diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 648e481df..42db4af4a 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ This change log adheres to standards from [Keep a CHANGELOG](http://keepachangel
 
 ### Changed
 - [`no-extraneous-dependencies`]: use `read-pkg-up` to simplify finding + loading `package.json` ([#680], thanks [@wtgtybhertgeghgtwtg])
+- Add support to specify the package.json [`no-extraneous-dependencies`] ([#685], thanks [@ramasilveyra])
 
 ### Fixed
 - attempt to fix crash in [`no-mutable-exports`]. ([#660])
@@ -385,6 +386,7 @@ for info on changes for earlier releases.
 
 [#742]: https://github.com/benmosher/eslint-plugin-import/pull/742
 [#712]: https://github.com/benmosher/eslint-plugin-import/pull/712
+[#685]: https://github.com/benmosher/eslint-plugin-import/pull/685
 [#680]: https://github.com/benmosher/eslint-plugin-import/pull/680
 [#654]: https://github.com/benmosher/eslint-plugin-import/pull/654
 [#639]: https://github.com/benmosher/eslint-plugin-import/pull/639
@@ -574,3 +576,4 @@ for info on changes for earlier releases.
 [@duncanbeevers]: https://github.com/duncanbeevers
 [@giodamelio]: https://github.com/giodamelio
 [@ntdb]: https://github.com/ntdb
+[@ramasilveyra]: https://github.com/ramasilveyra
diff --git a/docs/rules/no-extraneous-dependencies.md b/docs/rules/no-extraneous-dependencies.md
index adb532e39..3298e266b 100644
--- a/docs/rules/no-extraneous-dependencies.md
+++ b/docs/rules/no-extraneous-dependencies.md
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 # Forbid the use of extraneous packages
 
 Forbid the import of external modules that are not declared in the `package.json`'s `dependencies`, `devDependencies`, `optionalDependencies` or `peerDependencies`.
-The closest parent `package.json` will be used. If no `package.json` is found, the rule will not lint anything.
+The closest parent `package.json` will be used. If no `package.json` is found, the rule will not lint anything. This behaviour can be changed with the rule option `packageDir`.
 
 ### Options
 
@@ -27,6 +27,12 @@ You can also use an array of globs instead of literal booleans:
 
 When using an array of globs, the setting will be activated if the name of the file being linted matches a single glob in the array.
 
+Also there is one more option called `packageDir`, this option is to specify the path to the folder containing package.json and is relative to the current working directory.
+
+```js
+"import/no-extraneous-dependencies": ["error", {"packageDir": './some-dir/'}]
+```
+
 ## Rule Details
 
 Given the following `package.json`:
diff --git a/src/rules/no-extraneous-dependencies.js b/src/rules/no-extraneous-dependencies.js
index 166d4f843..ce5041c97 100644
--- a/src/rules/no-extraneous-dependencies.js
+++ b/src/rules/no-extraneous-dependencies.js
@@ -1,16 +1,20 @@
 import path from 'path'
+import fs from 'fs'
 import readPkgUp from 'read-pkg-up'
 import minimatch from 'minimatch'
 import importType from '../core/importType'
 import isStaticRequire from '../core/staticRequire'
 
-function getDependencies(context) {
+function getDependencies(context, packageDir) {
   try {
-    const pkg = readPkgUp.sync({cwd: context.getFilename(), normalize: false})
-    if (!pkg || !pkg.pkg) {
+    const packageContent = packageDir
+      ? JSON.parse(fs.readFileSync(path.join(packageDir, 'package.json'), 'utf8'))
+      : readPkgUp.sync({cwd: context.getFilename(), normalize: false}).pkg
+
+    if (!packageContent) {
       return null
     }
-    const packageContent = pkg.pkg
+
     return {
       dependencies: packageContent.dependencies || {},
       devDependencies: packageContent.devDependencies || {},
@@ -18,6 +22,19 @@ function getDependencies(context) {
       peerDependencies: packageContent.peerDependencies || {},
     }
   } catch (e) {
+    if (packageDir && e.code === 'ENOENT') {
+      context.report({
+        message: 'The package.json file could not be found.',
+        loc: { line: 0, column: 0 },
+      })
+    }
+    if (e.name === 'JSONError' || e instanceof SyntaxError) {
+      context.report({
+        message: 'The package.json file could not be parsed: ' + e.message,
+        loc: { line: 0, column: 0 },
+      })
+    }
+
     return null
   }
 }
@@ -93,6 +110,7 @@ module.exports = {
           'devDependencies': { 'type': ['boolean', 'array'] },
           'optionalDependencies': { 'type': ['boolean', 'array'] },
           'peerDependencies': { 'type': ['boolean', 'array'] },
+          'packageDir': { 'type': 'string' },
         },
         'additionalProperties': false,
       },
@@ -102,7 +120,7 @@ module.exports = {
   create: function (context) {
     const options = context.options[0] || {}
     const filename = context.getFilename()
-    const deps = getDependencies(context)
+    const deps = getDependencies(context, options.packageDir)
 
     if (!deps) {
       return {}
diff --git a/tests/files/with-syntax-error/package.json b/tests/files/with-syntax-error/package.json
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..1bb4b63fa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/files/with-syntax-error/package.json
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+{{ "name": "with-syntax-error" }
diff --git a/tests/src/rules/no-extraneous-dependencies.js b/tests/src/rules/no-extraneous-dependencies.js
index 8bb632d01..a2e1955ec 100644
--- a/tests/src/rules/no-extraneous-dependencies.js
+++ b/tests/src/rules/no-extraneous-dependencies.js
@@ -1,11 +1,20 @@
 import { test } from '../utils'
 import * as path from 'path'
+import * as fs from 'fs'
 
 import { RuleTester } from 'eslint'
-
 const ruleTester = new RuleTester()
     , rule = require('rules/no-extraneous-dependencies')
 
+const packageDirWithSyntaxError = path.join(__dirname, '../../files/with-syntax-error')
+const packageFileWithSyntaxErrorMessage = (() => {
+  try {
+    JSON.parse(fs.readFileSync(path.join(packageDirWithSyntaxError, 'package.json')))
+  } catch (error) {
+    return error.message
+  }
+})()
+
 ruleTester.run('no-extraneous-dependencies', rule, {
   valid: [
     test({ code: 'import "lodash.cond"'}),
@@ -56,6 +65,10 @@ ruleTester.run('no-extraneous-dependencies', rule, {
       filename: path.join(process.cwd(), 'foo.spec.js'),
     }),
     test({ code: 'require(6)' }),
+    test({
+      code: 'import "doctrine"',
+      options: [{packageDir: path.join(__dirname, '../../../')}],
+    }),
   ],
   invalid: [
     test({
@@ -154,5 +167,29 @@ ruleTester.run('no-extraneous-dependencies', rule, {
         message: '\'lodash.isarray\' should be listed in the project\'s dependencies, not optionalDependencies.',
       }],
     }),
+    test({
+      code: 'import "not-a-dependency"',
+      options: [{packageDir: path.join(__dirname, '../../../')}],
+      errors: [{
+        ruleId: 'no-extraneous-dependencies',
+        message: '\'not-a-dependency\' should be listed in the project\'s dependencies. Run \'npm i -S not-a-dependency\' to add it',
+      }],
+    }),
+    test({
+      code: 'import "bar"',
+      options: [{packageDir: path.join(__dirname, './doesn-exist/')}],
+      errors: [{
+        ruleId: 'no-extraneous-dependencies',
+        message: 'The package.json file could not be found.',
+      }],
+    }),
+    test({
+      code: 'import foo from "foo"',
+      options: [{packageDir: packageDirWithSyntaxError}],
+      errors: [{
+        ruleId: 'no-extraneous-dependencies',
+        message: 'The package.json file could not be parsed: ' + packageFileWithSyntaxErrorMessage,
+      }],
+    }),
   ],
 })