--- tuxpaint.c.orig	2008-02-26 16:50:15.000000000 -0500
+++ tuxpaint.c	2008-02-26 16:46:59.000000000 -0500
@@ -15036,8 +15036,23 @@
       }
       else if (strstr(str, "savedir=") == str)
       {
-	savedir = strdup(str + 8);
-	remove_slash(savedir);
+        savedir = strdup(str + 8);
+
+        // expand user's home if required
+        if (strncmp(savedir,"~",1) == 0)
+        {
+          char f[512];
+          char* buf1;
+          
+          if (getenv("HOME") != NULL)
+          {
+            buf1 = strdup(savedir + 1);
+            snprintf(f, sizeof(f), "%s/%s", getenv("HOME"), buf1);
+            free(buf1);
+            savedir = strdup(f);
+          }
+        }
+      remove_slash(savedir);
 
 #ifdef DEBUG
 	printf("savedir set to: %s\n", savedir);