diff --git a/es-app/src/main.cpp b/es-app/src/main.cpp
index 6c1fe80ef..c395a95ae 100644
--- a/es-app/src/main.cpp
+++ b/es-app/src/main.cpp
@@ -31,8 +31,24 @@ bool scrape_cmdline = false;
 
 bool parseArgs(int argc, char* argv[])
 {
-	Settings::getInstance()->setString("ExePath", argv[0]);
+	Utils::FileSystem::setExePath(argv[0]);
 
+	// We need to process --home before any call to Settings::getInstance(), because settings are loaded from homepath
+	for(int i = 1; i < argc; i++)
+	{
+		if (strcmp(argv[i], "--home") == 0)
+		{
+			if (i >= argc - 1)
+			{
+				std::cerr << "Invalid home path supplied.";
+				return false;
+			}
+			
+			Utils::FileSystem::setHomePath(argv[i + 1]);
+			break;
+		}
+	}
+	
 	for(int i = 1; i < argc; i++)
 	{
 		if(strcmp(argv[i], "--resolution") == 0)
@@ -168,6 +184,7 @@ bool parseArgs(int argc, char* argv[])
 				"--force-kid		Force the UI mode to be Kid\n"
 				"--force-kiosk		Force the UI mode to be Kiosk\n"
 				"--force-disable-filters		Force the UI to ignore applied filters in gamelist\n"
+				"--home [path]		Directory to use as home path\n"
 				"--help, -h			summon a sentient, angry tuba\n\n"
 				"More information available in README.md.\n";
 			return false; //exit after printing help
diff --git a/es-core/src/Settings.cpp b/es-core/src/Settings.cpp
index 455bea453..e2c128645 100644
--- a/es-core/src/Settings.cpp
+++ b/es-core/src/Settings.cpp
@@ -33,8 +33,7 @@ std::vector<const char*> settings_dont_save {
 	{ "ScreenHeight" },
 	{ "ScreenOffsetX" },
 	{ "ScreenOffsetY" },
-	{ "ScreenRotate" },
-	{ "ExePath" }
+	{ "ScreenRotate" }	
 };
 
 Settings::Settings()
@@ -161,8 +160,6 @@ void Settings::setDefaults()
 	mIntMap["ScreenOffsetX"] = 0;
 	mIntMap["ScreenOffsetY"] = 0;
 	mIntMap["ScreenRotate"]  = 0;
-
-	mStringMap["ExePath"] = "";
 }
 
 template <typename K, typename V>
diff --git a/es-core/src/utils/FileSystemUtil.cpp b/es-core/src/utils/FileSystemUtil.cpp
index 5a0a351c9..bd2c84ba6 100644
--- a/es-core/src/utils/FileSystemUtil.cpp
+++ b/es-core/src/utils/FileSystemUtil.cpp
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@
 
 #include "utils/FileSystemUtil.h"
 
-#include "Settings.h"
 #include <sys/stat.h>
 #include <string.h>
 
@@ -26,6 +25,8 @@ namespace Utils
 {
 	namespace FileSystem
 	{
+		static std::string homePath;
+		static std::string exePath;
 
 #if defined(_WIN32)
 		static std::string convertFromWideString(const std::wstring wstring)
@@ -138,36 +139,46 @@ namespace Utils
 
 		} // getPathList
 
+		void setHomePath(const std::string& _path)
+		{
+			homePath = getGenericPath(_path);
+		}
+
 		std::string getHomePath()
 		{
-			static std::string path;
+			if(homePath.length())
+				return homePath;
 
-			// only construct the homepath once
-			if(!path.length())
+			// Is it a portable installation ? Check if ".emulationstation/es_systems.cfg" exists in the exe's path
+			if(Utils::FileSystem::exists(getExePath() + "/.emulationstation/es_systems.cfg"))					
+				homePath = getExePath();
+
+			// Check for HOME environment variable
+			if(!homePath.length())
 			{
-				// this should give us something like "/home/YOUR_USERNAME" on Linux and "C:/Users/YOUR_USERNAME/" on Windows
 				char* envHome = getenv("HOME");
 				if(envHome)
-					path = getGenericPath(envHome);
-
-#if defined(_WIN32)
-				// but does not seem to work for Windows XP or Vista, so try something else
-				if(!path.length())
-				{
-					char* envHomeDrive = getenv("HOMEDRIVE");
-					char* envHomePath  = getenv("HOMEPATH");
-					if(envHomeDrive && envHomePath)
-						path = getGenericPath(std::string(envHomeDrive) + "/" + envHomePath);
-				}
-#endif // _WIN32
-
-				// no homepath found, fall back to current working directory
-				if(!path.length())
-					path = getCWDPath();
+					homePath = getGenericPath(envHome);
 			}
 
+#if defined(_WIN32)
+			// On Windows, HOME is not the system's user path but a user environment variable.
+			// Instead we get the home user's path using %HOMEDRIVE%/%HOMEPATH% which are system variables.
+			if(!homePath.length())
+			{
+				char* envHomeDrive = getenv("HOMEDRIVE");
+				char* envHomePath  = getenv("HOMEPATH");
+				if(envHomeDrive && envHomePath)
+					homePath = getGenericPath(std::string(envHomeDrive) + "/" + envHomePath);
+			}
+#endif // _WIN32
+
+			// no homepath found, fall back to current working directory
+			if(!homePath.length())
+				homePath = getCWDPath();			
+
 			// return constructed homepath
-			return path;
+			return homePath;
 
 		} // getHomePath
 
@@ -180,23 +191,18 @@ namespace Utils
 
 		} // getCWDPath
 
-		std::string getExePath()
+		void setExePath(const std::string& _path)
 		{
-			static std::string path;
+			std::string path = getCanonicalPath(_path);
+			if(isRegularFile(path))
+				path = getParent(path);
 
-			// only construct the exepath once
-			if(!path.length())
-			{
-				path = getCanonicalPath(Settings::getInstance()->getString("ExePath"));
+			exePath = path;
+		} // setExePath
 
-				if(isRegularFile(path))
-				{
-					path = getParent(path);
-				}
-			}
-
-			// return constructed exepath
-			return path;
+		std::string getExePath()
+		{			
+			return exePath;
 
 		} // getExePath
 
diff --git a/es-core/src/utils/FileSystemUtil.h b/es-core/src/utils/FileSystemUtil.h
index 48c7f4f5a..bb6ea6764 100644
--- a/es-core/src/utils/FileSystemUtil.h
+++ b/es-core/src/utils/FileSystemUtil.h
@@ -13,8 +13,10 @@ namespace Utils
 
 		stringList  getDirContent      (const std::string& _path, const bool _recursive = false);
 		stringList  getPathList        (const std::string& _path);
+		void        setHomePath        (const std::string& _path);
 		std::string getHomePath        ();
 		std::string getCWDPath         ();
+		void        setExePath         (const std::string& _path);
 		std::string getExePath         ();
 		std::string getPreferredPath   (const std::string& _path);
 		std::string getGenericPath     (const std::string& _path);
@@ -37,7 +39,6 @@ namespace Utils
 		bool        isDirectory        (const std::string& _path);
 		bool        isSymlink          (const std::string& _path);
 		bool        isHidden           (const std::string& _path);
-
 	} // FileSystem::
 
 } // Utils::