Index: gnome-vfs-2.20.0/libgnomevfs/gnome-vfs-application-registry.c
===================================================================
--- gnome-vfs-2.20.0.orig/libgnomevfs/gnome-vfs-application-registry.c	2007-01-03 07:50:44.000000000 +0100
+++ gnome-vfs-2.20.0/libgnomevfs/gnome-vfs-application-registry.c	2007-10-11 10:13:16.429551115 +0200
@@ -965,7 +965,7 @@
 						       NULL);
 	gnome_registry_dir.system_dir = TRUE;
 	
-	user_registry_dir.dirname = g_build_filename (g_get_home_dir(),
+	user_registry_dir.dirname = g_build_filename (gnome_vfs_get_home_dir(),
 						      ".gnome",
 						      "application-info",
 						      NULL);
Index: gnome-vfs-2.20.0/libgnomevfs/gnome-vfs-init.c
===================================================================
--- gnome-vfs-2.20.0.orig/libgnomevfs/gnome-vfs-init.c	2007-03-05 10:05:05.000000000 +0100
+++ gnome-vfs-2.20.0/libgnomevfs/gnome-vfs-init.c	2007-10-11 10:13:16.429551115 +0200
@@ -59,29 +59,6 @@
 
 static GPrivate * private_is_primary_thread;
 
-static gboolean
-ensure_dot_gnome_exists (void)
-{
-	gboolean retval = TRUE;
-	gchar *dirname;
-
-	dirname = g_build_filename (g_get_home_dir (), ".gnome2", NULL);
-
-	if (!g_file_test (dirname, G_FILE_TEST_EXISTS)) {
-		if (g_mkdir (dirname, S_IRWXU) != 0) {
-			g_warning ("Unable to create ~/.gnome2 directory: %s",
-				   g_strerror (errno));
-			retval = FALSE;
-		}
-	} else if (!g_file_test (dirname, G_FILE_TEST_IS_DIR)) {
-		g_warning ("Error: ~/.gnome2 must be a directory.");
-		retval = FALSE;
-	}
-
-	g_free (dirname);
-	return retval;
-}
-
 static void
 gnome_vfs_thread_init (void)
 {
@@ -112,7 +89,8 @@
 	char *bogus_argv[2] = { "dummy", NULL };
 	*/
 	
-	if (!ensure_dot_gnome_exists ()) {
+	/* The first call also checks that ~/.gnome2 is writable. */
+	if (!gnome_vfs_get_home_dir ()) {
 		return FALSE;
 	}
 
Index: gnome-vfs-2.20.0/libgnomevfs/gnome-vfs-private-utils.c
===================================================================
--- gnome-vfs-2.20.0.orig/libgnomevfs/gnome-vfs-private-utils.c	2007-01-03 07:50:44.000000000 +0100
+++ gnome-vfs-2.20.0/libgnomevfs/gnome-vfs-private-utils.c	2007-10-11 10:14:48.814815851 +0200
@@ -1086,3 +1086,54 @@
 }
 #endif
 
+static gboolean
+ensure_dot_gnome_exists (gchar *home_dir)
+{
+	gboolean retval = TRUE;
+	gchar *dirname;
+
+	dirname = g_build_filename (home_dir, ".gnome2", NULL);
+
+	if (!g_file_test (dirname, G_FILE_TEST_EXISTS)) {
+		if (g_mkdir (dirname, S_IRWXU) != 0) {
+			g_warning ("Unable to create ~/.gnome2 directory: %s",
+				   g_strerror (errno));
+			retval = FALSE;
+		}
+	} else if (!g_file_test (dirname, G_FILE_TEST_IS_DIR)) {
+		g_warning ("Error: ~/.gnome2 must be a directory.");
+		retval = FALSE;
+	}
+
+	g_free (dirname);
+	return retval;
+}
+
+/**
+ * gnome_vfs_get_home_dir:
+ *
+ * If ~/.gnome2 is writable, return the home directory
+ * Otherwise, return the contents of the HOME environment variable
+ *
+ * Return value: home directory if successful, NULL otherwise.
+ * Do not free the value returned.
+ */
+const gchar *
+gnome_vfs_get_home_dir (void)
+{
+	static gchar *home = NULL;
+
+	if (home == NULL) {
+		gchar *tmp = g_get_home_dir ();
+		if (ensure_dot_gnome_exists (tmp)) {
+			home = g_strdup (tmp);
+		} else {
+			gchar *tmp2 = g_getenv ("HOME");
+			if (!g_str_equal (tmp, tmp2) && ensure_dot_gnome_exists (tmp2)) {
+				home = g_strdup (tmp2);
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
+	return home;
+}
Index: gnome-vfs-2.20.0/libgnomevfs/gnome-vfs-private-utils.h
===================================================================
--- gnome-vfs-2.20.0.orig/libgnomevfs/gnome-vfs-private-utils.h	2007-01-03 07:50:44.000000000 +0100
+++ gnome-vfs-2.20.0/libgnomevfs/gnome-vfs-private-utils.h	2007-10-11 10:13:16.433551342 +0200
@@ -124,6 +124,8 @@
 
 #endif
 
+const gchar   *gnome_vfs_get_home_dir                     (void);
+
 G_END_DECLS
 
 #endif /* _GNOME_VFS_PRIVATE_UTILS_H */
Index: gnome-vfs-2.20.0/modules/file-method.c
===================================================================
--- gnome-vfs-2.20.0.orig/modules/file-method.c	2007-10-11 10:13:16.345546327 +0200
+++ gnome-vfs-2.20.0/modules/file-method.c	2007-10-11 10:13:16.433551342 +0200
@@ -1536,7 +1536,7 @@
 	GList *p;
 	char *buffer, *escaped_path, *escaped_mount_point;
 
-	cache_file_parent = append_to_path (g_get_home_dir (), TRASH_ENTRY_CACHE_PARENT);
+	cache_file_parent = append_to_path (gnome_vfs_get_home_dir (), TRASH_ENTRY_CACHE_PARENT);
 	cache_file_path = append_to_path (cache_file_parent, TRASH_ENTRY_CACHE_NAME);
 
 	if (mkdir_recursive (cache_file_parent, 0777) != 0) {
@@ -1675,7 +1675,7 @@
 	cached_trash_directories = NULL;
 
 	/* read in the entries from disk */
-	cache_file_path = g_build_filename (g_get_home_dir (),
+	cache_file_path = g_build_filename (gnome_vfs_get_home_dir (),
 					    TRASH_ENTRY_CACHE_PARENT,
 					    TRASH_ENTRY_CACHE_NAME,
 					    NULL);
@@ -1947,7 +1947,7 @@
 		return GNOME_VFS_ERROR_INVALID_URI;
 
 	/* We will need the URI and the stat structure for the home directory. */
-	home_directory = g_get_home_dir ();
+	home_directory = gnome_vfs_get_home_dir ();
 
 	if (gnome_vfs_context_check_cancellation (context)) {
 		g_free (full_name_near);