diff --git a/src/config.rs b/src/config.rs
index 75118c5..986efb7 100644
--- a/src/config.rs
+++ b/src/config.rs
@@ -1,9 +1,9 @@
 use serde::Deserialize;
 use std::path::Path;
 
-/// OS standard config directory.
+/// OS standard config directory. Matches dirs::config_dir() behavior.
 pub fn config_dir() -> String {
-    let home = std::env::var("HOME").unwrap_or_default();
+    let home = std::env::var("HOME").unwrap_or_else(|_| "/root".to_string());
     if cfg!(target_os = "macos") {
         format!("{home}/Library/Application Support")
     } else {
diff --git a/src/headless.rs b/src/headless.rs
index 0e838ab..62a42f6 100644
--- a/src/headless.rs
+++ b/src/headless.rs
@@ -575,14 +575,14 @@ fn save_to_aigpt_memory(decision: &str, agents: &[serde_json::Value]) {
 }
 
 fn aigpt_memory_dir() -> Option<String> {
-    let config_path = config::config_path();
-    let content = std::fs::read_to_string(&config_path).ok()?;
-    let config: serde_json::Value = serde_json::from_str(&content).ok()?;
-
-    let path = config["bot"]["path"].as_str()?;
-    let did = config["bot"]["did"].as_str()?;
-    let expanded = expand_tilde(path);
-    Some(format!("{expanded}/{did}/ai.syui.gpt.memory"))
+    let base = config::bot_data_dir();
+    let dir = format!("{base}/ai.syui.gpt.memory");
+    if std::path::Path::new(&base).exists() || std::fs::create_dir_all(&dir).is_ok() {
+        Some(dir)
+    } else {
+        eprintln!("  warn: memory dir not available: {dir}");
+        None
+    }
 }
 
 fn chrono_now() -> String {