diff --git a/qrenderdoc/Code/pyrenderdoc/python.props b/qrenderdoc/Code/pyrenderdoc/python.props
index ac3660849..709bd1db2 100644
--- a/qrenderdoc/Code/pyrenderdoc/python.props
+++ b/qrenderdoc/Code/pyrenderdoc/python.props
@@ -3,6 +3,9 @@
 
 <PropertyGroup>
   <PythonBase>$(SolutionDir)\qrenderdoc\3rdparty\python</PythonBase>
+  <PySide2Base>$(SolutionDir)\qrenderdoc\3rdparty\pyside</PySide2Base>
+
+	<PySide2Available>1</PySide2Available>
 
   <CustomPythonUsed>0</CustomPythonUsed>
 
@@ -94,6 +97,7 @@
 
 <PropertyGroup Condition="'$(CustomPythonUsed)'!='0'">
   <PythonBase>$(PythonOverride)</PythonBase>
+  <PySide2Base>$(PythonOverride)\pyside</PySide2Base>
 
 	<PythonMajorMinor>$(CustomPythonUsed)</PythonMajorMinor>
 
@@ -107,12 +111,20 @@
 	<PythonDLLsDir Condition="Exists('$(PythonOverride)\DLLs\_ctypes.pyd')">$(PythonBase)\DLLs</PythonDLLsDir>
 	<PythonImportLib Condition="Exists('$(PythonOverride)\python$(PythonMajorMinor).lib')">$(PythonBase)\python$(PythonMajorMinor).lib</PythonImportLib>
 	<PythonImportLib Condition="Exists('$(PythonOverride)\libs\python$(PythonMajorMinor).lib')">$(PythonBase)\libs\python$(PythonMajorMinor).lib</PythonImportLib>
+
+	<!-- see if PySide is also available in a subdirectory, this would have to be prepared specifically in the format we expect -->
+	<PySide2Available>0</PySide2Available>
+	<PySide2Available Condition="Exists('$(PySide2Base)\include\PySide2\pyside.h') AND Exists('$(PySide2Base)\$(Platform)\shiboken2.dll')">1</PySide2Available>
 </PropertyGroup>
 
 <Target Name="PythonOverridden" AfterTargets="Build" Condition="'$(CustomPythonUsed)'!='0'">
 	<Message Importance="high" Text="Built against python from $(PythonOverride)" />
 </Target>
 
+<Target Name="PythonOverriddenNoPySide" AfterTargets="Build" Condition="'$(CustomPythonUsed)'!='0' AND '$(PySide2Available)'!='0'">
+	<Message Importance="high" Text="PySide2 found and used from $(PythonOverride)" />
+</Target>
+
 <Target Name="PythonFailedOverridden" AfterTargets="Build" Condition="'$(CustomPythonUsed)'=='0' AND $(PythonOverride)!=''">
 	<Message Importance="high" Text="** Could not use python version $(PythonOverride) due to missing requirements." />
 	<Message Importance="high" Text="** Check for $(PythonOverride)\include\Python.h, $(PythonOverride)\pythonMAJMIN.zip, and either $(PythonOverride)\pythonMAJMIN.lib or $(PythonOverride)\libs\pythonMAJMIN.lib" />
diff --git a/qrenderdoc/qrenderdoc_local.vcxproj b/qrenderdoc/qrenderdoc_local.vcxproj
index a2b803050..0aeab2d31 100644
--- a/qrenderdoc/qrenderdoc_local.vcxproj
+++ b/qrenderdoc/qrenderdoc_local.vcxproj
@@ -105,7 +105,7 @@
       <DebugInformationFormat>ProgramDatabase</DebugInformationFormat>
       <SuppressStartupBanner>true</SuppressStartupBanner>
       <TreatWChar_tAsBuiltInType>true</TreatWChar_tAsBuiltInType>
-      <AdditionalIncludeDirectories>$(ProjectDir);3rdparty;$(IntDir)generated\;$(SolutionDir)\renderdoc\api\replay;$(PythonIncludeDir);3rdparty\pyside\include\PySide2;3rdparty\pyside\include\shiboken2;$(QtIncludeDir);$(QtIncludeDir)\QtWidgets;$(QtIncludeDir)\QtGui;$(QtIncludeDir)\QtCore;$(QtIncludeDir)\QtSvg;$(QtIncludeDir)\QtNetwork;%(AdditionalIncludeDirectories)</AdditionalIncludeDirectories>
+      <AdditionalIncludeDirectories>$(ProjectDir);3rdparty;$(IntDir)generated\;$(SolutionDir)\renderdoc\api\replay;$(PythonIncludeDir);$(PySide2Base)\include\PySide2;$(PySide2Base)\include\shiboken2;$(QtIncludeDir);$(QtIncludeDir)\QtWidgets;$(QtIncludeDir)\QtGui;$(QtIncludeDir)\QtCore;$(QtIncludeDir)\QtSvg;$(QtIncludeDir)\QtNetwork;%(AdditionalIncludeDirectories)</AdditionalIncludeDirectories>
       <AdditionalOptions>/Zc:strictStrings /Zc:throwingNew %(AdditionalOptions)</AdditionalOptions>
       <PreprocessorDefinitions>_WINDOWS;UNICODE;WIN32;WIN64;RENDERDOC_PLATFORM_WIN32;SCINTILLA_QT=1;MAKING_LIBRARY=1;SCI_LEXER=1;QT_NO_CAST_FROM_ASCII;QT_NO_CAST_TO_ASCII;QT_WIDGETS_LIB;QT_GUI_LIB;QT_CORE_LIB;QT_SVG_LIB;%(PreprocessorDefinitions)</PreprocessorDefinitions>
       <WarningLevel>Level4</WarningLevel>
@@ -119,7 +119,7 @@
     <Link>
       <SubSystem>Windows</SubSystem>
       <AdditionalDependencies>user32.lib;$(PythonImportLib);qtmain.lib;Qt5Widgets.lib;Qt5Gui.lib;Qt5Core.lib;Qt5Svg.lib;Qt5Network.lib;shell32.lib</AdditionalDependencies>
-      <AdditionalLibraryDirectories>3rdparty\pyside\$(Platform);$(QtLibDir);%(AdditionalLibraryDirectories)</AdditionalLibraryDirectories>
+      <AdditionalLibraryDirectories>$(PySide2Base)\$(Platform);$(QtLibDir);%(AdditionalLibraryDirectories)</AdditionalLibraryDirectories>
       <DataExecutionPrevention>true</DataExecutionPrevention>
       <IgnoreImportLibrary>true</IgnoreImportLibrary>
       <GenerateDebugInformation>true</GenerateDebugInformation>
@@ -148,7 +148,7 @@
       <AdditionalDependencies>user32.lib;$(PythonImportLib);qtmaind.lib;Qt5Widgetsd.lib;Qt5Guid.lib;Qt5Cored.lib;Qt5Svgd.lib;Qt5Networkd.lib;shell32.lib</AdditionalDependencies>
     </Link>
   </ItemDefinitionGroup>
-  <ItemDefinitionGroup Condition="Exists('$(SolutionDir)\qrenderdoc\3rdparty\pyside\include\PySide2\pyside.h') AND '$(CustomPythonUsed)'=='0'">
+  <ItemDefinitionGroup Condition="Exists('$(PySide2Base)\include\PySide2\pyside.h') AND '$(PySide2Available)'!='0'">
     <ClCompile>
       <PreprocessorDefinitions>PYSIDE2_ENABLED=1;%(PreprocessorDefinitions)</PreprocessorDefinitions>
     </ClCompile>
@@ -156,7 +156,7 @@
       <AdditionalDependencies>shiboken2.lib;%(AdditionalDependencies)</AdditionalDependencies>
     </Link>
   </ItemDefinitionGroup>
-  <ItemDefinitionGroup Condition="!Exists('$(SolutionDir)\qrenderdoc\3rdparty\pyside\include\PySide2\pyside.h') OR '$(CustomPythonUsed)'!='0'">
+  <ItemDefinitionGroup Condition="!Exists('$(PySide2Base)\include\PySide2\pyside.h') OR '$(PySide2Available)'=='0'">
     <ClCompile>
       <PreprocessorDefinitions>PYSIDE2_ENABLED=0;%(PreprocessorDefinitions)</PreprocessorDefinitions>
     </ClCompile>
@@ -1843,42 +1843,47 @@
       <CopyToOutputDirectory>Always</CopyToOutputDirectory>
       <Visible>false</Visible>
     </Content>
-    <Content Include="3rdparty\pyside\$(Platform)\shiboken2.dll" Condition="Exists('$(ProjectDir)3rdparty\pyside\$(Platform)\shiboken2.dll')">
+    <Content Include="$(PySide2Base)\$(Platform)\shiboken2.dll" Condition="Exists('$(PySide2Base)\$(Platform)\shiboken2.dll')">
       <Link>shiboken2.dll</Link>
       <CopyToOutputDirectory>Always</CopyToOutputDirectory>
       <Visible>false</Visible>
     </Content>
-    <Content Include="3rdparty\pyside\$(Platform)\PySide2\pyside2.dll" Condition="Exists('$(ProjectDir)3rdparty\pyside\$(Platform)\PySide2\pyside2.dll')">
+    <Content Include="$(PySide2Base)\$(Platform)\shiboken2\shiboken2.pyd" Condition="Exists('$(PySide2Base)\$(Platform)\shiboken2\shiboken2.pyd')">
+      <Link>shiboken2\shiboken2.pyd</Link>
+      <CopyToOutputDirectory>Always</CopyToOutputDirectory>
+      <Visible>false</Visible>
+    </Content>
+    <Content Include="$(PySide2Base)\$(Platform)\shiboken2\__init__.py" Condition="Exists('$(PySide2Base)\$(Platform)\shiboken2\__init__.py')">
+      <Link>shiboken2\__init__.py</Link>
+      <CopyToOutputDirectory>Always</CopyToOutputDirectory>
+      <Visible>false</Visible>
+    </Content>
+    <Content Include="$(PySide2Base)\$(Platform)\PySide2\pyside2.dll" Condition="Exists('$(PySide2Base)\$(Platform)\PySide2\pyside2.dll')">
       <Link>PySide2\pyside2.dll</Link>
       <CopyToOutputDirectory>Always</CopyToOutputDirectory>
       <Visible>false</Visible>
     </Content>
-    <Content Include="3rdparty\pyside\$(Platform)\PySide2\Qt5Qml.dll" Condition="Exists('$(ProjectDir)3rdparty\pyside\$(Platform)\PySide2\Qt5Qml.dll')">
-      <Link>PySide2\Qt5Qml.dll</Link>
-      <CopyToOutputDirectory>Always</CopyToOutputDirectory>
-      <Visible>false</Visible>
-    </Content>
-    <Content Include="3rdparty\pyside\$(Platform)\PySide2\__init__.py" Condition="Exists('$(ProjectDir)3rdparty\pyside\$(Platform)\PySide2\__init__.py')">
+    <Content Include="$(PySide2Base)\$(Platform)\PySide2\__init__.py" Condition="Exists('$(PySide2Base)\$(Platform)\PySide2\__init__.py')">
       <Link>PySide2\__init__.py</Link>
       <CopyToOutputDirectory>Always</CopyToOutputDirectory>
       <Visible>false</Visible>
     </Content>
-    <Content Include="3rdparty\pyside\$(Platform)\PySide2\_utils.py" Condition="Exists('$(ProjectDir)3rdparty\pyside\$(Platform)\PySide2\_utils.py')">
+    <Content Include="$(PySide2Base)\$(Platform)\PySide2\_utils.py" Condition="Exists('$(PySide2Base)\$(Platform)\PySide2\_utils.py')">
       <Link>PySide2\_utils.py</Link>
       <CopyToOutputDirectory>Always</CopyToOutputDirectory>
       <Visible>false</Visible>
     </Content>
-    <Content Include="3rdparty\pyside\$(Platform)\PySide2\QtCore.pyd" Condition="Exists('$(ProjectDir)3rdparty\pyside\$(Platform)\PySide2\QtCore.pyd')">
+    <Content Include="$(PySide2Base)\$(Platform)\PySide2\QtCore.pyd" Condition="Exists('$(PySide2Base)\$(Platform)\PySide2\QtCore.pyd')">
       <Link>PySide2\QtCore.pyd</Link>
       <CopyToOutputDirectory>Always</CopyToOutputDirectory>
       <Visible>false</Visible>
     </Content>
-    <Content Include="3rdparty\pyside\$(Platform)\PySide2\QtGui.pyd" Condition="Exists('$(ProjectDir)3rdparty\pyside\$(Platform)\PySide2\QtGui.pyd')">
+    <Content Include="$(PySide2Base)\$(Platform)\PySide2\QtGui.pyd" Condition="Exists('$(PySide2Base)\$(Platform)\PySide2\QtGui.pyd')">
       <Link>PySide2\QtGui.pyd</Link>
       <CopyToOutputDirectory>Always</CopyToOutputDirectory>
       <Visible>false</Visible>
     </Content>
-    <Content Include="3rdparty\pyside\$(Platform)\PySide2\QtWidgets.pyd" Condition="Exists('$(ProjectDir)3rdparty\pyside\$(Platform)\PySide2\QtWidgets.pyd')">
+    <Content Include="$(PySide2Base)\$(Platform)\PySide2\QtWidgets.pyd" Condition="Exists('$(PySide2Base)\$(Platform)\PySide2\QtWidgets.pyd')">
       <Link>PySide2\QtWidgets.pyd</Link>
       <CopyToOutputDirectory>Always</CopyToOutputDirectory>
       <Visible>false</Visible>