diff --git a/apps/src/lib/cli.rs b/apps/src/lib/cli.rs
index 591034b2e7..a86bfd259d 100644
--- a/apps/src/lib/cli.rs
+++ b/apps/src/lib/cli.rs
@@ -1817,9 +1817,10 @@ pub mod args {
                      configuration and state is stored. This value can also \
                      be set via `NAMADA_BASE_DIR` environment variable, but \
                      the argument takes precedence, if specified. Defaults to \
-                     `$HOME/.config/namada` or `$HOME/Library/Application\\ \
-                     Support/com.heliax.namada` depending on the operating \
-                     system (former is linux, latter is osx).",
+                     `$XDG_DATA_HOME/namada` (`$HOME/.local/share/namada` \
+                     where `XDG_DATA_HOME` is unset) on \
+                     Unix,`$HOME/Library/Application Support/Namada` on \
+                     Mac,and `%AppData%\\Namada` on Windows.",
                 ))
                 .arg(WASM_DIR.def().about(
                     "Directory with built WASM validity predicates, \
diff --git a/apps/src/lib/client/utils.rs b/apps/src/lib/client/utils.rs
index a73df375b1..1142d6432b 100644
--- a/apps/src/lib/client/utils.rs
+++ b/apps/src/lib/client/utils.rs
@@ -58,6 +58,7 @@ pub async fn join_network(
     use tokio::fs;
 
     let base_dir = global_args.base_dir;
+    let default_namada_folder = crate::config::get_default_namada_folder();
 
     // If the base-dir doesn't exist yet, create it
     if let Err(err) = fs::canonicalize(&base_dir).await {
@@ -151,7 +152,7 @@ pub async fn join_network(
     // first.
     let cwd = env::current_dir().unwrap();
     let (unpack_dir, non_default_dir) =
-        if base_dir_full != cwd.join(config::DEFAULT_BASE_DIR) {
+        if base_dir_full != cwd.join(default_namada_folder.clone()) {
             (base_dir.clone(), true)
         } else {
             (PathBuf::from_str(".").unwrap(), false)
@@ -170,7 +171,7 @@ pub async fn join_network(
             fs::rename(
                 &wasm_dir,
                 unpack_dir
-                    .join(config::DEFAULT_BASE_DIR)
+                    .join(default_namada_folder.clone())
                     .join(chain_id.as_str())
                     .join(config::DEFAULT_WASM_DIR),
             )
@@ -181,7 +182,7 @@ pub async fn join_network(
         // Move the chain dir
         fs::rename(
             unpack_dir
-                .join(config::DEFAULT_BASE_DIR)
+                .join(default_namada_folder.clone())
                 .join(chain_id.as_str()),
             &chain_dir,
         )
@@ -191,7 +192,7 @@ pub async fn join_network(
         // Move the genesis file
         fs::rename(
             unpack_dir
-                .join(config::DEFAULT_BASE_DIR)
+                .join(default_namada_folder.clone())
                 .join(format!("{}.toml", chain_id.as_str())),
             base_dir_full.join(format!("{}.toml", chain_id.as_str())),
         )
@@ -201,7 +202,7 @@ pub async fn join_network(
         // Move the global config
         fs::rename(
             unpack_dir
-                .join(config::DEFAULT_BASE_DIR)
+                .join(default_namada_folder.clone())
                 .join(config::global::FILENAME),
             base_dir_full.join(config::global::FILENAME),
         )
@@ -209,7 +210,7 @@ pub async fn join_network(
         .unwrap();
 
         // Remove the default dir
-        fs::remove_dir_all(unpack_dir.join(config::DEFAULT_BASE_DIR))
+        fs::remove_dir_all(unpack_dir.join(default_namada_folder.clone()))
             .await
             .unwrap();
     }
@@ -416,6 +417,8 @@ pub fn init_network(
 ) {
     let mut config = genesis_config::open_genesis_config(genesis_path).unwrap();
 
+    let default_namada_folder = crate::config::get_default_namada_folder();
+
     // Update the WASM checksums
     let checksums =
         wasm_loader::Checksums::read_checksums_file(&wasm_checksums_path);
@@ -440,8 +443,7 @@ pub fn init_network(
     // The `temp_chain_id` gets renamed after we have chain ID
     let accounts_dir = temp_dir.join(NET_ACCOUNTS_DIR);
     // Base dir used in account sub-directories
-    let accounts_temp_dir =
-        PathBuf::from(config::DEFAULT_BASE_DIR).join(temp_chain_id.as_str());
+    let accounts_temp_dir = default_namada_folder.join(temp_chain_id.as_str());
 
     let mut rng: ThreadRng = thread_rng();
 
@@ -680,7 +682,7 @@ pub fn init_network(
             .join(chain_id.as_str())
             .join(NET_ACCOUNTS_DIR)
             .join(name)
-            .join(config::DEFAULT_BASE_DIR);
+            .join(default_namada_folder.clone());
         let temp_validator_chain_dir =
             validator_dir.join(temp_chain_id.as_str());
         let validator_chain_dir = validator_dir.join(chain_id.as_str());
@@ -715,7 +717,7 @@ pub fn init_network(
         |(ix, (name, validator_config))| {
             let accounts_dir = chain_dir.join(NET_ACCOUNTS_DIR);
             let validator_dir =
-                accounts_dir.join(name).join(config::DEFAULT_BASE_DIR);
+                accounts_dir.join(name).join(default_namada_folder.clone());
             let mut config = Config::load(
                 &validator_dir,
                 &chain_id,
@@ -729,7 +731,7 @@ pub fn init_network(
             // parameter. We need to remove this prefix, because
             // these sub-directories will be moved to validators' root
             // directories.
-            config.ledger.shell.base_dir = config::DEFAULT_BASE_DIR.into();
+            config.ledger.shell.base_dir = default_namada_folder.clone();
             // Add a ledger P2P persistent peers
             config.ledger.tendermint.p2p_persistent_peers = persistent_peers
                     .iter()
@@ -807,14 +809,14 @@ pub fn init_network(
     // Create a release tarball for anoma-network-config
     if !dont_archive {
         let mut release = tar::Builder::new(Vec::new());
-        let release_genesis_path = PathBuf::from(config::DEFAULT_BASE_DIR)
-            .join(format!("{}.toml", chain_id.as_str()));
+        let release_genesis_path =
+            default_namada_folder.join(format!("{}.toml", chain_id.as_str()));
         release
             .append_path_with_name(genesis_path, release_genesis_path)
             .unwrap();
         let global_config_path = GlobalConfig::file_path(&global_args.base_dir);
         let release_global_config_path =
-            GlobalConfig::file_path(config::DEFAULT_BASE_DIR);
+            GlobalConfig::file_path(default_namada_folder.clone());
         release
             .append_path_with_name(
                 global_config_path,
@@ -824,15 +826,14 @@ pub fn init_network(
         let chain_config_path =
             Config::file_path(&global_args.base_dir, &chain_id);
         let release_chain_config_path =
-            Config::file_path(config::DEFAULT_BASE_DIR, &chain_id);
+            Config::file_path(default_namada_folder.clone(), &chain_id);
         release
             .append_path_with_name(chain_config_path, release_chain_config_path)
             .unwrap();
-        let release_wasm_checksums_path =
-            PathBuf::from(config::DEFAULT_BASE_DIR)
-                .join(chain_id.as_str())
-                .join(config::DEFAULT_WASM_DIR)
-                .join(config::DEFAULT_WASM_CHECKSUMS_FILE);
+        let release_wasm_checksums_path = default_namada_folder
+            .join(chain_id.as_str())
+            .join(config::DEFAULT_WASM_DIR)
+            .join(config::DEFAULT_WASM_CHECKSUMS_FILE);
         release
             .append_path_with_name(
                 &wasm_checksums_path,
diff --git a/apps/src/lib/config/mod.rs b/apps/src/lib/config/mod.rs
index 239a17d7b5..fdb6c2a0c3 100644
--- a/apps/src/lib/config/mod.rs
+++ b/apps/src/lib/config/mod.rs
@@ -21,8 +21,6 @@ use crate::cli;
 use crate::facade::tendermint::Timeout;
 use crate::facade::tendermint_config::net::Address as TendermintAddress;
 
-/// Base directory contains global config and chain directories.
-pub const DEFAULT_BASE_DIR: &str = ".namada";
 /// Default WASM dir.
 pub const DEFAULT_WASM_DIR: &str = "wasm";
 /// The WASM checksums file contains the hashes of built WASMs. It is inside the
@@ -378,10 +376,13 @@ impl Config {
 }
 
 pub fn get_default_namada_folder() -> PathBuf {
-    if let Some(project_dir) = ProjectDirs::from("com", "heliax", "namada") {
-        project_dir.data_dir().to_path_buf()
+    if let Some(project_dir) = ProjectDirs::from("", "", "Namada") {
+        project_dir.data_local_dir().to_path_buf()
     } else {
-        DEFAULT_BASE_DIR.into()
+        // In extremis, default to the old behavior of simply using the path
+        // ".namada" as the base directory. This will only occur in
+        // pathological situations where no user home directory exists.
+        ".namada".into()
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/tests/src/e2e/setup.rs b/tests/src/e2e/setup.rs
index 8066910f81..f359127f37 100644
--- a/tests/src/e2e/setup.rs
+++ b/tests/src/e2e/setup.rs
@@ -401,6 +401,7 @@ impl Test {
     }
 
     pub fn get_base_dir(&self, who: &Who) -> PathBuf {
+        let default_namada_folder = config::get_default_namada_folder();
         match who {
             Who::NonValidator => self.test_dir.path().to_owned(),
             Who::Validator(index) => self
@@ -409,7 +410,7 @@ impl Test {
                 .join(self.net.chain_id.as_str())
                 .join(utils::NET_ACCOUNTS_DIR)
                 .join(format!("validator-{}", index))
-                .join(config::DEFAULT_BASE_DIR),
+                .join(default_namada_folder),
         }
     }
 }
@@ -860,11 +861,12 @@ pub fn copy_wasm_to_chain_dir<'a>(
     }
 
     // Copy the built WASM files from "wasm" directory to each validator dir
+    let default_namada_folder = config::get_default_namada_folder();
     for validator_name in genesis_validator_keys {
         let target_wasm_dir = chain_dir
             .join(utils::NET_ACCOUNTS_DIR)
             .join(validator_name)
-            .join(config::DEFAULT_BASE_DIR)
+            .join(default_namada_folder.clone())
             .join(chain_id.as_str())
             .join(config::DEFAULT_WASM_DIR);
         for file in &wasm_files {