diff --git a/cmd/ipfswatch/main.go b/cmd/ipfswatch/main.go
index 3178cf564..916a420d1 100644
--- a/cmd/ipfswatch/main.go
+++ b/cmd/ipfswatch/main.go
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ import (
 	"syscall"
 
 	commands "github.com/ipfs/kubo/commands"
+	"github.com/ipfs/kubo/config"
 	core "github.com/ipfs/kubo/core"
 	coreapi "github.com/ipfs/kubo/core/coreapi"
 	corehttp "github.com/ipfs/kubo/core/corehttp"
@@ -25,10 +26,18 @@ import (
 
 var (
 	http      = flag.Bool("http", false, "expose IPFS HTTP API")
-	repoPath  = flag.String("repo", os.Getenv("IPFS_PATH"), "IPFS_PATH to use")
+	repoPath  *string
 	watchPath = flag.String("path", ".", "the path to watch")
 )
 
+func init() {
+	ipfsPath, err := config.PathRoot()
+	if err != nil {
+		ipfsPath = os.Getenv(config.EnvDir)
+	}
+	repoPath = flag.String("repo", ipfsPath, "repo path to use")
+}
+
 func main() {
 	flag.Parse()
 
diff --git a/core/commands/sysdiag.go b/core/commands/sysdiag.go
index 123dcb973..5a7c41ce9 100644
--- a/core/commands/sysdiag.go
+++ b/core/commands/sysdiag.go
@@ -2,14 +2,13 @@ package commands
 
 import (
 	"os"
-	"path"
 	"runtime"
 
+	"github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs-cmds"
 	version "github.com/ipfs/kubo"
+	"github.com/ipfs/kubo/config"
 	"github.com/ipfs/kubo/core"
 	cmdenv "github.com/ipfs/kubo/core/commands/cmdenv"
-
-	cmds "github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs-cmds"
 	manet "github.com/multiformats/go-multiaddr/net"
 	sysi "github.com/whyrusleeping/go-sysinfo"
 )
@@ -84,32 +83,28 @@ func runtimeInfo(out map[string]interface{}) error {
 func envVarInfo(out map[string]interface{}) error {
 	ev := make(map[string]interface{})
 	ev["GOPATH"] = os.Getenv("GOPATH")
-	ev["IPFS_PATH"] = os.Getenv("IPFS_PATH")
+	ev[config.EnvDir] = os.Getenv(config.EnvDir)
 
 	out["environment"] = ev
 	return nil
 }
 
-func ipfsPath() string {
-	p := os.Getenv("IPFS_PATH")
-	if p == "" {
-		p = path.Join(os.Getenv("HOME"), ".ipfs")
-	}
-	return p
-}
-
 func diskSpaceInfo(out map[string]interface{}) error {
-	di := make(map[string]interface{})
-	dinfo, err := sysi.DiskUsage(ipfsPath())
+	pathRoot, err := config.PathRoot()
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	dinfo, err := sysi.DiskUsage(pathRoot)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
 
-	di["fstype"] = dinfo.FsType
-	di["total_space"] = dinfo.Total
-	di["free_space"] = dinfo.Free
+	out["diskinfo"] = map[string]interface{}{
+		"fstype":      dinfo.FsType,
+		"total_space": dinfo.Total,
+		"free_space":  dinfo.Free,
+	}
 
-	out["diskinfo"] = di
 	return nil
 }
 
diff --git a/repo/fsrepo/migrations/fetch_test.go b/repo/fsrepo/migrations/fetch_test.go
index 6e87c966b..c09b3444a 100644
--- a/repo/fsrepo/migrations/fetch_test.go
+++ b/repo/fsrepo/migrations/fetch_test.go
@@ -20,10 +20,7 @@ func TestGetDistPath(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 
 	testDist := "/unit/test/dist"
-	err := os.Setenv(envIpfsDistPath, testDist)
-	if err != nil {
-		panic(err)
-	}
+	t.Setenv(envIpfsDistPath, testDist)
 	defer func() {
 		os.Unsetenv(envIpfsDistPath)
 	}()
@@ -139,18 +136,12 @@ func TestFetchBinary(t *testing.T) {
 		if err != nil {
 			panic(err)
 		}
-		err = os.Setenv("TMPDIR", tmpDir)
-		if err != nil {
-			panic(err)
-		}
+		t.Setenv("TMPDIR", tmpDir)
 		_, err = FetchBinary(ctx, fetcher, "go-ipfs", "v1.0.0", "ipfs", tmpDir)
 		if !os.IsPermission(err) {
 			t.Error("expected 'permission' error, got:", err)
 		}
-		err = os.Setenv("TMPDIR", "/tmp")
-		if err != nil {
-			panic(err)
-		}
+		t.Setenv("TMPDIR", "/tmp")
 		err = os.Chmod(tmpDir, 0o755)
 		if err != nil {
 			panic(err)
diff --git a/repo/fsrepo/migrations/ipfsdir.go b/repo/fsrepo/migrations/ipfsdir.go
index 8cb087d53..88b39459b 100644
--- a/repo/fsrepo/migrations/ipfsdir.go
+++ b/repo/fsrepo/migrations/ipfsdir.go
@@ -8,12 +8,11 @@ import (
 	"strconv"
 	"strings"
 
+	"github.com/ipfs/kubo/config"
 	"github.com/ipfs/kubo/misc/fsutil"
 )
 
 const (
-	envIpfsPath = "IPFS_PATH"
-	defIpfsDir  = ".ipfs"
 	versionFile = "version"
 )
 
@@ -24,25 +23,16 @@ const (
 func IpfsDir(dir string) (string, error) {
 	var err error
 	if dir == "" {
-		dir = os.Getenv(envIpfsPath)
-	}
-	if dir != "" {
-		dir, err = fsutil.ExpandHome(dir)
+		dir, err = config.PathRoot()
 		if err != nil {
 			return "", err
 		}
-		return dir, nil
 	}
-
-	home, err := os.UserHomeDir()
+	dir, err = fsutil.ExpandHome(dir)
 	if err != nil {
 		return "", err
 	}
-	if home == "" {
-		return "", errors.New("could not determine IPFS_PATH, home dir not set")
-	}
-
-	return filepath.Join(home, defIpfsDir), nil
+	return dir, nil
 }
 
 // CheckIpfsDir gets the ipfs directory and checks that the directory exists.
diff --git a/repo/fsrepo/migrations/ipfsdir_test.go b/repo/fsrepo/migrations/ipfsdir_test.go
index e4e626794..c94ebc586 100644
--- a/repo/fsrepo/migrations/ipfsdir_test.go
+++ b/repo/fsrepo/migrations/ipfsdir_test.go
@@ -4,24 +4,28 @@ import (
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
 	"testing"
-)
 
-var (
-	fakeHome string
-	fakeIpfs string
+	"github.com/ipfs/kubo/config"
 )
 
 func TestRepoDir(t *testing.T) {
-	fakeHome = t.TempDir()
-	os.Setenv("HOME", fakeHome)
-	fakeIpfs = filepath.Join(fakeHome, ".ipfs")
+	fakeHome := t.TempDir()
+	t.Setenv("HOME", fakeHome)
+	fakeIpfs := filepath.Join(fakeHome, ".ipfs")
+	t.Setenv(config.EnvDir, fakeIpfs)
 
-	t.Run("testIpfsDir", testIpfsDir)
-	t.Run("testCheckIpfsDir", testCheckIpfsDir)
-	t.Run("testRepoVersion", testRepoVersion)
+	t.Run("testIpfsDir", func(t *testing.T) {
+		testIpfsDir(t, fakeIpfs)
+	})
+	t.Run("testCheckIpfsDir", func(t *testing.T) {
+		testCheckIpfsDir(t, fakeIpfs)
+	})
+	t.Run("testRepoVersion", func(t *testing.T) {
+		testRepoVersion(t, fakeIpfs)
+	})
 }
 
-func testIpfsDir(t *testing.T) {
+func testIpfsDir(t *testing.T, fakeIpfs string) {
 	_, err := CheckIpfsDir("")
 	if err == nil {
 		t.Fatal("expected error when no .ipfs directory to find")
@@ -37,16 +41,16 @@ func testIpfsDir(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
 	if dir != fakeIpfs {
-		t.Fatal("wrong ipfs directory:", dir)
+		t.Fatalf("wrong ipfs directory: got %s, expected %s", dir, fakeIpfs)
 	}
 
-	os.Setenv(envIpfsPath, "~/.ipfs")
+	t.Setenv(config.EnvDir, "~/.ipfs")
 	dir, err = IpfsDir("")
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
 	if dir != fakeIpfs {
-		t.Fatal("wrong ipfs directory:", dir)
+		t.Fatalf("wrong ipfs directory: got %s, expected %s", dir, fakeIpfs)
 	}
 
 	_, err = IpfsDir("~somesuer/foo")
@@ -54,15 +58,12 @@ func testIpfsDir(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatal("expected error with user-specific home dir")
 	}
 
-	err = os.Setenv(envIpfsPath, "~somesuer/foo")
-	if err != nil {
-		panic(err)
-	}
+	t.Setenv(config.EnvDir, "~somesuer/foo")
 	_, err = IpfsDir("~somesuer/foo")
 	if err == nil {
 		t.Fatal("expected error with user-specific home dir")
 	}
-	err = os.Unsetenv(envIpfsPath)
+	err = os.Unsetenv(config.EnvDir)
 	if err != nil {
 		panic(err)
 	}
@@ -72,7 +73,7 @@ func testIpfsDir(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
 	if dir != fakeIpfs {
-		t.Fatal("wrong ipfs directory:", dir)
+		t.Fatalf("wrong ipfs directory: got %s, expected %s", dir, fakeIpfs)
 	}
 
 	_, err = IpfsDir("")
@@ -81,7 +82,7 @@ func testIpfsDir(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
-func testCheckIpfsDir(t *testing.T) {
+func testCheckIpfsDir(t *testing.T, fakeIpfs string) {
 	_, err := CheckIpfsDir("~somesuer/foo")
 	if err == nil {
 		t.Fatal("expected error with user-specific home dir")
@@ -101,7 +102,7 @@ func testCheckIpfsDir(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
-func testRepoVersion(t *testing.T) {
+func testRepoVersion(t *testing.T, fakeIpfs string) {
 	badDir := "~somesuer/foo"
 	_, err := RepoVersion(badDir)
 	if err == nil {
diff --git a/repo/fsrepo/migrations/migrations_test.go b/repo/fsrepo/migrations/migrations_test.go
index f690290f8..c84e2d228 100644
--- a/repo/fsrepo/migrations/migrations_test.go
+++ b/repo/fsrepo/migrations/migrations_test.go
@@ -33,9 +33,7 @@ func TestFindMigrations(t *testing.T) {
 		createFakeBin(i-1, i, tmpDir)
 	}
 
-	origPath := os.Getenv("PATH")
-	os.Setenv("PATH", tmpDir)
-	defer os.Setenv("PATH", origPath)
+	t.Setenv("PATH", tmpDir)
 
 	migs, bins, err = findMigrations(ctx, 0, 5)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -80,9 +78,7 @@ func TestFindMigrationsReverse(t *testing.T) {
 		createFakeBin(i-1, i, tmpDir)
 	}
 
-	origPath := os.Getenv("PATH")
-	os.Setenv("PATH", tmpDir)
-	defer os.Setenv("PATH", origPath)
+	t.Setenv("PATH", tmpDir)
 
 	migs, bins, err = findMigrations(ctx, 5, 0)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -144,10 +140,8 @@ func TestFetchMigrations(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestRunMigrations(t *testing.T) {
-	fakeHome := t.TempDir()
-
-	os.Setenv("HOME", fakeHome)
-	fakeIpfs := filepath.Join(fakeHome, ".ipfs")
+	fakeIpfs := filepath.Join(t.TempDir(), ".ipfs")
+	t.Setenv(config.EnvDir, fakeIpfs)
 
 	err := os.Mkdir(fakeIpfs, os.ModePerm)
 	if err != nil {