diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 0c5b75d..34e5bf8 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -35,26 +35,6 @@ You are then able to use the mkdocs `extra: {}` hash to pass context data into y
 > **Note:** If you have no `plugins` entry in your config file yet, you'll likely also want to add the `search` plugin. MkDocs enables it by default if there is no `plugins` entry set, but now you have to enable it explicitly.
 
 
-### Using external data files
-
-If the `extra: {}` hash is not enough for your data then you are able to make use of external yaml files to provide that context data
-
-```yaml
-plugins:
-    - search
-    - markdownextradata:
-        data: path/to/datafiles
-```
-
-The data path is optional; when absent, it will look for a `_data`
-folder adjacent to your `mkdocs.yml` and inside your `docs_dir`.
-If this path is found, the plugin will read all `.yml` and `.json`
-files inside it and add the data in them to the data available to the templates.
-The paths to these become their variable names, so if inside your data folder you have a file
-called `sections/captions.yml`, the data inside that file will be available in your
-templates as `sections.captions`.
-
-
 ## Features
 
 ### Use Extra Variables in your markdown files
@@ -62,6 +42,12 @@ templates as `sections.captions`.
 The variables you define in the mkdown.yml `extra:` slot will become available in your templates
 
 ```yaml
+site_name: My fantastic site
+
+plugins:
+    - search
+    - markdownextradata
+
 extra:
   customer:
     name: Your name here
@@ -76,6 +62,48 @@ and then in your `*.md` files
 <a href="{{ customer.web }}">{{ customer.web }}</a>
 ```
 
+### Using external data files
+
+If the `extra: {}` hash is not enough for your data then you are able to make use of external yaml files to provide that context data
+
+```yaml
+plugins:
+    - search
+    - markdownextradata:
+        data: path/to/datafiles
+```
+
+or if you have multiple locations provide a comma (,) separated list of locations
+
+```yaml
+plugins:
+    - search
+    - markdownextradata:
+        data: path/to/datafiles, another/path/to/datafiles
+```
+
+if you leave `markdownextradata.data` empty
+
+```yaml
+plugins:
+    - search
+    - markdownextradata
+```
+
+by default it will search in the folder where your mkdocs.yml is kept
+and in the docs folder for another folder called `_data`
+
+i.e. `./docs/_data/site.yaml` - available as '{{ site.whatever_variable_in_the_yaml}}'
+
+If this path is found, the plugin will read all `.yml|.yaml` and `.json`
+files inside it and add the data in them, to the template context.
+
+If inside your data folder you have a directory and a file file
+called `[path/to/datafiles/]sections/captions.yaml` - where `[path/to/datafiles/]` is the path in your configuration -
+the data inside that file will be available in your templates as `sections.captions.whatever_variable_in_the_yaml`.
+
+
+
 ## Testing
 
 ```
diff --git a/markdownextradata/plugin.py b/markdownextradata/plugin.py
index 243b128..6de52c4 100644
--- a/markdownextradata/plugin.py
+++ b/markdownextradata/plugin.py
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 import json
 import yaml
 import mkdocs
+from mkdocs.plugins import BasePlugin
 
 from jinja2 import Template
 from pathlib import Path
@@ -16,7 +17,7 @@
     str_type = mkdocs.utils.string_types
 
 
-class MarkdownExtraDataPlugin(mkdocs.plugins.BasePlugin):
+class MarkdownExtraDataPlugin(BasePlugin):
     """
     Inject certain config variables into the markdown
     """
@@ -37,36 +38,53 @@ def __add_data__(self, config, namespace, data):
         holder[namespace[0]] = data
 
     def on_pre_build(self, config):
-        # this loads all data from the supplied data directory, or otherwise a _data directory next to mkdocs.yml or inside the docs_dir. Does nothing if the dir does not exist.
+        # Loads all data from the supplied data directories
+        # or, otherwise a _data directory next to mkdocs.yml and/or inside the docs_dir.
+        # Does nothing if the dir does not exist.
 
-        data = self.config.get("data")
-        for datadir in [
-            os.path.dirname(config["config_file_path"]),
-            config["docs_dir"],
-        ]:
-            if not data:
-                data = os.path.join(datadir, "_data")
-                if not os.path.exists(data):
-                    data = None
+        # assume an empty list if not defined
+        data_source_folders = self.config.get("data")
+        # cast as a list if is defined but is a string
+        if isinstance(data_source_folders, str):
+            data_source_folders = data_source_folders.split(',')
 
-        if data and os.path.exists(data):
-            path = Path(data)
-            for filename in chain(path.glob("**/*.yml"), path.glob("**/*.json")):
-                with open(filename) as f:
-                    namespace = os.path.splitext(os.path.relpath(filename, data))[0]
+        # if we have not value, then proceed to look in default folders
+        # and assume a _data folder, add to list of folders to check
+        if not data_source_folders:
+            for datadir in [
+                os.path.dirname(config["config_file_path"]),
+                config["docs_dir"],
+            ]:
+                ds_folder = os.path.join(datadir, "_data")
+                if os.path.exists(ds_folder):
+                    data_source_folders.append(ds_folder)
+
+        if not data_source_folders:
+            return
+
+        # iterate of a list of folders and look for data files
+        for ds_folder in data_source_folders:
+            if os.path.exists(ds_folder):
+                path = Path(ds_folder)
+                for filename in chain(
+                    path.glob("**/*.yaml"),
+                    path.glob("**/*.yml"),
+                    path.glob("**/*.json"),
+                ):
+                    namespace = os.path.splitext(os.path.relpath(filename, ds_folder))[0]
+                    # add data into dict based on its path as a namespace
                     self.__add_data__(
                         config,
                         namespace,
                         (
-                            yaml.load(f, Loader=yaml.FullLoader)
-                            if filename.suffix == ".yml"
-                            else json.load(f)
+                            yaml.load(filename.read_bytes(), Loader=yaml.FullLoader)
+                            if filename.suffix in [".yml", ".yaml"]
+                            else json.load(filename.read_bytes())
                         ),
                     )
 
     def on_page_markdown(self, markdown, config, **kwargs):
         context = {key: config.get(key) for key in CONFIG_KEYS if key in config}
         context.update(config.get("extra", {}))
-        extra = config.get("extra")
         md_template = Template(markdown)
-        return md_template.render(**extra)
+        return md_template.render(**config.get("extra"))
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index c7f783c..262d521 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ def run_tests(self):
 
 setup(
     name='mkdocs-markdownextradata-plugin',
-    version='0.1.2',
+    version='0.1.3',
     description='A MkDocs plugin that injects the mkdocs.yml extra variables into the markdown template',
     long_description=read('README.md'),
     long_description_content_type='text/markdown',