diff --git a/components/engine/api/client/cli.go b/components/engine/api/client/cli.go
index 5e1ccb3291..fbf204f32c 100644
--- a/components/engine/api/client/cli.go
+++ b/components/engine/api/client/cli.go
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ import (
 	"text/template"
 	"time"
 
+	"github.com/docker/docker/pkg/homedir"
 	flag "github.com/docker/docker/pkg/mflag"
 	"github.com/docker/docker/pkg/term"
 	"github.com/docker/docker/registry"
@@ -104,7 +105,7 @@ func (cli *DockerCli) Subcmd(name, signature, description string, exitOnError bo
 }
 
 func (cli *DockerCli) LoadConfigFile() (err error) {
-	cli.configFile, err = registry.LoadConfig(os.Getenv("HOME"))
+	cli.configFile, err = registry.LoadConfig(homedir.Get())
 	if err != nil {
 		fmt.Fprintf(cli.err, "WARNING: %s\n", err)
 	}
diff --git a/components/engine/api/client/commands.go b/components/engine/api/client/commands.go
index daa13743eb..54a699f4d1 100644
--- a/components/engine/api/client/commands.go
+++ b/components/engine/api/client/commands.go
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/docker/docker/opts"
 	"github.com/docker/docker/pkg/archive"
 	"github.com/docker/docker/pkg/fileutils"
+	"github.com/docker/docker/pkg/homedir"
 	flag "github.com/docker/docker/pkg/mflag"
 	"github.com/docker/docker/pkg/parsers"
 	"github.com/docker/docker/pkg/parsers/filters"
@@ -388,7 +389,7 @@ func (cli *DockerCli) CmdLogin(args ...string) error {
 	var out2 engine.Env
 	err = out2.Decode(stream)
 	if err != nil {
-		cli.configFile, _ = registry.LoadConfig(os.Getenv("HOME"))
+		cli.configFile, _ = registry.LoadConfig(homedir.Get())
 		return err
 	}
 	registry.SaveConfig(cli.configFile)
diff --git a/components/engine/docker/daemon.go b/components/engine/docker/daemon.go
index 0923997375..829cd3afb7 100644
--- a/components/engine/docker/daemon.go
+++ b/components/engine/docker/daemon.go
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ import (
 	_ "github.com/docker/docker/daemon/execdriver/native"
 	"github.com/docker/docker/dockerversion"
 	"github.com/docker/docker/engine"
+	"github.com/docker/docker/pkg/homedir"
 	flag "github.com/docker/docker/pkg/mflag"
 	"github.com/docker/docker/pkg/signal"
 	"github.com/docker/docker/registry"
@@ -36,7 +37,7 @@ func init() {
 
 func migrateKey() (err error) {
 	// Migrate trust key if exists at ~/.docker/key.json and owned by current user
-	oldPath := filepath.Join(getHomeDir(), ".docker", defaultTrustKeyFile)
+	oldPath := filepath.Join(homedir.Get(), ".docker", defaultTrustKeyFile)
 	newPath := filepath.Join(getDaemonConfDir(), defaultTrustKeyFile)
 	if _, statErr := os.Stat(newPath); os.IsNotExist(statErr) && utils.IsFileOwner(oldPath) {
 		defer func() {
diff --git a/components/engine/docker/flags.go b/components/engine/docker/flags.go
index 04830f4dd2..8706f09923 100644
--- a/components/engine/docker/flags.go
+++ b/components/engine/docker/flags.go
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import (
 	"runtime"
 
 	"github.com/docker/docker/opts"
+	"github.com/docker/docker/pkg/homedir"
 	flag "github.com/docker/docker/pkg/mflag"
 )
 
@@ -17,21 +18,14 @@ var (
 
 func init() {
 	if dockerCertPath == "" {
-		dockerCertPath = filepath.Join(getHomeDir(), ".docker")
+		dockerCertPath = filepath.Join(homedir.Get(), ".docker")
 	}
 }
 
-func getHomeDir() string {
-	if runtime.GOOS == "windows" {
-		return os.Getenv("USERPROFILE")
-	}
-	return os.Getenv("HOME")
-}
-
 func getDaemonConfDir() string {
 	// TODO: update for Windows daemon
 	if runtime.GOOS == "windows" {
-		return filepath.Join(os.Getenv("USERPROFILE"), ".docker")
+		return filepath.Join(homedir.Get(), ".docker")
 	}
 	return "/etc/docker"
 }
@@ -60,7 +54,7 @@ func setDefaultConfFlag(flag *string, def string) {
 		if *flDaemon {
 			*flag = filepath.Join(getDaemonConfDir(), def)
 		} else {
-			*flag = filepath.Join(getHomeDir(), ".docker", def)
+			*flag = filepath.Join(homedir.Get(), ".docker", def)
 		}
 	}
 }
diff --git a/components/engine/pkg/homedir/MAINTAINERS b/components/engine/pkg/homedir/MAINTAINERS
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..82733b88f7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/components/engine/pkg/homedir/MAINTAINERS
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Ahmet Alp Balkan <ahmetalpbalkan@gmail.com> (@ahmetalpbalkan)
diff --git a/components/engine/pkg/homedir/homedir.go b/components/engine/pkg/homedir/homedir.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..f0246e99c4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/components/engine/pkg/homedir/homedir.go
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+package homedir
+
+import (
+	"os"
+	"runtime"
+)
+
+// Get returns the home directory of the current user with the help of
+// environment variables depending on the target operating system.
+// Returned path should be used with "path/filepath" to form new paths.
+func Get() string {
+	if runtime.GOOS == "windows" {
+		return os.Getenv("USERPROFILE")
+	}
+	return os.Getenv("HOME")
+}
diff --git a/components/engine/pkg/homedir/homedir_test.go b/components/engine/pkg/homedir/homedir_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..b89cbf7a51
--- /dev/null
+++ b/components/engine/pkg/homedir/homedir_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+package homedir
+
+import (
+	"path/filepath"
+	"testing"
+)
+
+func TestGet(t *testing.T) {
+	home := Get()
+	if home == "" {
+		t.Fatal("returned home directory is empty")
+	}
+
+	if !filepath.IsAbs(home) {
+		t.Fatalf("returned path is not absolute: %s", home)
+	}
+}