diff --git a/src/mu-util.c b/src/mu-util.c
index ad8755d2..d69582e4 100644
--- a/src/mu-util.c
+++ b/src/mu-util.c
@@ -178,39 +178,46 @@ mu_util_check_dir (const gchar* path, gboolean readable, gboolean writeable)
 gchar*
 mu_util_guess_maildir (void)
 {
-	const gchar *mdir1;
-	gchar *mdir2;
+        const gchar *mdir1, *home;
 
-	/* first, try MAILDIR */
-	mdir1 = g_getenv ("MAILDIR");
+        /* first, try MAILDIR */
+        mdir1 = g_getenv ("MAILDIR");
 
-	if (mdir1 && mu_util_check_dir (mdir1, TRUE, FALSE))
-		return g_strdup (mdir1);
+        if (mdir1 && mu_util_check_dir (mdir1, TRUE, FALSE))
+                return g_strdup (mdir1);
 
-	/* then, try ~/Maildir */
-	mdir2 = mu_util_dir_expand ("~/Maildir");
-	if (mu_util_check_dir (mdir2, TRUE, FALSE))
-		return mdir2;
+        /* then, try <home>/Maildir */
+        home = g_get_home_dir();
+        if (home) {
+                char *mdir2;
+                mdir2 = g_strdup_printf ("%s%cMaildir",
+                        home, G_DIR_SEPARATOR);
+                if (mu_util_check_dir (mdir2, TRUE, FALSE))
+                        return mdir2;
+                g_free (mdir2);
+        }
 
-	/* nope; nothing found */
-	return NULL;
+        /* nope; nothing found */
+        return NULL;
 }
 
 
 gchar*
 mu_util_guess_mu_homedir (void)
 {
-	const char* home;
+        const char* home;
 
-	/* g_get_home_dir use /etc/passwd, not $HOME; this is better,
-	 * as HOME may be wrong when using 'sudo' etc.*/
-	home = g_get_home_dir ();
+        /* g_get_home_dir use /etc/passwd, not $HOME; this is better,
+         * as HOME may be wrong when using 'sudo' etc.*/
+        home = g_get_home_dir ();
 
-	if (!home)
-		MU_WRITE_LOG ("failed to determine homedir");
+        if (!home) {
+                MU_WRITE_LOG ("failed to determine homedir");
+                return NULL;
+        }
 
-	return g_strdup_printf ("%s%c%s", home ? home : ".", G_DIR_SEPARATOR,
-				".mu");
+        return g_strdup_printf ("%s%c%s", home ? home : ".",
+				G_DIR_SEPARATOR, ".mu");
 }
 
 gboolean