''))
+
+
+Execute(set g:ale_perl_perlcritic_profile):
+  let b:ale_perl_perlcritic_profile   = 'README.md'
+
+  Assert
+  \ ale_linters#perl#perlcritic#GetCommand(bufnr(''))
+  \  =~# "--profile '.*/README.md'"
+
+
+Execute(g:ale_perl_perlcritic_options):
+  let b:ale_perl_perlcritic_options   = 'beep boop'
+
+  AssertEqual
+  \ "'perlcritic' --verbose '". '%l:%c %m\n' . "' --nocolor beep boop",
+  \ ale_linters#perl#perlcritic#GetCommand(bufnr(''))
diff --git a/test/test_perlcritic_showrules.vader b/test/test_perlcritic_showrules.vader
deleted file mode 100644
index 5208908..0000000
--- a/test/test_perlcritic_showrules.vader
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,16 +0,0 @@
-Execute(no g:ale_perl_perlcritic_showrules):
-  silent noautocmd new testfile.pl
-
-  let g:ale_perl_perlcritic_showrules = 0
-
-  AssertEqual
-  \ "perlcritic --verbose '". '%l:%c %m\n' . "' --nocolor",
-  \ ale_linters#perl#perlcritic#GetCommand(bufnr(''))
-
-  let g:ale_perl_perlcritic_showrules = 1
-
-  AssertEqual
-  \ "perlcritic --verbose '". '%l:%c %m [%p]\n' . "' --nocolor",
-  \ ale_linters#perl#perlcritic#GetCommand(bufnr(''))
-
-  :q