diff --git a/commandline.cpp b/commandline.cpp
index e1e63fc8..a1ebdb5c 100644
--- a/commandline.cpp
+++ b/commandline.cpp
@@ -61,13 +61,37 @@ EX void initializeCLI() {
 #endif
 
   #ifdef FHS
-  static string sbuf, cbuf;
-  if(getenv("HOME")) {
-    sbuf = getenv("HOME"); sbuf += "/."; sbuf += scorefile;
-    cbuf = getenv("HOME"); cbuf += "/."; cbuf += conffile;
-    scorefile = sbuf;
-    conffile = cbuf.c_str();
-    }
+  auto try_place = [&] (string env, string suffix, string& which_file, bool only_file) {
+    char *res = getenv(env.c_str());
+    if(!res) return false;
+    string buf = res; buf += suffix; buf += "/hyperrogue";
+    if(only_file && file_exists(buf + "/" + which_file)) {
+      which_file = buf + "/" + which_file;
+      return true;
+      }
+    if(!file_exists(buf)) system(("mkdir -p " +buf).c_str());
+    which_file = buf + "/" + which_file;
+    return true;
+    };
+
+  auto try_dot = [&] (string& which_file) {
+    char *res = getenv("HOME");
+    string buf = res;
+    buf += "/."; buf += which_file;
+    if(!file_exists(buf)) return false;
+    which_file = buf;
+    return true;
+    };
+
+  if(try_dot(scorefile)) {}
+  else if(try_place("XDG_DATA_HOME", "", scorefile, true)) {}
+  else if(try_place("HOME", "/.local/share", scorefile, false)) {}
+  else if(try_place("XDG_DATA_HOME", "", scorefile, false)) {}
+
+  if(try_dot(conffile)) {}
+  else if(try_place("XDG_CONFIG_HOME", "", conffile, true)) {}
+  else if(try_place("HOME", "/.config", conffile, true)) {}
+  else if(try_place("XDG_CONFIG_HOME", "", conffile, false)) {}
   #endif
   }
 
diff --git a/config.cpp b/config.cpp
index 685c6c47..5f88d2e7 100644
--- a/config.cpp
+++ b/config.cpp
@@ -918,7 +918,7 @@ EX shared_ptr<custom_parameter> param_colortable(colortable& val, const paramete
 EX ld bounded_mine_percentage = 0.1;
 EX int bounded_mine_quantity, bounded_mine_max;
 
-EX const char *conffile = "hyperrogue.ini";
+EX string conffile = "hyperrogue.ini";
 
 /* extra space if more geometries are added */
 EX array<ld, gGUARD+64> sightranges;
@@ -2058,7 +2058,7 @@ EX debugflag debug_init_config = {"init_config", true};
 
 EX void saveConfig() {
   indenter_finish(debug_init_config, "saveConfig");
-  FILE *f = fopen(conffile, "wt");
+  FILE *f = fopen(conffile.c_str(), "wt");
   if(!f) {
     addMessage(s0 + "Could not open the config file: " + conffile);
     return;
@@ -2131,7 +2131,7 @@ EX void loadConfig() {
  
   indenter_finish(debug_init_config, "loadConfig");
   vid.xres = 9999; vid.yres = 9999; vid.framelimit = 999;
-  FILE *f = fopen(conffile, "rt");
+  FILE *f = fopen(conffile.c_str(), "rt");
   if(f) {
     int err;
     int fs;
@@ -4185,7 +4185,7 @@ EX void resetConfigMenu() {
 
     if(uni == 'd') { 
       resetConfig();
-      unlink(conffile);
+      unlink(conffile.c_str());
       popScreen();
       }
     else if(uni == 'y') {