diff --git a/gramps2/ChangeLog b/gramps2/ChangeLog
index aaaef688b..d1c8f00ba 100644
--- a/gramps2/ChangeLog
+++ b/gramps2/ChangeLog
@@ -1,4 +1,7 @@
 2006-03-28  Don Allingham  <don@gramps-project.org>
+	* src/ViewManager.py: remove expanduser
+	* src/Exporter.py: remove expanduser
+	* src/plugins/BookReport.py: remove expanduser
 	* src/plugins/Calendar.py: remove expanduser
 	* src/plugins/GrampViz.py: remove expanduser
 	* src/const.py.in: fix home dir.
diff --git a/gramps2/src/Exporter.py b/gramps2/src/Exporter.py
index ff3b2d287..9ee3c2d5a 100644
--- a/gramps2/src/Exporter.py
+++ b/gramps2/src/Exporter.py
@@ -308,10 +308,10 @@ class Exporter:
         if len(default_dir)<=1:
             default_dir = Config.get_last_import_dir()
         if len(default_dir)<=1:
-            default_dir = '~/'
+            default_dir = const.user_home
 
         if ext == 'gramps':
-            new_filename = os.path.expanduser(default_dir + 'data.gramps')
+            new_filename = os.path.join(default_dir,'data.gramps')
         elif ext == 'burn':
             new_filename = os.path.basename(self.dbstate.db.get_save_path())
         else:
diff --git a/gramps2/src/GrampsCfg.py b/gramps2/src/GrampsCfg.py
index 1b61ef611..67dfc2f2e 100644
--- a/gramps2/src/GrampsCfg.py
+++ b/gramps2/src/GrampsCfg.py
@@ -110,11 +110,11 @@ def loadConfig():
     Load preferences on startup. Not much to do, since all the prefs
     are in gconf and can be retrieved any time. 
     """
-    make_path(os.path.expanduser("~/.gramps"))
-    make_path(os.path.expanduser("~/.gramps/filters"))
-    make_path(os.path.expanduser("~/.gramps/plugins"))
-    make_path(os.path.expanduser("~/.gramps/templates"))
-    make_path(os.path.expanduser("~/.gramps/thumb"))
+    make_path(const.home_dir)
+    make_path(os.path.join(const.home_dir,"filters"))
+    make_path(os.path.join(const.home_dir,"plugins"))
+    make_path(os.path.join(const.home_dir,"templates"))
+    make_path(os.path.join(const.home_dir,"thumb"))
     
 #-------------------------------------------------------------------------
 #
diff --git a/gramps2/src/PluginUtils/_Report.py b/gramps2/src/PluginUtils/_Report.py
index 17eac0c0d..b457c2d53 100644
--- a/gramps2/src/PluginUtils/_Report.py
+++ b/gramps2/src/PluginUtils/_Report.py
@@ -1645,14 +1645,21 @@ class TemplateParser(handler.ContentHandler):
 #
 #-----------------------------------------------------------------------
 try:
-    parser = make_parser()
     gspath = const.template_dir
-    parser.setContentHandler(TemplateParser(_template_map,gspath))
-    parser.parse("file://" + os.path.join(gspath,"templates.xml"))
-    parser = make_parser()
+    xmlfile = os.path.join(gspath,"templates.xml")
+
+    if os.path.isfile(xmlfile):
+        parser = make_parser()
+        parser.setContentHandler(TemplateParser(_template_map,gspath))
+        parser.parse(xmlfile)
+    
     gspath = os.path.join(const.home_dir,"templates")
-    parser.setContentHandler(TemplateParser(_template_map,gspath))
-    parser.parse("file://" + os.path.join(gspath,"templates.xml"))
+    xmlfile = os.path.join(gspath,"templates.xml")
+    if os.path.isfile(xmlfile):
+        parser = make_parser()
+        parser.setContentHandler(TemplateParser(_template_map,gspath))
+        parser.parse(xmlfile)
+        
 except (IOError,OSError,SAXParseException):
     pass
 
diff --git a/gramps2/src/ViewManager.py b/gramps2/src/ViewManager.py
index 34582c375..3bf0b69a4 100644
--- a/gramps2/src/ViewManager.py
+++ b/gramps2/src/ViewManager.py
@@ -273,10 +273,10 @@ class ViewManager:
     def do_load_plugins(self):
         self.uistate.status_text(_('Loading document formats...'))
         error  = load_plugins(const.docgenDir)
-        error |= load_plugins(os.path.expanduser("~/.gramps/docgen"))
+        error |= load_plugins(os.path.join(const.home_dir,"docgen"))
         self.uistate.status_text(_('Loading plugins...'))
         error |= load_plugins(const.pluginsDir)
-        error |= load_plugins(os.path.expanduser("~/.gramps/plugins"))
+        error |= load_plugins(os.path.join(const.home_dir,"plugins"))
         if Config.get_pop_plugin_status() and error:
             Plugins.PluginStatus(self)
         self.uistate.push_message(_('Ready'))
diff --git a/gramps2/src/plugins/BookReport.py b/gramps2/src/plugins/BookReport.py
index fae91b6b3..74c7a3eee 100644
--- a/gramps2/src/plugins/BookReport.py
+++ b/gramps2/src/plugins/BookReport.py
@@ -306,7 +306,7 @@ class BookList:
         """
 
         self.bookmap = {}
-        self.file = os.path.expanduser("~/.gramps/" + filename)
+        self.file = os.path.join(const.home_dir,filename)
         self.parse()
     
     def delete_book(self,name):