diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 2a2ef59..beef10a 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -133,10 +133,6 @@ The order of precedence for configuration is as follows:
 - .gitconfig entry
 - default value
 
-> :warning: **WARNING!** :warning:
->
-> When changing repos root path using .gitconfig or env variables, use a full path. For example, use `/home/greg/my_repos` instead of `~/my_repos` or `$HOME/my_repos`. This is becase `git-get` can't expand shell variables.
-
 
 ### Env variables
 
diff --git a/cmd/get/main.go b/cmd/get/main.go
index 1c5090d..027fbd4 100644
--- a/cmd/get/main.go
+++ b/cmd/get/main.go
@@ -26,9 +26,9 @@ var cmd = &cobra.Command{
 
 func init() {
 	cmd.PersistentFlags().StringP(cfg.KeyBranch, "b", "", "Branch (or tag) to checkout after cloning.")
-	cmd.PersistentFlags().StringP(cfg.KeyDefaultHost, "t", cfg.DefDefaultHost, "Host to use when <REPO> doesn't have a specified host.")
+	cmd.PersistentFlags().StringP(cfg.KeyDefaultHost, "t", cfg.Defaults[cfg.KeyDefaultHost], "Host to use when <REPO> doesn't have a specified host.")
 	cmd.PersistentFlags().StringP(cfg.KeyDump, "d", "", "Path to a dump file listing repos to clone. Ignored when <REPO> argument is used.")
-	cmd.PersistentFlags().StringP(cfg.KeyReposRoot, "r", "", "Path to repos root where repositories are cloned. (default \"~/repositories\")")
+	cmd.PersistentFlags().StringP(cfg.KeyReposRoot, "r", cfg.Defaults[cfg.KeyReposRoot], "Path to repos root where repositories are cloned.")
 	cmd.PersistentFlags().BoolP("help", "h", false, "Print this help and exit.")
 	cmd.PersistentFlags().BoolP("version", "v", false, "Print version and exit.")
 
diff --git a/cmd/list/main.go b/cmd/list/main.go
index 04ec8f5..dc64f45 100644
--- a/cmd/list/main.go
+++ b/cmd/list/main.go
@@ -22,8 +22,8 @@ var cmd = &cobra.Command{
 
 func init() {
 	cmd.PersistentFlags().BoolP(cfg.KeyFetch, "f", false, "First fetch from remotes before listing repositories.")
-	cmd.PersistentFlags().StringP(cfg.KeyOutput, "o", cfg.DefOutput, fmt.Sprintf("Output format. Allowed values: [%s].", strings.Join(cfg.AllowedOut, ", ")))
-	cmd.PersistentFlags().StringP(cfg.KeyReposRoot, "r", "", "Path to repos root where repositories are cloned. (default \"~/repositories\")")
+	cmd.PersistentFlags().StringP(cfg.KeyOutput, "o", cfg.Defaults[cfg.KeyOutput], fmt.Sprintf("Output format. Allowed values: [%s].", strings.Join(cfg.AllowedOut, ", ")))
+	cmd.PersistentFlags().StringP(cfg.KeyReposRoot, "r", cfg.Defaults[cfg.KeyReposRoot], "Path to repos root where repositories are cloned.")
 	cmd.PersistentFlags().BoolP("help", "h", false, "Print this help and exit.")
 	cmd.PersistentFlags().BoolP("version", "v", false, "Print version and exit.")
 
diff --git a/pkg/cfg/config.go b/pkg/cfg/config.go
index d49c496..3147fa4 100644
--- a/pkg/cfg/config.go
+++ b/pkg/cfg/config.go
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ package cfg
 
 import (
 	"fmt"
-	"path"
+	"path/filepath"
 	"strings"
 
 	"github.com/mitchellh/go-homedir"
@@ -14,19 +14,23 @@ import (
 // GitgetPrefix is the name of the gitconfig section name and the env var prefix.
 const GitgetPrefix = "gitget"
 
-// CLI flag keys and their default values.
-const (
+// CLI flag keys.
+var (
 	KeyBranch      = "branch"
 	KeyDump        = "dump"
 	KeyDefaultHost = "host"
-	DefDefaultHost = "github.com"
 	KeyFetch       = "fetch"
 	KeyOutput      = "out"
-	DefOutput      = OutTree
 	KeyReposRoot   = "root"
-	DefReposRoot   = "repositories"
 )
 
+// Defaults is a map of default values for config keys.
+var Defaults = map[string]string{
+	KeyDefaultHost: "github.com",
+	KeyOutput:      OutTree,
+	KeyReposRoot:   fmt.Sprintf("~%c%s", filepath.Separator, "repositories"),
+}
+
 // Values for the --out flag.
 const (
 	OutDump = "dump"
@@ -68,18 +72,21 @@ func Init(cfg Gitconfig) {
 	viper.AutomaticEnv()
 
 	setMissingValues(cfg)
+	expandValues()
 }
 
 // setMissingValues checks if config values are provided by flags or env vars. If not, it tries loading them from gitconfig file.
 // If that fails, the default values are used.
 func setMissingValues(cfg Gitconfig) {
-	if isUnsetOrEmpty(KeyReposRoot) {
-		viper.Set(KeyReposRoot, getOrDef(cfg, KeyReposRoot, path.Join(home(), DefReposRoot)))
+	for key, def := range Defaults {
+		if isUnsetOrEmpty(key) {
+			viper.Set(key, getOrDef(cfg, key, def))
+		}
 	}
+}
 
-	if isUnsetOrEmpty(KeyDefaultHost) {
-		viper.Set(KeyDefaultHost, getOrDef(cfg, KeyDefaultHost, DefDefaultHost))
-	}
+func isUnsetOrEmpty(key string) bool {
+	return !viper.IsSet(key) || strings.TrimSpace(viper.GetString(key)) == ""
 }
 
 func getOrDef(cfg Gitconfig, key string, def string) string {
@@ -89,18 +96,11 @@ func getOrDef(cfg Gitconfig, key string, def string) string {
 	return def
 }
 
-// home returns path to a home directory or empty string if can't be found.
-// Using empty string means that in the unlikely situation where home dir can't be found
-// and there's no reposRoot specified by any of the config methods, the current dir will be used as repos root.
-func home() string {
-	home, err := homedir.Dir()
-	if err != nil {
-		return ""
+// expandValues applies the homedir expansion to a config value. If expansion is not needed value is not modified.
+func expandValues() {
+	for _, key := range viper.AllKeys() {
+		if expanded, err := homedir.Expand(viper.GetString(key)); err == nil {
+			viper.Set(key, expanded)
+		}
 	}
-
-	return home
-}
-
-func isUnsetOrEmpty(key string) bool {
-	return !viper.IsSet(key) || strings.TrimSpace(viper.GetString(key)) == ""
 }
diff --git a/pkg/cfg/config_test.go b/pkg/cfg/config_test.go
index f08c52b..0a336db 100644
--- a/pkg/cfg/config_test.go
+++ b/pkg/cfg/config_test.go
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ func TestConfig(t *testing.T) {
 			name:        "no config",
 			configMaker: testConfigEmpty,
 			key:         KeyDefaultHost,
-			want:        DefDefaultHost,
+			want:        Defaults[KeyDefaultHost],
 		},
 		{
 			name:        "value only in gitconfig",
@@ -108,7 +108,7 @@ func testConfigInFlag(t *testing.T) {
 	os.Setenv(envVarName, fromEnv)
 
 	cmd := cobra.Command{}
-	cmd.PersistentFlags().String(KeyDefaultHost, DefDefaultHost, "")
+	cmd.PersistentFlags().String(KeyDefaultHost, Defaults[KeyDefaultHost], "")
 	viper.BindPFlag(KeyDefaultHost, cmd.PersistentFlags().Lookup(KeyDefaultHost))
 
 	cmd.SetArgs([]string{"--" + KeyDefaultHost, fromFlag})
diff --git a/pkg/url_test.go b/pkg/url_test.go
index df9b0cf..c7329e3 100644
--- a/pkg/url_test.go
+++ b/pkg/url_test.go
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ func TestURLParse(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 
 	for _, test := range tests {
-		url, err := ParseURL(test.in, cfg.DefDefaultHost)
+		url, err := ParseURL(test.in, cfg.Defaults[cfg.KeyDefaultHost])
 		if err != nil {
 			t.Errorf("Error parsing Path: %+v", err)
 		}
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ func TestInvalidURLParse(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 
 	for _, in := range invalidURLs {
-		got, err := ParseURL(in, cfg.DefDefaultHost)
+		got, err := ParseURL(in, cfg.Defaults[cfg.KeyDefaultHost])
 		if err == nil {
 			t.Errorf("Wrong result of parsing invalid Path: %s, got: %s, wantBranch: error", in, got)
 		}