diff --git a/src/cmd/shelf.rs b/src/cmd/shelf.rs
index adf788a955..1a251eb261 100644
--- a/src/cmd/shelf.rs
+++ b/src/cmd/shelf.rs
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ const REPOS_DIR: &str = "repositories";
 const INDEX_MD_FILE: &str = "index.md";
 const INDEX_HTML_FILE: &str = "index.html";
 const BOOKS_DIR: &str = "books";
+const BOOKSHELF_DIR: &str = "bookshelf";
 
 pub fn make_subcommand() -> Command {
     Command::new("shelf").about("Build a bookshelf from shelf.toml file")
@@ -35,6 +36,7 @@ fn process_book(
     // Build book
     let title = book.config.book.title.clone().unwrap();
     let mut path = current_dir()?;
+    path.push(BOOKSHELF_DIR);
     path.push(BOOKS_DIR);
     path.push(title);
     book.config.build.build_dir = path;
@@ -76,15 +78,25 @@ pub fn execute(_args: &ArgMatches) -> Result<()> {
     let mut file = File::open("shelf.toml")?;
     let mut contents = String::new();
     file.read_to_string(&mut contents)?;
-    let shelf: Shelf = toml::from_str(&contents)?;
+    let shelf_config: Shelf = toml::from_str(&contents)?;
 
-    let _ = std::fs::remove_dir_all(SHELF_DIR);
+    let _ = std::fs::remove_dir_all(BOOKSHELF_DIR);
     let _ = std::fs::remove_dir_all(REPOS_DIR);
-    let shelf_book = MDBook::init(SHELF_DIR).create_gitignore(false).build()?;
+    let shelf_book_dir = format!("{BOOKSHELF_DIR}/{SHELF_DIR}");
+    let shelf_book = MDBook::init(&shelf_book_dir)
+        .create_gitignore(false)
+        .build()?;
     let shelf_source = shelf_book.source_dir();
     let shelf_build_dir = shelf_book.config.build.build_dir.to_str().unwrap_or("book");
+    let shelf_url_prefix = if let Some(prefix) = shelf_config.root_url_prefix {
+        let mut full_prefix = "/".to_owned();
+        full_prefix.push_str(&prefix);
+        full_prefix
+    } else {
+        "".to_owned()
+    };
     let shelf_url = PathBuf::from(format!(
-        "../../{SHELF_DIR}/{shelf_build_dir}/{INDEX_HTML_FILE}"
+        "{shelf_url_prefix}/{shelf_book_dir}/{shelf_build_dir}/{INDEX_HTML_FILE}"
     ));
 
     let mut index_file_name = shelf_book.source_dir();
@@ -99,7 +111,7 @@ pub fn execute(_args: &ArgMatches) -> Result<()> {
     writeln!(summary, "# Summary")?;
     writeln!(summary, "- [Index](./{INDEX_MD_FILE})")?;
 
-    for sb in &shelf.book {
+    for sb in &shelf_config.book {
         if let Some(url) = &sb.git_url {
             println!("{:?}", sb);
             let path = sb.path.clone().unwrap_or("root".to_owned());
@@ -169,7 +181,7 @@ pub fn execute(_args: &ArgMatches) -> Result<()> {
         }
     }
 
-    let shelf = MDBook::load("shelf")?;
+    let shelf = MDBook::load(&shelf_book_dir)?;
     shelf.build()?;
 
     Ok(())
diff --git a/src/config.rs b/src/config.rs
index f39b28b074..40751c5051 100644
--- a/src/config.rs
+++ b/src/config.rs
@@ -656,6 +656,11 @@ pub struct ShelfBook {
 pub struct Shelf {
     /// The books in the shelf
     pub book: Vec<ShelfBook>,
+    /// this will be prepeneded to the backreference url
+    /// Say you want to publish to www.example.com/mydocs
+    /// you would set this to "mydocs" and then find your bookshelf at
+    /// www.example.com/mydocs/bookshelf/shelf/book/index.html
+    pub root_url_prefix: Option<String>,
 }
 
 /// Configuration for how to render the print icon, print.html, and print.css.