diff --git a/config.c b/config.c
index beeb228..f764d17 100644
--- a/config.c
+++ b/config.c
@@ -18,6 +18,8 @@
  *  Foundation, Inc., 59 Temple Place, Suite 330, Boston, MA  02111-1307  USA
  */
 
+#define _GNU_SOURCE 1
+
 #include <unistd.h>
 #include <limits.h>
 #include <errno.h>
@@ -52,13 +54,12 @@ config_defaults (config_t * conf)
 #endif
 }
 
-/* `s' is destroyed by this call */
-static char *
-expand_strdup (char *s)
+char *
+expand_strdup (const char *s)
 {
     char path[_POSIX_PATH_MAX];
     struct passwd *pw;
-    char *p;
+    const char *p;
 
     if (*s == '~')
     {
@@ -71,10 +72,15 @@ expand_strdup (char *s)
 	}
 	else
 	{
+	    char *user;
+
 	    p = strchr (s, '/');
 	    if (p)
-		*p++ = 0;
-	    pw = getpwnam (s);
+		user = strndup (s, (int)(p - s));
+	    else
+		user = strdup (s);
+	    pw = getpwnam (user);
+	    free (user);
 	}
 	if (!pw)
 	    return 0;
@@ -83,7 +89,8 @@ expand_strdup (char *s)
     }
     else if (*s != '/')
     {
-	snprintf (path, sizeof (path), "%s/%s", global.maildir, s);
+	snprintf (path, sizeof (path), "%s/%s",
+		  global.maildir ? global.maildir : "", s);
 	s = path;
     }
     return strdup (s);
@@ -131,7 +138,8 @@ load_config (const char *where)
 		cur = &(*cur)->next;
 	    *cur = calloc (1, sizeof (config_t));
 	    config_defaults (*cur);
-	    (*cur)->path = expand_strdup (val);
+	    /* not expanded at this point */
+	    (*cur)->path = strdup (val);
 	}
 	else if (!strncasecmp ("maildir", cmd, 7))
 	{
diff --git a/isync.h b/isync.h
index ef1ec3c..3d82ce8 100644
--- a/isync.h
+++ b/isync.h
@@ -167,6 +167,7 @@ int sync_mailbox (mailbox_t *, imap_t *, int, unsigned int);
 
 void config_defaults (config_t *);
 void load_config (const char *);
+char * expand_strdup (const char *s);
 config_t *find_box (const char *);
 
 void imap_close (imap_t *);
diff --git a/maildir.c b/maildir.c
index 436cee1..6217473 100644
--- a/maildir.c
+++ b/maildir.c
@@ -136,25 +136,30 @@ maildir_open (const char *path, int fast)
     char *s;
     int count = 0;
 
-    /* check to make sure this looks like a valid maildir box */
-    snprintf (buf, sizeof (buf), "%s/new", path);
-    if (access (buf, F_OK))
-    {
-	perror ("access");
-	return 0;
-    }
-    snprintf (buf, sizeof (buf), "%s/cur", path);
-    if (access (buf, F_OK))
-    {
-	perror ("access");
-	return 0;
-    }
-
     m = calloc (1, sizeof (mailbox_t));
-    m->path = strdup (path);
+    /* filename expansion happens here, not in the config parser */
+    m->path = expand_strdup (path);
+
+    /* check to make sure this looks like a valid maildir box */
+    snprintf (buf, sizeof (buf), "%s/new", m->path);
+    if (access (buf, F_OK))
+    {
+	free (m->path);
+	free (m);
+	perror ("access");
+	return 0;
+    }
+    snprintf (buf, sizeof (buf), "%s/cur", m->path);
+    if (access (buf, F_OK))
+    {
+	free (m->path);
+	free (m);
+	perror ("access");
+	return 0;
+    }
 
     /* check for the uidvalidity value */
-    m->uidvalidity = read_uid (path, "isyncuidvalidity");
+    m->uidvalidity = read_uid (m->path, "isyncuidvalidity");
     if (m->uidvalidity == (unsigned int) -1)
     {
 	free (m->path);
@@ -163,7 +168,7 @@ maildir_open (const char *path, int fast)
     }
 
     /* load the current maxuid */
-    if ((m->maxuid = read_uid (path, "isyncmaxuid")) == (unsigned int) -1)
+    if ((m->maxuid = read_uid (m->path, "isyncmaxuid")) == (unsigned int) -1)
     {
 	free (m->path);
 	free (m);
@@ -177,7 +182,7 @@ maildir_open (const char *path, int fast)
     for (; count < 2; count++)
     {
 	/* read the msgs from the new subdir */
-	snprintf (buf, sizeof (buf), "%s/%s", path,
+	snprintf (buf, sizeof (buf), "%s/%s", m->path,
 		  (count == 0) ? "new" : "cur");
 	d = opendir (buf);
 	if (!d)