diff --git a/data/launch/user b/data/launch/user
index 7f4c538b2e..e771d76e32 100644
--- a/data/launch/user
+++ b/data/launch/user
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ target desktop {
 	}
 
 	job user-bootscript {
-		launch /bin/sh /boot/home/config/settings/boot/UserBootscript
+		launch /bin/sh ~/config/settings/boot/UserBootscript
 	}
 
 	job create-installer-link {
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ target desktop {
 			read_only
 			file_exists /boot/system/apps/Installer
 		}
-		launch /bin/ln -sf /boot/system/apps/Installer /boot/home/Desktop/Installer
+		launch /bin/ln -sf /boot/system/apps/Installer ~/Desktop/Installer
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/src/servers/launch/Conditions.cpp b/src/servers/launch/Conditions.cpp
index c825fdffe3..0231112876 100644
--- a/src/servers/launch/Conditions.cpp
+++ b/src/servers/launch/Conditions.cpp
@@ -413,7 +413,7 @@ FileExistsCondition::FileExistsCondition(const BMessage& args)
 {
 	for (int32 index = 0;
 			const char* path = args.GetString("args", index, NULL); index++) {
-		fPaths.Add(path);
+		fPaths.Add(Utility::TranslatePath(path));
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/src/servers/launch/LaunchDaemon.cpp b/src/servers/launch/LaunchDaemon.cpp
index cbcebeb48f..69e925838b 100644
--- a/src/servers/launch/LaunchDaemon.cpp
+++ b/src/servers/launch/LaunchDaemon.cpp
@@ -975,7 +975,7 @@ LaunchDaemon::_AddJob(Target* target, bool service, BMessage& message)
 		const char* argument;
 		for (int32 index = 0; message.FindString("launch", index, &argument)
 				== B_OK; index++) {
-			job->AddArgument(argument);
+			job->AddArgument(Utility::TranslatePath(argument));
 		}
 	}
 
diff --git a/src/servers/launch/Utility.cpp b/src/servers/launch/Utility.cpp
index 17f139f76c..b936ef31cb 100644
--- a/src/servers/launch/Utility.cpp
+++ b/src/servers/launch/Utility.cpp
@@ -99,4 +99,20 @@ EjectMedia(const char* path)
 }
 
 
+BString
+TranslatePath(const char* originalPath)
+{
+	BString path = originalPath;
+
+	// TODO: get actual home directory!
+	const char* home = "/boot/home";
+	path.ReplaceAll("$HOME", home);
+	path.ReplaceAll("${HOME}", home);
+	if (path.StartsWith("~/"))
+		path.ReplaceFirst("~", home);
+
+	return path;
+}
+
+
 }	// namespace Utility
diff --git a/src/servers/launch/Utility.h b/src/servers/launch/Utility.h
index b5daf6d017..385dd28edc 100644
--- a/src/servers/launch/Utility.h
+++ b/src/servers/launch/Utility.h
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 #define UTILITY_H
 
 
-#include <SupportDefs.h>
+#include <String.h>
 
 
 namespace Utility {
@@ -15,6 +15,8 @@ namespace Utility {
 
 	status_t BlockMedia(const char* path, bool block);
 	status_t EjectMedia(const char* path);
+
+	BString TranslatePath(const char* path);
 }
 
 
diff --git a/src/tests/servers/launch/Jamfile b/src/tests/servers/launch/Jamfile
index f530bf6bb2..1ce341c0a1 100644
--- a/src/tests/servers/launch/Jamfile
+++ b/src/tests/servers/launch/Jamfile
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ UnitTestLib liblaunch_daemontest.so :
 
 	SettingsParserTest.cpp
 	ConditionsTest.cpp
+	UtilityTest.cpp
 
 	# from the launch_daemon
 	SettingsParser.cpp
diff --git a/src/tests/servers/launch/LaunchDaemonTestAddon.cpp b/src/tests/servers/launch/LaunchDaemonTestAddon.cpp
index 497d5f6169..bb20688b4f 100644
--- a/src/tests/servers/launch/LaunchDaemonTestAddon.cpp
+++ b/src/tests/servers/launch/LaunchDaemonTestAddon.cpp
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
 
 #include "ConditionsTest.h"
 #include "SettingsParserTest.h"
+#include "UtilityTest.h"
 
 
 BTestSuite*
@@ -18,6 +19,7 @@ getTestSuite()
 
 	SettingsParserTest::AddTests(*suite);
 	ConditionsTest::AddTests(*suite);
+	UtilityTest::AddTests(*suite);
 
 	return suite;
 }
diff --git a/src/tests/servers/launch/UtilityTest.cpp b/src/tests/servers/launch/UtilityTest.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..70841c93e3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/tests/servers/launch/UtilityTest.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,56 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright 2015, Axel Dörfler, axeld@pinc-software.de.
+ * Distributed under the terms of the MIT License.
+ */
+
+
+#include "UtilityTest.h"
+
+#include <stdlib.h>
+
+#include <cppunit/TestCaller.h>
+#include <cppunit/TestSuite.h>
+
+#include "Utility.h"
+
+
+UtilityTest::UtilityTest()
+{
+}
+
+
+UtilityTest::~UtilityTest()
+{
+}
+
+
+void
+UtilityTest::TestTranslatePath()
+{
+	CPPUNIT_ASSERT_EQUAL(BString("/boot/home/test"),
+		Utility::TranslatePath("$HOME/test"));
+	CPPUNIT_ASSERT_EQUAL(BString("/boot/home/test"),
+		Utility::TranslatePath("${HOME}/test"));
+	CPPUNIT_ASSERT_EQUAL(BString("--/boot/home--"),
+		Utility::TranslatePath("--${HOME}--"));
+	CPPUNIT_ASSERT_EQUAL(BString("$(HOME)/test"),
+		Utility::TranslatePath("$(HOME)/test"));
+	CPPUNIT_ASSERT_EQUAL(BString("/boot/home/test"),
+		Utility::TranslatePath("~/test"));
+	CPPUNIT_ASSERT_EQUAL(BString("~baron/test"),
+		Utility::TranslatePath("~baron/test"));
+	CPPUNIT_ASSERT_EQUAL(BString("/~/test"),
+		Utility::TranslatePath("/~/test"));
+}
+
+
+/*static*/ void
+UtilityTest::AddTests(BTestSuite& parent)
+{
+	CppUnit::TestSuite& suite = *new CppUnit::TestSuite("UtilityTest");
+
+	suite.addTest(new CppUnit::TestCaller<UtilityTest>(
+		"UtilityTest::TestTranslatePath", &UtilityTest::TestEmpty));
+
+	parent.addTest("UtilityTest", &suite);
+}
diff --git a/src/tests/servers/launch/UtilityTest.h b/src/tests/servers/launch/UtilityTest.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..ab8064968e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/tests/servers/launch/UtilityTest.h
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright 2015, Axel Dörfler, axeld@pinc-software.de.
+ * Distributed under the terms of the MIT License.
+ */
+#ifndef UTILITY_TEST_H
+#define UTILITY_TEST_H
+
+
+#include <TestCase.h>
+#include <TestSuite.h>
+
+
+class UtilityTest : public CppUnit::TestCase {
+public:
+								UtilityTest();
+	virtual						~UtilityTest();
+
+			void				TestTranslatePath();
+
+	static	void				AddTests(BTestSuite& suite);
+};
+
+
+#endif	// UTILITY_TEST_H