diff --git a/cmd/ipfs/main.go b/cmd/ipfs/main.go
index 5e943be28..9ed4de39e 100644
--- a/cmd/ipfs/main.go
+++ b/cmd/ipfs/main.go
@@ -220,15 +220,15 @@ func (i *cmdInvocation) Parse(ctx context.Context, args []string) error {
 		return err
 	}
 
-	configPath, err := getConfigRoot(i.req)
+	repoPath, err := getRepoPath(i.req)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
-	log.Debugf("config path is %s", configPath)
+	log.Debugf("config path is %s", repoPath)
 
 	// this sets up the function that will initialize the config lazily.
 	cmdctx := i.req.Context()
-	cmdctx.ConfigRoot = configPath
+	cmdctx.ConfigRoot = repoPath
 	cmdctx.LoadConfig = loadConfig
 	// this sets up the function that will initialize the node
 	// this is so that we can construct the node lazily.
@@ -415,20 +415,20 @@ func isClientError(err error) bool {
 	return false
 }
 
-func getConfigRoot(req cmds.Request) (string, error) {
-	configOpt, found, err := req.Option("config").String()
+func getRepoPath(req cmds.Request) (string, error) {
+	repoOpt, found, err := req.Option("config").String()
 	if err != nil {
 		return "", err
 	}
-	if found && configOpt != "" {
-		return configOpt, nil
+	if found && repoOpt != "" {
+		return repoOpt, nil
 	}
 
-	configPath, err := config.PathRoot()
+	repoPath, err := fsrepo.BestKnownPath()
 	if err != nil {
 		return "", err
 	}
-	return configPath, nil
+	return repoPath, nil
 }
 
 func loadConfig(path string) (*config.Config, error) {