--- rt.equinox.p2/bundles/org.eclipse.equinox.simpleconfigurator/src/org/eclipse/equinox/internal/simpleconfigurator/SimpleConfiguratorImpl.java
+++ rt.equinox.p2/bundles/org.eclipse.equinox.simpleconfigurator/src/org/eclipse/equinox/internal/simpleconfigurator/SimpleConfiguratorImpl.java
@@ -100,7 +100,10 @@
 				URL userConfigURL = userConfig.toURL();
 				List userBundles = SimpleConfiguratorUtils.readConfiguration(userConfigURL, base);
 
-				return (userBundles.containsAll(sharedBundles)) ? userConfigURL : sharedConfigURL;
+				boolean useUserConfigArea = userBundles.containsAll(sharedBundles);
+				System.setProperty("org.eclipse.equinox.simpleconfigurator.shared.useUser", "" + System.currentTimeMillis());
+
+				return useUserConfigArea ? userConfigURL : sharedConfigURL;
 			}
 		} catch (MalformedURLException e) {
 			return null;
--- rt.equinox.p2/bundles/org.eclipse.equinox.p2.engine/src/org/eclipse/equinox/internal/p2/engine/SimpleProfileRegistry.java
+++ rt.equinox.p2/bundles/org.eclipse.equinox.p2.engine/src/org/eclipse/equinox/internal/p2/engine/SimpleProfileRegistry.java
@@ -236,8 +236,14 @@
 		if (SELF.equals(id))
 			id = self;
 		Profile profile = getProfileMap().get(id);
-		if (profile == null && self != null && self.equals(id))
+		String s = System.getProperty("org.eclipse.equinox.simpleconfigurator.shared.useUser");
+		if (s != null && profile != null && (profile.getTimestamp() < new Long(s))) {
+			profile = null;
+		}
+		if (profile == null && self != null && self.equals(id)) {
 			profile = createSurrogateProfile(id);
+			
+		}
 
 		return profile;
 	}