diff --git a/src/misc.c b/src/misc.c
index 2c1e30fc..ec9a51d2 100644
--- a/src/misc.c
+++ b/src/misc.c
@@ -1236,7 +1236,7 @@ char *ssh_path_expand_tilde(const char *d)
 /** @internal
  * @brief expands a string in function of session options
  * @param[in] s Format string to expand. Known parameters:
- *              %d SSH configuration directory (~/.ssh)
+ *              %d user home directory (~)
  *              %h target host name
  *              %u local username
  *              %l local hostname
@@ -1301,10 +1301,9 @@ char *ssh_path_expand_escape(ssh_session session, const char *s)
         case '%':
             goto escape;
         case 'd':
-            if (session->opts.sshdir) {
-                x = strdup(session->opts.sshdir);
-            } else {
-                ssh_set_error(session, SSH_FATAL, "Cannot expand sshdir");
+            x = ssh_get_user_home_dir(session);
+            if (x == NULL) {
+                ssh_set_error(session, SSH_FATAL, "Cannot expand homedir");
                 free(buf);
                 free(r);
                 return NULL;
@@ -1348,9 +1347,7 @@ char *ssh_path_expand_escape(ssh_session session, const char *s)
             break;
         }
         default:
-            ssh_set_error(session,
-                          SSH_FATAL,
-                          "Wrong escape sequence detected");
+            ssh_set_error(session, SSH_FATAL, "Wrong escape sequence detected");
             free(buf);
             free(r);
             return NULL;
diff --git a/src/options.c b/src/options.c
index d83a3c5d..93136c9b 100644
--- a/src/options.c
+++ b/src/options.c
@@ -1963,7 +1963,7 @@ int ssh_options_parse_config(ssh_session session, const char *filename)
 
     /* set default filename */
     if (filename == NULL) {
-        expanded_filename = ssh_path_expand_escape(session, "%d/config");
+        expanded_filename = ssh_path_expand_escape(session, "%d/.ssh/config");
     } else {
         expanded_filename = ssh_path_expand_escape(session, filename);
     }
@@ -2021,7 +2021,7 @@ int ssh_options_apply(ssh_session session)
 
     if ((session->opts.exp_flags & SSH_OPT_EXP_FLAG_KNOWNHOSTS) == 0) {
         if (session->opts.knownhosts == NULL) {
-            tmp = ssh_path_expand_escape(session, "%d/known_hosts");
+            tmp = ssh_path_expand_escape(session, "%d/.ssh/known_hosts");
         } else {
             tmp = ssh_path_expand_escape(session, session->opts.knownhosts);
         }
diff --git a/src/session.c b/src/session.c
index 7ed4a98b..8db2c17a 100644
--- a/src/session.c
+++ b/src/session.c
@@ -168,7 +168,7 @@ ssh_session ssh_new(void)
     }
 #endif /* WITH_GSSAPI */
 
-    id = strdup("%d/id_ed25519");
+    id = strdup("%d/.ssh/id_ed25519");
     if (id == NULL) {
         goto err;
     }
@@ -179,7 +179,7 @@ ssh_session ssh_new(void)
     }
 
 #ifdef HAVE_ECC
-    id = strdup("%d/id_ecdsa");
+    id = strdup("%d/.ssh/id_ecdsa");
     if (id == NULL) {
         goto err;
     }
@@ -189,7 +189,7 @@ ssh_session ssh_new(void)
     }
 #endif
 
-    id = strdup("%d/id_rsa");
+    id = strdup("%d/.ssh/id_rsa");
     if (id == NULL) {
         goto err;
     }
@@ -200,7 +200,7 @@ ssh_session ssh_new(void)
 
 #ifdef WITH_FIDO2
     /* Add security key identities */
-    id = strdup("%d/id_ed25519_sk");
+    id = strdup("%d/.ssh/id_ed25519_sk");
     if (id == NULL) {
         goto err;
     }
@@ -210,7 +210,7 @@ ssh_session ssh_new(void)
     }
 
 #ifdef HAVE_ECC
-    id = strdup("%d/id_ecdsa_sk");
+    id = strdup("%d/.ssh/id_ecdsa_sk");
     if (id == NULL) {
         goto err;
     }
diff --git a/tests/client/torture_auth.c b/tests/client/torture_auth.c
index 70e3661d..99d59b94 100644
--- a/tests/client/torture_auth.c
+++ b/tests/client/torture_auth.c
@@ -376,7 +376,7 @@ torture_auth_autopubkey_protected_auth_function (const char *prompt, char *buf,
     assert_int_equal(echo, 0);
     assert_int_equal(verify, 0);
 
-    expected_id = ssh_path_expand_escape(data->session, "%d/id_rsa_protected");
+    expected_id = ssh_path_expand_escape(data->session, "%d/.ssh/id_rsa_protected");
     assert_true(expected_id != NULL);
 
     rc = ssh_userauth_publickey_auto_get_current_identity(data->session, &id);
@@ -429,7 +429,7 @@ static void torture_auth_autopubkey_protected(void **state) {
 
     /* Try id_rsa_protected first.
      */
-    rc = ssh_options_set(session, SSH_OPTIONS_IDENTITY, "%d/id_rsa_protected");
+    rc = ssh_options_set(session, SSH_OPTIONS_IDENTITY, "%d/.ssh/id_rsa_protected");
     assert_int_equal(rc, SSH_OK);
 
     rc = ssh_connect(session);
diff --git a/tests/client/torture_auth_cert.c b/tests/client/torture_auth_cert.c
index 9b535b2c..1d808cfe 100644
--- a/tests/client/torture_auth_cert.c
+++ b/tests/client/torture_auth_cert.c
@@ -100,13 +100,10 @@ static int session_setup(void **state)
 static int session_setup_ssh_dir(void **state)
 {
     struct torture_state *s = *state;
-    const char *no_home = "~/.no_ssh";
-    int rc;
 
     session_setup(state);
 
-    rc = ssh_options_set(s->ssh.session, SSH_OPTIONS_SSH_DIR, no_home);
-    assert_ssh_return_code(s->ssh.session, rc);
+    s->ssh.session->opts.homedir = strdup("~/.no_ssh");
 
     return 0;
 }
diff --git a/tests/unittests/torture_config.c b/tests/unittests/torture_config.c
index d6392832..a2d8326d 100644
--- a/tests/unittests/torture_config.c
+++ b/tests/unittests/torture_config.c
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ extern LIBSSH_THREAD int ssh_log_level;
 #define HOSTKEYALGORITHMS "ssh-ed25519,ecdsa-sha2-nistp521,ssh-rsa"
 #define PUBKEYACCEPTEDTYPES "rsa-sha2-512,ssh-rsa,ecdsa-sha2-nistp521"
 #define MACS "hmac-sha1,hmac-sha2-256,hmac-sha2-512,hmac-sha1-etm@openssh.com,hmac-sha2-256-etm@openssh.com,hmac-sha2-512-etm@openssh.com"
-#define USER_KNOWN_HOSTS "%d/my_known_hosts"
+#define USER_KNOWN_HOSTS "%d/.ssh/my_known_hosts"
 #define GLOBAL_KNOWN_HOSTS "/etc/ssh/my_ssh_known_hosts"
 #define BIND_ADDRESS "::1"
 
diff --git a/tests/unittests/torture_misc.c b/tests/unittests/torture_misc.c
index 7d311afc..bb567323 100644
--- a/tests/unittests/torture_misc.c
+++ b/tests/unittests/torture_misc.c
@@ -288,7 +288,8 @@ static void torture_path_expand_escape(void **state) {
     const char *s = "%d/%h/%p/by/%r";
     char *e;
 
-    session->opts.sshdir = strdup("guru");
+    /* Set the homedir here to prevent querying the NSS DB */
+    session->opts.homedir = strdup("guru");
     session->opts.host = strdup("meditation");
     session->opts.port = 0;
     session->opts.username = strdup("root");
@@ -310,9 +311,10 @@ static void torture_path_expand_known_hosts(void **state) {
     ssh_session session = *state;
     char *tmp;
 
-    session->opts.sshdir = strdup("/home/guru/.ssh");
+    /* Set the homedir here to prevent querying the NSS DB */
+    session->opts.homedir = strdup("/home/guru");
 
-    tmp = ssh_path_expand_escape(session, "%d/known_hosts");
+    tmp = ssh_path_expand_escape(session, "%d/.ssh/known_hosts");
     assert_non_null(tmp);
     assert_string_equal(tmp, "/home/guru/.ssh/known_hosts");
     free(tmp);
@@ -322,9 +324,10 @@ static void torture_path_expand_percent(void **state) {
     ssh_session session = *state;
     char *tmp;
 
-    session->opts.sshdir = strdup("/home/guru/.ssh");
+    /* Set the homedir here to prevent querying the NSS DB */
+    session->opts.homedir = strdup("/home/guru");
 
-    tmp = ssh_path_expand_escape(session, "%d/config%%1");
+    tmp = ssh_path_expand_escape(session, "%d/.ssh/config%%1");
     assert_non_null(tmp);
     assert_string_equal(tmp, "/home/guru/.ssh/config%1");
     free(tmp);
diff --git a/tests/unittests/torture_options.c b/tests/unittests/torture_options.c
index d38e1806..97b051e1 100644
--- a/tests/unittests/torture_options.c
+++ b/tests/unittests/torture_options.c
@@ -2067,25 +2067,25 @@ static void torture_options_apply (void **state)
     rc = ssh_list_append(awaited_list, id);
     assert_int_equal(rc, SSH_OK);
     /* append the defaults; this list is copied from ssh_new@src/session.c */
-    id = ssh_path_expand_escape(session, "%d/id_ed25519");
+    id = ssh_path_expand_escape(session, "%d/.ssh/id_ed25519");
     rc = ssh_list_append(awaited_list, id);
     assert_int_equal(rc, SSH_OK);
 #ifdef HAVE_ECC
-    id = ssh_path_expand_escape(session, "%d/id_ecdsa");
+    id = ssh_path_expand_escape(session, "%d/.ssh/id_ecdsa");
     rc = ssh_list_append(awaited_list, id);
     assert_int_equal(rc, SSH_OK);
 #endif
-    id = ssh_path_expand_escape(session, "%d/id_rsa");
+    id = ssh_path_expand_escape(session, "%d/.ssh/id_rsa");
     rc = ssh_list_append(awaited_list, id);
     assert_int_equal(rc, SSH_OK);
 #ifdef WITH_FIDO2
     /* Add security key identities */
-    id = ssh_path_expand_escape(session, "%d/id_ed25519_sk");
+    id = ssh_path_expand_escape(session, "%d/.ssh/id_ed25519_sk");
     rc = ssh_list_append(awaited_list, id);
     assert_int_equal(rc, SSH_OK);
 
 #ifdef HAVE_ECC
-    id = ssh_path_expand_escape(session, "%d/id_ecdsa_sk");
+    id = ssh_path_expand_escape(session, "%d/.ssh/id_ecdsa_sk");
     rc = ssh_list_append(awaited_list, id);
     assert_int_equal(rc, SSH_OK);
 #endif /* HAVE_ECC */