diff --git a/melib/src/backends/maildir.rs b/melib/src/backends/maildir.rs
index e346bd90..6fbb8d10 100644
--- a/melib/src/backends/maildir.rs
+++ b/melib/src/backends/maildir.rs
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ use crate::backends::*;
 use crate::email::parser;
 use crate::email::{Envelope, Flag};
 use crate::error::{MeliError, Result};
+use crate::shellexpand::ShellExpandTrait;
 
 use memmap::{Mmap, Protection};
 use std::collections::hash_map::DefaultHasher;
@@ -208,6 +209,7 @@ impl MaildirFolder {
          * mailboxes in user configuration */
         let fname = if let Ok(fname) = pathbuf.strip_prefix(
             PathBuf::from(&settings.root_folder)
+                .expand()
                 .parent()
                 .unwrap_or_else(|| &Path::new("/")),
         ) {
diff --git a/melib/src/backends/maildir/backend.rs b/melib/src/backends/maildir/backend.rs
index e51eec32..ae6984f9 100644
--- a/melib/src/backends/maildir/backend.rs
+++ b/melib/src/backends/maildir/backend.rs
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ use crate::async_workers::*;
 use crate::conf::AccountSettings;
 use crate::email::{Envelope, EnvelopeHash, Flag};
 use crate::error::{MeliError, Result};
+use crate::shellexpand::ShellExpandTrait;
 
 extern crate notify;
 use self::notify::{watcher, DebouncedEvent, RecursiveMode, Watcher};
@@ -583,7 +584,7 @@ impl MaildirType {
             }
             children
         };
-        let root_path = PathBuf::from(settings.root_folder());
+        let root_path = PathBuf::from(settings.root_folder()).expand();
         if !root_path.exists() {
             eprintln!(
                 "Configuration error ({}): root_path `{}` is not a valid directory.",
@@ -651,7 +652,7 @@ impl MaildirType {
             name: settings.name().to_string(),
             folders,
             hash_indexes,
-            path: PathBuf::from(settings.root_folder()),
+            path: root_path,
         }
     }
     fn owned_folder_idx(&self, folder: &Folder) -> FolderHash {
diff --git a/melib/src/backends/mbox.rs b/melib/src/backends/mbox.rs
index 16368f5d..132db42a 100644
--- a/melib/src/backends/mbox.rs
+++ b/melib/src/backends/mbox.rs
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ use crate::conf::AccountSettings;
 use crate::email::parser::BytesExt;
 use crate::email::*;
 use crate::error::{MeliError, Result};
+use crate::shellexpand::ShellExpandTrait;
 use fnv::FnvHashMap;
 use libc;
 use memmap::{Mmap, Protection};
@@ -548,7 +549,7 @@ impl MailBackend for MboxType {
 
 impl MboxType {
     pub fn new(s: &AccountSettings, _is_subscribed: Box<dyn Fn(&str) -> bool>) -> Self {
-        let path = Path::new(s.root_folder.as_str());
+        let path = Path::new(s.root_folder.as_str()).expand();
         if !path.exists() {
             panic!(
                 "\"root_folder\" {} for account {} is not a valid path.",
@@ -557,7 +558,7 @@ impl MboxType {
             );
         }
         let ret = MboxType {
-            path: PathBuf::from(path),
+            path,
             ..Default::default()
         };
         let name: String = ret
@@ -565,12 +566,12 @@ impl MboxType {
             .file_name()
             .map(|f| f.to_string_lossy().into())
             .unwrap_or(String::new());
-        let hash = get_path_hash!(path);
+        let hash = get_path_hash!(&ret.path);
         ret.folders.lock().unwrap().insert(
             hash,
             MboxFolder {
                 hash,
-                path: PathBuf::from(path),
+                path: ret.path.clone(),
                 name,
                 content: Vec::new(),
                 children: Vec::new(),
diff --git a/melib/src/lib.rs b/melib/src/lib.rs
index 1a459469..38ebfce2 100644
--- a/melib/src/lib.rs
+++ b/melib/src/lib.rs
@@ -128,3 +128,47 @@ pub use crate::email::{Envelope, Flag};
 pub use crate::error::{MeliError, Result};
 
 pub use crate::addressbook::*;
+
+pub use shellexpand::ShellExpandTrait;
+pub mod shellexpand {
+
+    use std::path::*;
+
+    pub trait ShellExpandTrait {
+        fn expand(&self) -> PathBuf;
+    }
+
+    impl ShellExpandTrait for Path {
+        fn expand(&self) -> PathBuf {
+            let mut ret = PathBuf::new();
+            for c in self.components() {
+                let c_to_str = c.as_os_str().to_str();
+                match c_to_str {
+                    Some("~") => {
+                        if let Some(home_dir) = std::env::var("HOME").ok() {
+                            ret.push(home_dir)
+                        } else {
+                            return PathBuf::new();
+                        }
+                    }
+                    Some(var) if var.starts_with("$") => {
+                        let env_name = var.split_at(1).1;
+                        if env_name.chars().all(char::is_uppercase) {
+                            ret.push(std::env::var(env_name).unwrap_or(String::new()));
+                        } else {
+                            ret.push(c);
+                        }
+                    }
+                    Some(_) => {
+                        ret.push(c);
+                    }
+                    None => {
+                        /* path is invalid */
+                        return PathBuf::new();
+                    }
+                }
+            }
+            ret
+        }
+    }
+}