diff --git a/src/lib/common/CMakeLists.txt b/src/lib/common/CMakeLists.txt
index eda7fa1a..b3791c1c 100644
--- a/src/lib/common/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/lib/common/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -33,3 +33,8 @@ if (BARRIER_ADD_HEADERS)
 endif()
 
 add_library(common STATIC ${sources})
+
+if (HAVE_GETPWUID_R)
+    set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS "${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS} -DHAVE_GETPWUID_R=1")
+endif()
+
diff --git a/src/lib/common/unix/DataDirectories.cpp b/src/lib/common/unix/DataDirectories.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..95aa08e1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/lib/common/unix/DataDirectories.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,76 @@
+#include "../DataDirectories.h"
+
+#include <unistd.h>    // sysconf
+#include <sys/types.h> // getpwuid(_r)
+#include <pwd.h>       // getpwuid(_r)
+
+#ifdef WINAPI_XWINDOWS
+const std::string ProfileSubdir = "/.barrier";
+#else // macos
+const std::string ProfileSubdir = "/Library/Application Support/Barrier";
+#endif
+
+// static members
+std::string DataDirectories::_personal;
+std::string DataDirectories::_profile;
+
+static std::string pw_dir(struct passwd* pwentp)
+{
+    if (pwentp != NULL && pwentp->pw_dir != NULL)
+        return pwentp->pw_dir;
+    return "";
+}
+
+#ifdef HAVE_GETPWUID_R
+
+static std::string unix_home()
+{
+    long size = -1;
+#if defined(_SC_GETPW_R_SIZE_MAX)
+    size = sysconf(_SC_GETPW_R_SIZE_MAX);
+#endif
+    if (size == -1)
+        size = BUFSIZ;
+
+    struct passwd pwent;
+    struct passwd* pwentp;
+    std::string buffer(size, 0);
+    getpwuid_r(getuid(), &pwent, &buffer[0], size, &pwentp);
+    return pw_dir(pwentp);
+}
+
+#else // not HAVE_GETPWUID_R
+
+static std::string unix_home()
+{
+    return pw_dir(getpwuid(getuid()));
+}
+
+#endif // HAVE_GETPWUID_R
+
+const std::string& DataDirectories::personal()
+{
+    if (_personal.empty())
+        _personal = unix_home();
+    return _personal;
+}
+
+const std::string& DataDirectories::personal(const std::string& path)
+{
+    _personal = path;
+    return _personal;
+}
+
+const std::string& DataDirectories::profile()
+{
+    if (_profile.empty())
+        _profile = personal() + ProfileSubdir;
+    return _profile;
+}
+
+const std::string& DataDirectories::profile(const std::string& path)
+{
+    _profile = path;
+    return _profile;
+}
+
diff --git a/src/lib/common/win32/DataDirectories.cpp b/src/lib/common/win32/DataDirectories.cpp
index 832fd821..02e216f3 100644
--- a/src/lib/common/win32/DataDirectories.cpp
+++ b/src/lib/common/win32/DataDirectories.cpp
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-#include "DataDirectories.h"
+#include "../DataDirectories.h"
 
 #include <Shlobj.h>
 
@@ -51,4 +51,5 @@ const std::string& DataDirectories::profile(const std::string& path)
 {
     _profile = path;
     return _profile;
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}
+