diff --git a/IPython/frontend/qt/console/qtconsoleapp.py b/IPython/frontend/qt/console/qtconsoleapp.py
index 0a4e93f..0d4f1f2 100644
--- a/IPython/frontend/qt/console/qtconsoleapp.py
+++ b/IPython/frontend/qt/console/qtconsoleapp.py
@@ -17,7 +17,6 @@ Authors:
 #-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 # stdlib imports
-import glob
 import os
 import signal
 import sys
@@ -31,7 +30,7 @@ from zmq.utils import jsonapi as json
 from IPython.config.application import boolean_flag
 from IPython.core.application import BaseIPythonApplication
 from IPython.core.profiledir import ProfileDir
-from IPython.lib.kernel import tunnel_to_kernel
+from IPython.lib.kernel import tunnel_to_kernel, find_connection_file
 from IPython.frontend.qt.console.frontend_widget import FrontendWidget
 from IPython.frontend.qt.console.ipython_widget import IPythonWidget
 from IPython.frontend.qt.console.rich_ipython_widget import RichIPythonWidget
@@ -363,26 +362,12 @@ class IPythonQtConsoleApp(BaseIPythonApplication):
         fileglob, and the matching file in the current profile's security dir
         with the latest access time will be used.
         """
-        sec = self.profile_dir.security_dir
         if self.existing:
             try:
-                # first, try explicit name
-                cf = filefind(self.existing, ['.', sec])
-            except IOError:
-                # not found by full name
-                if '*' in self.existing:
-                    # given as a glob already
-                    pat = self.existing
-                else:
-                    # accept any substring match
-                    pat = '*%s*' % self.existing
-                matches = glob.glob( os.path.join(sec, pat) )
-                if not matches:
-                    self.log.critical("Could not find existing kernel connection file %s", self.existing)
-                    self.exit(1)
-                else:
-                    # get most recent match:
-                    cf = sorted(matches, key=lambda f: os.stat(f).st_atime)[-1]
+                cf = find_connection_file(self.existing)
+            except Exception:
+                self.log.critical("Could not find existing kernel connection file %s", self.existing)
+                self.exit(1)
             self.log.info("Connecting to existing kernel: %s" % cf)
             self.connection_file = cf
         # should load_connection_file only be used for existing?
diff --git a/IPython/lib/kernel.py b/IPython/lib/kernel.py
index 4abfeba..df9ec6b 100644
--- a/IPython/lib/kernel.py
+++ b/IPython/lib/kernel.py
@@ -17,7 +17,9 @@ Authors:
 # Imports
 #-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
+import glob
 import json
+import os
 import sys
 from getpass import getpass
 from subprocess import Popen, PIPE
@@ -26,7 +28,8 @@ from subprocess import Popen, PIPE
 from IPython.external.ssh import tunnel
 
 # IPython imports
-from IPython.utils.path import filefind
+from IPython.core.profiledir import ProfileDir
+from IPython.utils.path import filefind, get_ipython_dir
 from IPython.utils.py3compat import str_to_bytes
 
 
@@ -49,22 +52,108 @@ def get_connection_file(app=None):
 
         app = KernelApp.instance()
     return filefind(app.connection_file, ['.', app.profile_dir.security_dir])
-        
-def get_connection_info(unpack=False):
+
+def find_connection_file(filename, profile=None):
+    """find a connection file, and return its absolute path.
+    
+    The current working directory and the profile's security
+    directory will be searched for the file if it is not given by
+    absolute path.
+    
+    If profile is unspecified, then the current running application's
+    profile will be used, or 'default', if not run from IPython.
+    
+    If the argument does not match an existing file, it will be interpreted as a
+    fileglob, and the matching file in the profile's security dir with
+    the latest access time will be used.
+    
+    Parameters
+    ----------
+    filename : str
+        The connection file or fileglob to search for.
+    profile : str [optional]
+        The name of the profile to use when searching for the connection file,
+        if different from the current IPython session or 'default'.
+    
+    Returns
+    -------
+    str : The absolute path of the connection file.
+    """
+    from IPython.core.application import BaseIPythonApplication as IPApp
+    try:
+        # quick check for absolute path, before going through logic
+        return filefind(filename)
+    except IOError:
+        pass
+    
+    if profile is None:
+        # profile unspecified, check if running from an IPython app
+        if IPApp.initialized():
+            app = IPApp.instance()
+            profile_dir = app.profile_dir
+        else:
+            # not running in IPython, use default profile
+            profile_dir = ProfileDir.find_profile_dir_by_name(get_ipython_dir(), 'default')
+    else:
+        # find profiledir by profile name:
+        profile_dir = ProfileDir.find_profile_dir_by_name(get_ipython_dir(), profile)
+    security_dir = profile_dir.security_dir
+    
+    try:
+        # first, try explicit name
+        return filefind(filename, ['.', security_dir])
+    except IOError:
+        pass
+    
+    # not found by full name
+    
+    if '*' in filename:
+        # given as a glob already
+        pat = filename
+    else:
+        # accept any substring match
+        pat = '*%s*' % filename
+    matches = glob.glob( os.path.join(security_dir, pat) )
+    if not matches:
+        raise IOError("Could not find %r in %r" % (filename, security_dir))
+    elif len(matches) == 1:
+        return matches[0]
+    else:
+        # get most recent match, by access time:
+        return sorted(matches, key=lambda f: os.stat(f).st_atime)[-1]
+
+def get_connection_info(connection_file=None, unpack=False, profile=None):
     """Return the connection information for the current Kernel.
     
     Parameters
     ----------
+    connection_file : str [optional]
+        The connection file to be used. Can be given by absolute path, or
+        IPython will search in the security directory of a given profile.
+        If run from IPython, 
+        
+        If unspecified, the connection file for the currently running
+        IPython Kernel will be used, which is only allowed from inside a kernel.
     unpack : bool [default: False]
         if True, return the unpacked dict, otherwise just the string contents
         of the file.
+    profile : str [optional]
+        The name of the profile to use when searching for the connection file,
+        if different from the current IPython session or 'default'.
+        
     
     Returns
     -------
     The connection dictionary of the current kernel, as string or dict,
     depending on `unpack`.
     """
-    cf = get_connection_file()
+    if connection_file is None:
+        # get connection file from current kernel
+        cf = get_connection_file()
+    else:
+        # connection file specified, allow shortnames:
+        cf = find_connection_file(connection_file, profile=profile)
+    
     with open(cf) as f:
         info = f.read()
     
@@ -74,7 +163,7 @@ def get_connection_info(unpack=False):
         info['key'] = str_to_bytes(info.get('key', ''))
     return info
 
-def connect_qtconsole(argv=None):
+def connect_qtconsole(connection_file=None, argv=None, profile=None):
     """Connect a qtconsole to the current kernel.
     
     This is useful for connecting a second qtconsole to a kernel, or to a
@@ -82,8 +171,19 @@ def connect_qtconsole(argv=None):
     
     Parameters
     ----------
+    connection_file : str [optional]
+        The connection file to be used. Can be given by absolute path, or
+        IPython will search in the security directory of a given profile.
+        If run from IPython, 
+        
+        If unspecified, the connection file for the currently running
+        IPython Kernel will be used, which is only allowed from inside a kernel.
     argv : list [optional]
         Any extra args to be passed to the console.
+    profile : str [optional]
+        The name of the profile to use when searching for the connection file,
+        if different from the current IPython session or 'default'.
+    
     
     Returns
     -------
@@ -91,8 +191,11 @@ def connect_qtconsole(argv=None):
     """
     argv = [] if argv is None else argv
     
-    # get connection file from current kernel
-    cf = get_connection_file()
+    if connection_file is None:
+        # get connection file from current kernel
+        cf = get_connection_file()
+    else:
+        cf = find_connection_file(connection_file, profile=profile)
     
     cmd = ';'.join([
         "from IPython.frontend.qt.console import qtconsoleapp",
diff --git a/IPython/zmq/zmqshell.py b/IPython/zmq/zmqshell.py
index 1125e55..e1bb0d8 100644
--- a/IPython/zmq/zmqshell.py
+++ b/IPython/zmq/zmqshell.py
@@ -471,7 +471,7 @@ class ZMQInteractiveShell(InteractiveShell):
         debugging.
         """
         try:
-            p = connect_qtconsole(arg_split(arg_s, os.name=='posix'))
+            p = connect_qtconsole(argv=arg_split(arg_s, os.name=='posix'))
         except Exception as e:
             error("Could not start qtconsole: %r" % e)
             return