diff --git a/fcli-core/fcli-common/src/main/java/com/fortify/cli/common/cli/mixin/CommonOptionMixins.java b/fcli-core/fcli-common/src/main/java/com/fortify/cli/common/cli/mixin/CommonOptionMixins.java
index a07527ee9b..46a5ad1686 100644
--- a/fcli-core/fcli-common/src/main/java/com/fortify/cli/common/cli/mixin/CommonOptionMixins.java
+++ b/fcli-core/fcli-common/src/main/java/com/fortify/cli/common/cli/mixin/CommonOptionMixins.java
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
 
 import org.apache.commons.io.IOUtils;
 
+import com.fortify.cli.common.util.EnvHelper;
 import com.fortify.cli.common.util.PicocliSpecHelper;
 import com.fortify.cli.common.util.StringUtils;
 
@@ -120,7 +121,7 @@ public static final String resolve(String source) {
             private static final String resolveFile(String file) {
                 // As '~' will not be resolved by the shell due to the 'file:'
                 // prefix, we resolve this manually to user home directory.
-                file = file.replaceFirst("^~", System.getProperty("user.home"));
+                file = file.replaceFirst("^~", EnvHelper.getUserHome());
                 return Files.readString(Path.of(file));
             }
             
diff --git a/fcli-core/fcli-common/src/main/java/com/fortify/cli/common/util/EnvHelper.java b/fcli-core/fcli-common/src/main/java/com/fortify/cli/common/util/EnvHelper.java
index e826e69fe4..9086548613 100644
--- a/fcli-core/fcli-common/src/main/java/com/fortify/cli/common/util/EnvHelper.java
+++ b/fcli-core/fcli-common/src/main/java/com/fortify/cli/common/util/EnvHelper.java
@@ -12,10 +12,16 @@
  *******************************************************************************/
 package com.fortify.cli.common.util;
 
+import java.util.function.Supplier;
+
 public final class EnvHelper {
     private static final String PFX = "FCLI";
     private EnvHelper() {}
     
+    public static final String getUserHome() {
+        return envOrDefault(PFX+"_USER_HOME", ()->System.getProperty("user.home"));
+    }
+    
     public static final void checkSecondaryWithoutPrimary(String secondaryEnvName, String primaryEnvName) {
         if ( env(primaryEnvName)==null && env(secondaryEnvName)!=null ) {
             throw new IllegalStateException("Environment variable "+secondaryEnvName+" requires "+primaryEnvName+" to be set as well");
@@ -51,6 +57,11 @@ public static final String envName(String productEnvId, String suffix) {
                 : String.format("%s_%s_%s", PFX, productEnvId, suffix);
     }
     
+    public static final String envOrDefault(String name, Supplier<String> defaultSupplier) {
+        var value = env(name);
+        return StringUtils.isNotBlank(value) ? value : defaultSupplier.get();    
+    }
+    
     /**
      * Get the value of the environment variable with the given name.
      * This method allows environment variables to be overridden through
diff --git a/fcli-core/fcli-common/src/main/java/com/fortify/cli/common/util/FcliDataHelper.java b/fcli-core/fcli-common/src/main/java/com/fortify/cli/common/util/FcliDataHelper.java
index a1793d3918..81d82b2852 100644
--- a/fcli-core/fcli-common/src/main/java/com/fortify/cli/common/util/FcliDataHelper.java
+++ b/fcli-core/fcli-common/src/main/java/com/fortify/cli/common/util/FcliDataHelper.java
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ public static final Path getFortifyHomePath() {
         String fortifyData = EnvHelper.env(ENVNAME_FORTIFY_DATA_DIR);
         return StringUtils.isNotBlank(fortifyData) 
                 ? Path.of(fortifyData).toAbsolutePath()
-                : Path.of(System.getProperty("user.home"), DEFAULT_FORTIFY_DIR_NAME).toAbsolutePath();
+                : Path.of(EnvHelper.getUserHome(), DEFAULT_FORTIFY_DIR_NAME).toAbsolutePath();
     }
 
     public static final Path getFcliHomePath() {
diff --git a/fcli-core/fcli-tool/src/main/java/com/fortify/cli/tool/_common/cli/cmd/AbstractToolInstallCommand.java b/fcli-core/fcli-tool/src/main/java/com/fortify/cli/tool/_common/cli/cmd/AbstractToolInstallCommand.java
index 8873764943..9cd3e9d5a1 100644
--- a/fcli-core/fcli-tool/src/main/java/com/fortify/cli/tool/_common/cli/cmd/AbstractToolInstallCommand.java
+++ b/fcli-core/fcli-tool/src/main/java/com/fortify/cli/tool/_common/cli/cmd/AbstractToolInstallCommand.java
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@
 import com.fortify.cli.common.progress.cli.mixin.ProgressWriterFactoryMixin;
 import com.fortify.cli.common.util.DisableTest;
 import com.fortify.cli.common.util.DisableTest.TestType;
+import com.fortify.cli.common.util.EnvHelper;
 import com.fortify.cli.common.util.FileUtils;
 import com.fortify.cli.common.util.StringUtils;
 import com.fortify.cli.tool._common.helper.ToolInstallationDescriptor;
@@ -129,7 +130,7 @@ private final Path getBasePath() {
                 ? null 
                 : installOrBaseDirArgGroup.baseDir.toPath();
         if ( getInstallPath()==null && basePath==null ) {
-            basePath = Path.of(System.getProperty("user.home"),"fortify", "tools"); 
+            basePath = Path.of(EnvHelper.getUserHome(), "fortify", "tools"); 
         }
         return basePath; 
     }