diff --git a/doc/singleinstance.dox b/doc/singleinstance.dox
index d7b5ef6..504a264 100644
--- a/doc/singleinstance.dox
+++ b/doc/singleinstance.dox
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ Exec=/usr/bin/invoker --single-instance --type=e /usr/bin/myApp
 \endverbatim
 
 As a result, a lock file 
-\c $HOME/.single-instance-locks/usr/bin/myApp/instance.lock is created. 
+\c $XDG_RUNTIME_DIR/single-instance-locks/usr/bin/myApp/instance.lock is created. 
 If applauncherd cannot acquire the lock, it tries to find the corresponding
 window and activates it. 
 
diff --git a/src/launcherlib/daemon.cpp b/src/launcherlib/daemon.cpp
index 8241a8e..d034242 100644
--- a/src/launcherlib/daemon.cpp
+++ b/src/launcherlib/daemon.cpp
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ Daemon * Daemon::m_instance = NULL;
 int Daemon::m_lockFd = -1;
 const int Daemon::m_boosterSleepTime = 2;
 
-const std::string Daemon::m_stateDir = std::string(getenv("HOME"))+"/.applauncherd";
+const std::string Daemon::m_stateDir = std::string(getenv("XDG_RUNTIME_DIR"))+"/applauncherd";
 const std::string Daemon::m_stateFile = Daemon::m_stateDir + "/saved-state";
 
 Daemon::Daemon(int & argc, char * argv[]) :
@@ -117,7 +117,7 @@ bool Daemon::lock()
     fl.l_len = 1;
 
     std::stringstream lock_file;
-    lock_file << getenv("HOME") << "/applauncherd.lock";
+    lock_file << getenv("XDG_RUNTIME_DIR") << "/applauncherd.lock";
   
     if((m_lockFd = open(lock_file.str().c_str(), O_WRONLY | O_CREAT, 0666)) == -1)
         return false;
diff --git a/src/single-instance/main.cpp b/src/single-instance/main.cpp
index 9acbbe8..71ca653 100644
--- a/src/single-instance/main.cpp
+++ b/src/single-instance/main.cpp
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ extern "C" {
 namespace
 {
     int g_lockFd = -1;
-    const std::string LOCK_PATH_BASE(std::string(getenv("HOME"))+"/.single-instance-locks/");
+    const std::string LOCK_PATH_BASE(std::string(getenv("XDG_RUNTIME_DIR"))+"/single-instance-locks/");
     const std::string LOCK_FILE_NAME("instance.lock");
 }
 
@@ -264,7 +264,7 @@ extern "C"
      * \brief Try to acquire a lock file.
      *
      * Tries to acquire a lock currently at
-     * $HOME/.single-instance-locks/[binaryName]/instance.lock
+     * $XDG_RUNTIME_DIR/single-instance-locks/[binaryName]/instance.lock
      *
      * \param binaryName Full path to the binary.
      * \return true if succeeded, false on failure.
diff --git a/tests/meego/testscripts/utils.py b/tests/meego/testscripts/utils.py
index c71d6ec..d1d315a 100644
--- a/tests/meego/testscripts/utils.py
+++ b/tests/meego/testscripts/utils.py
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ def remove_applauncherd_runtime_files():
     Removes files that applauncherd leaves behind after it has been stopped
     """
 
-    files = ["%s/applauncherd.lock" % (os.environ['HOME'])]
+    files = ["%s/applauncherd.lock" % (os.environ['XDG_RUNTIME_DIR'])]
     files += glob.glob('/tmp/boost*')
 
     for f in files: