diff --git a/client.go b/client.go
index fdb8895435..8fb44417d9 100644
--- a/client.go
+++ b/client.go
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import (
 	"path/filepath"
 
 	dockerClient "github.com/docker/docker/client"
+	"github.com/pkg/errors"
 
 	"github.com/buildpack/pack/build"
 	"github.com/buildpack/pack/buildpack"
@@ -58,7 +59,11 @@ func NewClient(opts ...ClientOption) (*Client, error) {
 		}
 	}
 
-	downloader := NewDownloader(client.logger, filepath.Join(config.PackHome(), "download-cache"))
+	packHome, err := config.PackHome()
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, errors.Wrap(err, "getting pack home")
+	}
+	downloader := NewDownloader(client.logger, filepath.Join(packHome, "download-cache"))
 	client.imageFetcher = image.NewFetcher(client.logger, client.docker)
 	client.buildpackFetcher = buildpack.NewFetcher(downloader)
 	client.lifecycleFetcher = lifecycle.NewFetcher(downloader)
diff --git a/cmd/pack/main.go b/cmd/pack/main.go
index a9559c8d02..9c899ad441 100644
--- a/cmd/pack/main.go
+++ b/cmd/pack/main.go
@@ -1,10 +1,10 @@
 package main
 
 import (
-	"fmt"
 	"os"
 
 	"github.com/fatih/color"
+	"github.com/pkg/errors"
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
 
 	"github.com/buildpack/pack"
@@ -24,7 +24,11 @@ func main() {
 	logger := clilogger.NewLogWithWriters()
 
 	cobra.EnableCommandSorting = false
-	cfg := initConfig()
+	cfg, err := initConfig()
+	if err != nil {
+		logger.Error(err.Error())
+		os.Exit(1)
+	}
 
 	rootCmd := &cobra.Command{
 		Use: "pack",
@@ -72,13 +76,17 @@ func main() {
 	}
 }
 
-func initConfig() config.Config {
-	cfg, err := config.Read(config.DefaultConfigPath())
+func initConfig() (config.Config, error) {
+	path, err := config.DefaultConfigPath()
+	if err != nil {
+		return config.Config{}, errors.Wrap(err, "getting config path")
+	}
+
+	cfg, err := config.Read(path)
 	if err != nil {
-		fmt.Printf("WARN: %s\n", err.Error())
-		return config.Config{}
+		return config.Config{}, errors.Wrap(err, "reading pack config")
 	}
-	return cfg
+	return cfg, nil
 }
 
 func initClient(logger logging.Logger) pack.Client {
diff --git a/commands/completion.go b/commands/completion.go
index c82cdfad6e..56ad6ad865 100644
--- a/commands/completion.go
+++ b/commands/completion.go
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package commands
 import (
 	"path/filepath"
 
+	"github.com/pkg/errors"
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
 
 	"github.com/buildpack/pack/config"
@@ -20,7 +21,11 @@ To configure your bash shell to load completions for each session, add the follo
 	. $(pack completion)
 	`,
 		RunE: logError(logger, func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
-			completionPath := filepath.Join(config.PackHome(), "completion")
+			packHome, err := config.PackHome()
+			if err != nil {
+				return errors.Wrap(err, "getting pack home")
+			}
+			completionPath := filepath.Join(packHome, "completion")
 
 			if err := cmd.Parent().GenBashCompletionFile(completionPath); err != nil {
 				return err
diff --git a/commands/set_default_builder.go b/commands/set_default_builder.go
index 00ed066576..f55c71bd22 100644
--- a/commands/set_default_builder.go
+++ b/commands/set_default_builder.go
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package commands
 import (
 	"fmt"
 
+	"github.com/pkg/errors"
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
 
 	"github.com/buildpack/pack/config"
@@ -44,7 +45,11 @@ func SetDefaultBuilder(logger logging.Logger, cfg config.Config, client PackClie
 			}
 
 			cfg.DefaultBuilder = imageName
-			if err := config.Write(cfg, config.DefaultConfigPath()); err != nil {
+			configPath, err := config.DefaultConfigPath()
+			if err != nil {
+				return errors.Wrap(err, "getting config path")
+			}
+			if err := config.Write(cfg, configPath); err != nil {
 				return err
 			}
 			logger.Infof("Builder %s is now the default builder", style.Symbol(imageName))
diff --git a/commands/set_run_image_mirrors.go b/commands/set_run_image_mirrors.go
index 9d61137c9f..85d14a4587 100644
--- a/commands/set_run_image_mirrors.go
+++ b/commands/set_run_image_mirrors.go
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package commands
 
 import (
+	"github.com/pkg/errors"
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
 
 	"github.com/buildpack/pack/config"
@@ -18,7 +19,11 @@ func SetRunImagesMirrors(logger logging.Logger, cfg config.Config) *cobra.Comman
 		RunE: logError(logger, func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 			runImage := args[0]
 			cfg = config.SetRunImageMirrors(cfg, runImage, mirrors)
-			if err := config.Write(cfg, config.DefaultConfigPath()); err != nil {
+			configPath, err := config.DefaultConfigPath()
+			if err != nil {
+				return errors.Wrap(err, "getting config path")
+			}
+			if err := config.Write(cfg, configPath); err != nil {
 				return err
 			}
 
diff --git a/config/config.go b/config/config.go
index cae7038c68..f93a3e1cdc 100644
--- a/config/config.go
+++ b/config/config.go
@@ -18,16 +18,24 @@ type RunImage struct {
 	Mirrors []string `toml:"mirrors"`
 }
 
-func DefaultConfigPath() string {
-	return filepath.Join(PackHome(), "config.toml")
+func DefaultConfigPath() (string, error) {
+	home, err := PackHome()
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", errors.Wrap(err, "getting pack home")
+	}
+	return filepath.Join(home, "config.toml"), nil
 }
 
-func PackHome() string {
+func PackHome() (string, error) {
 	packHome := os.Getenv("PACK_HOME")
 	if packHome == "" {
-		packHome = filepath.Join(os.Getenv("HOME"), ".pack")
+		home, err := os.UserHomeDir()
+		if err != nil {
+			return "", errors.Wrap(err, "getting user home")
+		}
+		packHome = filepath.Join(home, ".pack")
 	}
-	return packHome
+	return packHome, nil
 }
 
 func Read(path string) (Config, error) {