diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 36627c30..e2712fd8 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -106,6 +106,14 @@ Pretty simple, huh?
 
 If you want to edit users manually, see `users/example/user.json`.
 
+## Custom paths
+
+You can define Shout's file storage path via the following options:
+
+- Add an entry called `home` to the `config.json` file.
+- Set the environment variable `SHOUT_HOME` before calling the shout executable.
+- Use the default of `$HOME/.shout`.
+
 ## Commands
 
 These are the commands currently implemented:
diff --git a/src/clientManager.js b/src/clientManager.js
index abf410d7..f863ad06 100644
--- a/src/clientManager.js
+++ b/src/clientManager.js
@@ -2,8 +2,7 @@ var _ = require("lodash");
 var fs = require("fs");
 var Client = require("./client");
 var mkdirp = require("mkdirp");
-
-const HOME = process.env.HOME + "/.shout";
+var Helper = require("./helper");
 
 module.exports = ClientManager;
 
@@ -41,7 +40,7 @@ ClientManager.prototype.loadUsers = function(sockets) {
 ClientManager.prototype.loadUser = function(name) {
 	try {
 		var json = fs.readFileSync(
-			HOME + "/users/" + name + "/user.json",
+			Helper.resolveHomePath("users", name, "user.json"),
 			"utf-8"
 		);
 		json = JSON.parse(json);
@@ -54,8 +53,10 @@ ClientManager.prototype.loadUser = function(name) {
 
 ClientManager.prototype.getUsers = function() {
 	var users = [];
-	var path = HOME + "/users/";
+	var path = Helper.resolveHomePath("users");
+
 	mkdirp.sync(path);
+
 	try {
 		users = fs.readdirSync(path);
 	} catch(e) {
@@ -75,7 +76,7 @@ ClientManager.prototype.addUser = function(name, password) {
 		return false;
 	}
 	try {
-		var path = HOME + "/users/" + name;
+		var path = Helper.resolveHomePath("users", name);
 		var user = {
 			user: name,
 			password: password || "",
@@ -99,7 +100,7 @@ ClientManager.prototype.removeUser = function(name) {
 		return false;
 	}
 	try {
-		var path = HOME + "/users/" + name;
+		var path = Helper.resolveHomePath("users", name);
 		fs.unlinkSync(path + "/user.json");
 		fs.rmdirSync(path);
 	} catch(e) {
diff --git a/src/command-line/add.js b/src/command-line/add.js
index bb3093e5..6c399ddd 100644
--- a/src/command-line/add.js
+++ b/src/command-line/add.js
@@ -3,15 +3,14 @@ var bcrypt = require("bcrypt");
 var fs = require("fs");
 var program = require("commander");
 var mkdirp = require("mkdirp");
-
-const HOME = process.env.HOME + "/.shout";
+var Helper = require("../helper");
 
 program
 	.command("add <name>")
 	.description("Add a new user")
 	.action(function(name) {
 		try {
-			var path = HOME + "/users";
+			var path = Helper.resolveHomePath("users");
 			mkdirp.sync(path);
 		} catch (e) {
 			console.log("");
@@ -21,7 +20,7 @@ program
 			return;
 		}
 		try {
-			var path = HOME + "/users";
+			var path = Helper.resolveHomePath("users");
 			var test = path + "/.test";
 			fs.mkdirSync(test);
 			fs.rmdirSync(test);
diff --git a/src/command-line/edit.js b/src/command-line/edit.js
index d353b5a2..1d2c5829 100644
--- a/src/command-line/edit.js
+++ b/src/command-line/edit.js
@@ -1,12 +1,11 @@
 var ClientManager = new require("../clientManager");
 var program = require("commander");
 var child = require("child_process");
-
-const HOME = process.env.HOME + "/.shout";
+var Helper = require("../helper");
 
 program
 	.command("edit <name>")
-	.description("Edit user: '" + HOME + "/users/<name>/user.json'")
+	.description("Edit user: '" + Helper.resolveHomePath("users", "<name>", "user.json") + "'")
 	.action(function(name) {
 		var users = new ClientManager().getUsers();
 		if (users.indexOf(name) === -1) {
@@ -15,10 +14,9 @@ program
 			console.log("");
 			return;
 		}
-		var path = HOME + "/users/";
 		child.spawn(
 			"vi",
-			[path + name + "/user.json"],
+			[Helper.resolveHomePath("users", name, "user.json")],
 			{stdio: "inherit"}
 		);
 	});
diff --git a/src/command-line/remove.js b/src/command-line/remove.js
index f9d0b739..61001179 100644
--- a/src/command-line/remove.js
+++ b/src/command-line/remove.js
@@ -1,15 +1,14 @@
 var ClientManager = new require("../clientManager");
 var fs = require("fs");
 var program = require("commander");
-
-const HOME = process.env.HOME + "/.shout";
+var Helper = require("../helper");
 
 program
 	.command("remove <name>")
 	.description("Remove an existing user")
 	.action(function(name) {
 		try {
-			var path = HOME + "/users";
+			var path = Helper.resolveHomePath("users");
 			var test = path + "/.test";
 			fs.mkdirSync(test);
 			fs.rmdirSync(test);
diff --git a/src/command-line/reset.js b/src/command-line/reset.js
index 2e1cdf10..466535f2 100644
--- a/src/command-line/reset.js
+++ b/src/command-line/reset.js
@@ -2,8 +2,7 @@ var bcrypt = require("bcrypt");
 var ClientManager = new require("../clientManager");
 var fs = require("fs");
 var program = require("commander");
-
-const HOME = process.env.HOME + "/.shout";
+var Helper = require("../helper");
 
 program
 	.command("reset <name>")
@@ -16,7 +15,7 @@ program
 			console.log("");
 			return;
 		}
-		var path = HOME + "/users/";
+		var path = Helper.resolveHomePath("users");
 		var file = path + name + "/user.json";
 		var user = require(file);
 		require("read")({
diff --git a/src/helper.js b/src/helper.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..093c78b8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/helper.js
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+var path = require("path");
+
+var Helper = module.exports = {
+  getConfig: function () {
+    return require(path.resolve(__dirname, "..", "config.json"));
+  },
+
+  getHomeDirectory: function () {
+    return (
+      this.getConfig().home ||
+      process.env.SHOUT_HOME ||
+      path.resolve(process.env.HOME, ".shout")
+    );
+  },
+
+  resolveHomePath: function () {
+    var fragments = [ Helper.HOME ].concat([].slice.apply(arguments));
+    return path.resolve.apply(path, fragments);
+  }
+};
+
+Helper.HOME = Helper.getHomeDirectory()
diff --git a/src/plugins/irc-events/image.js b/src/plugins/irc-events/image.js
index 83e0392a..c57d7cb7 100644
--- a/src/plugins/irc-events/image.js
+++ b/src/plugins/irc-events/image.js
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ var config = require("../../../config.json");
 var fs = require("fs");
 var mkdirp = require("mkdirp");
 var request = require("superagent");
+var Helper = require("../../helper");
 
 module.exports = function(irc, network) {
 	var client = this;
@@ -40,7 +41,7 @@ module.exports = function(irc, network) {
 };
 
 function fetchImage(url, callback) {
-	var path = process.env.HOME + "/.shout/cache/thumbs";
+	var path = Helper.resolveHomePath("cache", "thumbs");
 	var name = new Date().getTime().toString();
 	mkdirp(path, function(e) {
 		if (e) {
@@ -58,9 +59,9 @@ function fetchImage(url, callback) {
 		});
 		req.on("end", function() {
 			if (this.req.res.statusCode == 200) {
-				callback(name);	
+				callback(name);
 			}
 		});
-		
+
 	});
 }
diff --git a/src/server.js b/src/server.js
index 3005072c..6efccf30 100644
--- a/src/server.js
+++ b/src/server.js
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ var config = require("../config.json");
 var fs = require("fs");
 var http = require("connect");
 var io = require("socket.io");
+var Helper = require("./helper");
 
 var sockets = null;
 var manager = new ClientManager();
@@ -18,7 +19,7 @@ module.exports = function(port, host, isPublic) {
 	var app = http()
 		.use(index)
 		.use(http.static("client"))
-		.use(http.static(process.env.HOME + "/.shout/cache"))
+		.use(http.static(Helper.resolveHomePath("cache")))
 		.listen(config.port, config.host);
 
 	sockets = io(app);