diff --git a/assigner/config/config.go b/assigner/config/config.go
index 3a9bc12be..1ff91896d 100644
--- a/assigner/config/config.go
+++ b/assigner/config/config.go
@@ -44,17 +44,25 @@ func Marshal(value interface{}) ([]byte, error) {
 // empty string is provided for `configRoot`, the default root is used. If
 // configFile is an absolute path, then configRoot is ignored.
 func Path(configRoot, configFile string) (string, error) {
+	var err error
 	if configFile == "" {
 		configFile = DefaultConfigFile
-	} else if filepath.IsAbs(configFile) {
-		return filepath.Clean(configFile), nil
-	}
-	if configRoot == "" {
-		var err error
-		configRoot, err = PathRoot()
+	} else {
+		configFile, err = fsutil.ExpandHome(configFile)
 		if err != nil {
 			return "", err
 		}
+		if filepath.IsAbs(configFile) {
+			return filepath.Clean(configFile), nil
+		}
+	}
+	if configRoot == "" {
+		configRoot, err = PathRoot()
+	} else {
+		configRoot, err = fsutil.ExpandHome(configRoot)
+	}
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", err
 	}
 	return filepath.Join(configRoot, configFile), nil
 }
@@ -62,10 +70,10 @@ func Path(configRoot, configFile string) (string, error) {
 // PathRoot returns the default configuration root directory.
 func PathRoot() (string, error) {
 	dir := os.Getenv(EnvDir)
-	if dir != "" {
-		return dir, nil
+	if dir == "" {
+		dir = DefaultPathRoot
 	}
-	return fsutil.ExpandHome(DefaultPathRoot)
+	return fsutil.ExpandHome(dir)
 }
 
 // Load reads the json-serialized config at the specified path.
@@ -73,9 +81,11 @@ func Load(filePath string) (*Config, error) {
 	var err error
 	if filePath == "" {
 		filePath, err = Path("", "")
-		if err != nil {
-			return nil, err
-		}
+	} else {
+		filePath, err = fsutil.ExpandHome(filePath)
+	}
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
 	}
 
 	f, err := os.Open(filePath)
@@ -128,9 +138,11 @@ func (c *Config) Save(filePath string) error {
 	var err error
 	if filePath == "" {
 		filePath, err = Path("", "")
-		if err != nil {
-			return err
-		}
+	} else {
+		filePath, err = fsutil.ExpandHome(filePath)
+	}
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
 	}
 
 	err = os.MkdirAll(filepath.Dir(filePath), 0755)
diff --git a/assigner/server/server_test.go b/assigner/server/server_test.go
index 34b14421b..81caeb0c9 100644
--- a/assigner/server/server_test.go
+++ b/assigner/server/server_test.go
@@ -85,7 +85,8 @@ func TestAssignOnAnnounce(t *testing.T) {
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 	indexerID := stiCfg.Identity.PeerID
 	stiCfg.Indexer.FreezeAtPercent = 99.0
-	stiCfg.Save(stiCfgPath)
+	err = stiCfg.Save(stiCfgPath)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
 	t.Log("Initialized indexer", indexerID)
 
 	indexerReady := testcmd.NewStdoutWatcher(indexerReadyMatch)
diff --git a/config/config.go b/config/config.go
index 00a49c588..a710797d4 100644
--- a/config/config.go
+++ b/config/config.go
@@ -53,17 +53,25 @@ func Marshal(value interface{}) ([]byte, error) {
 // empty string is provided for `configRoot`, the default root is used. If
 // configFile is an absolute path, then configRoot is ignored.
 func Path(configRoot, configFile string) (string, error) {
+	var err error
 	if configFile == "" {
 		configFile = DefaultConfigFile
-	} else if filepath.IsAbs(configFile) {
-		return filepath.Clean(configFile), nil
-	}
-	if configRoot == "" {
-		var err error
-		configRoot, err = PathRoot()
+	} else {
+		configFile, err = fsutil.ExpandHome(configFile)
 		if err != nil {
 			return "", err
 		}
+		if filepath.IsAbs(configFile) {
+			return filepath.Clean(configFile), nil
+		}
+	}
+	if configRoot == "" {
+		configRoot, err = PathRoot()
+	} else {
+		configRoot, err = fsutil.ExpandHome(configRoot)
+	}
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", err
 	}
 	return filepath.Join(configRoot, configFile), nil
 }
@@ -71,10 +79,10 @@ func Path(configRoot, configFile string) (string, error) {
 // PathRoot returns the default configuration root directory.
 func PathRoot() (string, error) {
 	dir := os.Getenv(EnvDir)
-	if dir != "" {
-		return dir, nil
+	if dir == "" {
+		dir = DefaultPathRoot
 	}
-	return fsutil.ExpandHome(DefaultPathRoot)
+	return fsutil.ExpandHome(dir)
 }
 
 // Load reads the json-serialized config at the specified path.
@@ -82,9 +90,11 @@ func Load(filePath string) (*Config, error) {
 	var err error
 	if filePath == "" {
 		filePath, err = Path("", "")
-		if err != nil {
-			return nil, err
-		}
+	} else {
+		filePath, err = fsutil.ExpandHome(filePath)
+	}
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
 	}
 
 	f, err := os.Open(filePath)
@@ -141,9 +151,11 @@ func (c *Config) Save(filePath string) error {
 	var err error
 	if filePath == "" {
 		filePath, err = Path("", "")
-		if err != nil {
-			return err
-		}
+	} else {
+		filePath, err = fsutil.ExpandHome(filePath)
+	}
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
 	}
 
 	err = os.MkdirAll(filepath.Dir(filePath), 0755)
diff --git a/e2e_test.go b/e2e_test.go
index 71cec1691..e396ee788 100644
--- a/e2e_test.go
+++ b/e2e_test.go
@@ -150,7 +150,8 @@ func testEndToEndWithReferenceProvider(t *testing.T, publisherProto string) {
 		},
 	}
 	rdMirrorDir := rnr.Dir
-	cfg.Save(stiCfgPath)
+	err = cfg.Save(stiCfgPath)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
 
 	// start provider
 	providerReady := testcmd.NewStderrWatcher(providerReadyMatch)
@@ -264,7 +265,8 @@ func testEndToEndWithReferenceProvider(t *testing.T, publisherProto string) {
 			},
 		},
 	}
-	cfg.Save(sti2CfgPath)
+	err = cfg.Save(sti2CfgPath)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
 	wrMirrorDir := rnr.Dir
 
 	indexerReady2 := testcmd.NewStdoutWatcher(indexerReadyMatch)
diff --git a/gc/reaper/option.go b/gc/reaper/option.go
index c9be62587..e126ee5e0 100644
--- a/gc/reaper/option.go
+++ b/gc/reaper/option.go
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/ipni/go-libipni/pcache"
 	"github.com/ipni/storetheindex/carstore"
+	"github.com/ipni/storetheindex/fsutil"
 	"github.com/libp2p/go-libp2p/core/host"
 )
 
@@ -89,6 +90,11 @@ func WithCarDelete(del bool) Option {
 // provider-specific datastores.
 func WithDatastoreDir(dir string) Option {
 	return func(c *config) error {
+		var err error
+		dir, err = fsutil.ExpandHome(dir)
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
 		c.dstoreDir = dir
 		return nil
 	}
@@ -98,6 +104,11 @@ func WithDatastoreDir(dir string) Option {
 // provider-specific temproary datastores.
 func WithDatastoreTempDir(dir string) Option {
 	return func(c *config) error {
+		var err error
+		dir, err = fsutil.ExpandHome(dir)
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
 		c.dstoreTmpDir = dir
 		return nil
 	}