diff --git a/app/cwm/calmwm.c b/app/cwm/calmwm.c
index 3a7393d23..18da2a7e6 100644
--- a/app/cwm/calmwm.c
+++ b/app/cwm/calmwm.c
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@
  * ACTION OF CONTRACT, NEGLIGENCE OR OTHER TORTIOUS ACTION, ARISING OUT OF
  * OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE USE OR PERFORMANCE OF THIS SOFTWARE.
  *
- * $OpenBSD: calmwm.c,v 1.70 2012/12/17 02:28:45 okan Exp $
+ * $OpenBSD: calmwm.c,v 1.71 2012/12/17 23:03:41 okan Exp $
  */
 
 #include <sys/param.h>
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@
 #include <errno.h>
 #include <getopt.h>
 #include <locale.h>
+#include <pwd.h>
 #include <signal.h>
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
@@ -48,6 +49,7 @@ struct client_ctx_q		 Clientq = TAILQ_HEAD_INITIALIZER(Clientq);
 
 int				 HasRandr, Randr_ev;
 struct conf			 Conf;
+char				*homedir;
 
 static void	sigchld_cb(int);
 static void	dpy_init(const char *);
@@ -62,6 +64,7 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
 	const char	*conf_file = NULL;
 	char		*display_name = NULL;
 	int		 ch;
+	struct passwd	*pw;
 
 	if (!setlocale(LC_CTYPE, "") || !XSupportsLocale())
 		warnx("no locale support");
@@ -86,6 +89,14 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
 	if (signal(SIGCHLD, sigchld_cb) == SIG_ERR)
 		err(1, "signal");
 
+	if ((homedir = getenv("HOME")) == NULL || *homedir == '\0') {
+		pw = getpwuid(getuid());
+		if (pw != NULL && pw->pw_dir != NULL && *pw->pw_dir != '\0')
+			homedir = pw->pw_dir;
+		else
+			homedir = "/";
+	}
+
 	dpy_init(display_name);
 
 	bzero(&Conf, sizeof(Conf));
diff --git a/app/cwm/calmwm.h b/app/cwm/calmwm.h
index 05e56a307..6ee87be2f 100644
--- a/app/cwm/calmwm.h
+++ b/app/cwm/calmwm.h
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@
  * ACTION OF CONTRACT, NEGLIGENCE OR OTHER TORTIOUS ACTION, ARISING OUT OF
  * OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE USE OR PERFORMANCE OF THIS SOFTWARE.
  *
- * $OpenBSD: calmwm.h,v 1.171 2012/12/17 18:35:26 okan Exp $
+ * $OpenBSD: calmwm.h,v 1.172 2012/12/17 23:03:41 okan Exp $
  */
 
 #ifndef _CALMWM_H_
@@ -519,6 +519,7 @@ extern Cursor				 Cursor_resize;
 extern struct screen_ctx_q		 Screenq;
 extern struct client_ctx_q		 Clientq;
 extern struct conf			 Conf;
+extern char				*homedir;
 
 extern int				 HasRandr, Randr_ev;
 
diff --git a/app/cwm/conf.c b/app/cwm/conf.c
index 2b7fdedf0..b31a32c7e 100644
--- a/app/cwm/conf.c
+++ b/app/cwm/conf.c
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@
  * ACTION OF CONTRACT, NEGLIGENCE OR OTHER TORTIOUS ACTION, ARISING OUT OF
  * OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE USE OR PERFORMANCE OF THIS SOFTWARE.
  *
- * $OpenBSD: conf.c,v 1.112 2012/12/17 02:53:29 okan Exp $
+ * $OpenBSD: conf.c,v 1.113 2012/12/17 23:03:41 okan Exp $
  */
 
 #include <sys/param.h>
@@ -243,18 +243,14 @@ void
 conf_setup(struct conf *c, const char *conf_file)
 {
 	char		 conf_path[MAXPATHLEN];
-	char		*home;
 	struct stat	 sb;
 	int		 parse = 0;
 
 	conf_init(c);
 
 	if (conf_file == NULL) {
-		if ((home = getenv("HOME")) == NULL)
-			errx(1, "No HOME directory.");
-
 		(void)snprintf(conf_path, sizeof(conf_path), "%s/%s",
-		    home, CONFFILE);
+		    homedir, CONFFILE);
 
 		if (stat(conf_path, &sb) == 0 && (sb.st_mode & S_IFREG))
 			parse = 1;
diff --git a/app/cwm/kbfunc.c b/app/cwm/kbfunc.c
index f58982b5a..a13499955 100644
--- a/app/cwm/kbfunc.c
+++ b/app/cwm/kbfunc.c
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@
  * ACTION OF CONTRACT, NEGLIGENCE OR OTHER TORTIOUS ACTION, ARISING OUT OF
  * OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE USE OR PERFORMANCE OF THIS SOFTWARE.
  *
- * $OpenBSD: kbfunc.c,v 1.69 2012/12/17 14:32:39 okan Exp $
+ * $OpenBSD: kbfunc.c,v 1.70 2012/12/17 23:03:41 okan Exp $
  */
 
 #include <sys/param.h>
@@ -324,16 +324,13 @@ kbfunc_ssh(struct client_ctx *cc, union arg *arg)
 	struct menu		*mi;
 	struct menu_q		 menuq;
 	FILE			*fp;
-	char			*buf, *lbuf, *p, *home;
+	char			*buf, *lbuf, *p;
 	char			 hostbuf[MAXHOSTNAMELEN], filename[MAXPATHLEN];
 	char			 cmd[256];
 	int			 l;
 	size_t			 len;
 
-	if ((home = getenv("HOME")) == NULL)
-		return;
-
-	l = snprintf(filename, sizeof(filename), "%s/%s", home, KNOWN_HOSTS);
+	l = snprintf(filename, sizeof(filename), "%s/%s", homedir, KNOWN_HOSTS);
 	if (l == -1 || l >= sizeof(filename))
 		return;