diff --git a/src/FbTk/StringUtil.cc b/src/FbTk/StringUtil.cc
index fa809bec..19bc8610 100644
--- a/src/FbTk/StringUtil.cc
+++ b/src/FbTk/StringUtil.cc
@@ -55,6 +55,12 @@
   #include <errno.h>
 #endif
 
+#ifndef _WIN32
+#include <unistd.h>
+#include <sys/types.h>
+#include <pwd.h>
+#endif
+
 #include <memory>
 #include <algorithm>
 #include <string>
@@ -109,6 +115,28 @@ int extractUnsignedNumber(const std::string& in, T& out) {
 }
 
 
+std::string getHomePath() {
+
+    std::string home;
+    const char* h = NULL;
+#ifdef _WIN32
+    h = getenv("USERPROFILE");
+#else
+    h = getenv("HOME");
+#endif
+    if (h) {
+        home.assign(h);
+    } else {
+#ifndef _WIN32
+        uid_t uid = geteuid();
+        struct passwd* pw = getpwuid(uid);
+        if (pw) {
+            home.assign(pw->pw_dir);
+        }
+#endif
+    }
+    return home;
+}
 
 }
 
@@ -240,11 +268,7 @@ string expandFilename(const string &filename) {
     string retval;
     size_t pos = filename.find_first_not_of(" \t");
     if (pos != string::npos && filename[pos] == '~') {
-#ifdef _WIN32
-        retval = getenv("USERPROFILE");
-#else
-        retval = getenv("HOME");
-#endif
+        retval = getHomePath();
         if (pos + 1 < filename.size()) {
             // copy from the character after '~'
             retval += static_cast<const char *>(filename.c_str() + pos + 1);
diff --git a/src/main.cc b/src/main.cc
index 0639e304..435e9f42 100644
--- a/src/main.cc
+++ b/src/main.cc
@@ -239,13 +239,10 @@ struct Options {
         if (env && strlen(env) > 0) {
             session_display.assign(env);
         }
-#ifdef _WIN32
-        env = getenv("USERPROFILE");
-#else
-        env = getenv("HOME");
-#endif
-        if (env && strlen(env) > 0) {
-            rc_path.assign(std::string(env) + "/." + realProgramName("fluxbox"));
+
+        rc_path = FbTk::StringUtil::expandFilename(std::string("~/.") + realProgramName("fluxbox"));
+
+        if (!rc_path.empty()) {
             rc_file = rc_path + "/init";
         }
     }
diff --git a/src/tests/StringUtiltest.cc b/src/tests/StringUtiltest.cc
index e5e84193..a821184e 100644
--- a/src/tests/StringUtiltest.cc
+++ b/src/tests/StringUtiltest.cc
@@ -46,11 +46,16 @@ void testStringtok() {
 void testExpandFilename() {
     string filename(StringUtil::expandFilename("~/filename/~filename2/file3~/file4"));
     cerr<<"test ";
-    string test = string(getenv("HOME"))+"/filename/~filename2/file3~/file4";
-    if (test == filename)
-        cerr<<"ok.";
-    else
-        cerr<<"faild";
+    const char* home = getenv("HOME");
+    if (home) {
+        string test = string(home)+"/filename/~filename2/file3~/file4";
+        if (test == filename)
+            cerr<<"ok.";
+        else
+            cerr<<"failed";
+    } else {
+        cerr << "failed, can't get $HOME.";
+    }
     cerr<<endl;
 }
 
diff --git a/util/fluxbox-update_configs.cc b/util/fluxbox-update_configs.cc
index a8052a2d..8eff8e4d 100644
--- a/util/fluxbox-update_configs.cc
+++ b/util/fluxbox-update_configs.cc
@@ -64,7 +64,6 @@ using std::set;
 using std::map;
 using std::list;
 using std::exit;
-using std::getenv;
 
 string read_file(const string& filename);
 void write_file(const string& filename, const string &contents);
@@ -615,7 +614,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv) {
     }
 
     if (rc_filename.empty())
-        rc_filename = getenv("HOME") + string("/.fluxbox/init");
+        rc_filename = FbTk::StringUtil::expandFilename("~/.fluxbox/init");
 
     FbTk::ResourceManager resource_manager(rc_filename.c_str(),false);
     if (!resource_manager.load(rc_filename.c_str())) {