diff --git a/config.go b/config.go
index 8e30e06..81dba5a 100644
--- a/config.go
+++ b/config.go
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ package main
 import (
 	"errors"
 	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
 
 	"go.wit.com/lib/config"
 	"go.wit.com/lib/protobuf/forgepb"
@@ -22,8 +23,8 @@ func configInit() *forgepb.ForgeConfigs {
 	}
 
 	// the default forged dir is /home/forge
-	if os.Getenv("FORGE_GOSRC") == "" {
-		os.Setenv("FORGE_GOSRC", "/home/forge")
+	if os.Getenv("FORGE_REPODIR") == "" {
+		os.Setenv("FORGE_REPODIR", "/home/forge")
 	}
 
 	if os.Getenv("FORGE_PATCHDIR") == "" {
@@ -33,9 +34,9 @@ func configInit() *forgepb.ForgeConfigs {
 	configs := new(forgepb.ForgeConfigs)
 	err := config.ConfigLoad(configs, ARGNAME, "forge")
 	if errors.Is(err, os.ErrNotExist) {
-		configs.ReposDir = "/home/forge"
-		configs.ReposPB = "/home/forge/repos.pb"
-		configs.PatchDir = "/var/lib/forged"
+		configs.ReposDir = os.Getenv("FORGE_REPODIR")
+		configs.ReposPB = filepath.Join(configs.ReposDir, "repos.pb")
+		configs.PatchDir = os.Getenv("FORGE_PATCHDIR")
 		if err := configSave(); err != nil {
 			badExit(err)
 		}