diff --git a/examples/ansible.cfg b/examples/ansible.cfg
index 991dcb2548e..06ba04a50d1 100644
--- a/examples/ansible.cfg
+++ b/examples/ansible.cfg
@@ -13,8 +13,8 @@
 
 #inventory      = /etc/ansible/hosts
 #library        = /usr/share/my_modules/
-#remote_tmp     = $HOME/.ansible/tmp
-#local_tmp      = $HOME/.ansible/tmp
+#remote_tmp     = ~/.ansible/tmp
+#local_tmp      = ~/.ansible/tmp
 #forks          = 5
 #poll_interval  = 15
 #sudo_user      = root
diff --git a/lib/ansible/constants.py b/lib/ansible/constants.py
index 05043c60b2c..faa481da874 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/constants.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/constants.py
@@ -157,8 +157,8 @@ DEFAULT_DEBUG             = get_config(p, DEFAULTS, 'debug',            'ANSIBLE
 DEFAULT_HOST_LIST         = get_config(p, DEFAULTS,'inventory', 'ANSIBLE_INVENTORY', DEPRECATED_HOST_LIST, ispath=True)
 DEFAULT_MODULE_PATH       = get_config(p, DEFAULTS, 'library',          'ANSIBLE_LIBRARY',          None, ispathlist=True)
 DEFAULT_ROLES_PATH        = get_config(p, DEFAULTS, 'roles_path',       'ANSIBLE_ROLES_PATH',       '/etc/ansible/roles', ispathlist=True, expand_relative_paths=True)
-DEFAULT_REMOTE_TMP        = get_config(p, DEFAULTS, 'remote_tmp',       'ANSIBLE_REMOTE_TEMP',      '$HOME/.ansible/tmp')
-DEFAULT_LOCAL_TMP         = get_config(p, DEFAULTS, 'local_tmp',        'ANSIBLE_LOCAL_TEMP',      '$HOME/.ansible/tmp', istmppath=True)
+DEFAULT_REMOTE_TMP        = get_config(p, DEFAULTS, 'remote_tmp',       'ANSIBLE_REMOTE_TEMP',      '~/.ansible/tmp')
+DEFAULT_LOCAL_TMP         = get_config(p, DEFAULTS, 'local_tmp',        'ANSIBLE_LOCAL_TEMP',      '~/.ansible/tmp', istmppath=True)
 DEFAULT_MODULE_NAME       = get_config(p, DEFAULTS, 'module_name',      None,                       'command')
 DEFAULT_FORKS             = get_config(p, DEFAULTS, 'forks',            'ANSIBLE_FORKS',            5, integer=True)
 DEFAULT_MODULE_ARGS       = get_config(p, DEFAULTS, 'module_args',      'ANSIBLE_MODULE_ARGS',      '')