diff --git a/redfish-client/redfish-client b/redfish-client/redfish-client
index ac4d327..bcc34eb 100755
--- a/redfish-client/redfish-client
+++ b/redfish-client/redfish-client
@@ -337,16 +337,6 @@ if __name__ == '__main__':
     logger.info("Arguments parsed")
     logger.debug(arguments)
 
-    # Get $HOME environment variables.
-    HOME = os.getenv('HOME')
-
-    if(not HOME):
-        print('ERROR: $HOME environment variable not set,' +
-              'please check your system')
-        logger.error('$HOME environment variable not set')
-        sys.exit(1)
-    logger.debug("Home directory : %s" % HOME)
-
     # Load config
     config = configparser.ConfigParser(allow_no_value=True)
     logger.debug("Read configuration file")
@@ -365,8 +355,7 @@ if __name__ == '__main__':
         logger.error('Configuration file not found at %s.' % configfile)
         sys.exit(1)
 
-    arguments['--inventory'] = arguments['--inventory'].replace('~', HOME)
-    arguments['--inventory'] = arguments['--inventory'].replace('$HOME', HOME)
+    arguments['--inventory'] = os.path.expandvars(arguments['--inventory'])
     inventory = InventoryFile(arguments['--inventory'])
 
     # Initialize Template system (jinja2)
diff --git a/redfish/config.py b/redfish/config.py
index 6fd9b8c..33391e4 100644
--- a/redfish/config.py
+++ b/redfish/config.py
@@ -5,23 +5,26 @@ from __future__ import print_function
 from __future__ import division
 from __future__ import absolute_import
 from future import standard_library
-standard_library.install_aliases()
 import logging
 import sys
 import os
 import getpass
 from logging.handlers import RotatingFileHandler
+standard_library.install_aliases()
 
 # Global variable definition
 
 logger = None
 TORTILLADEBUG = True
 HOME = os.getenv('HOME')
-if HOME == '':
+if HOME is None:
     print("$HOME environment variable not set, please check your system")
     sys.exit(1)
+if HOME == '':
+    print("$HOME environment is set, but empty, please check your system")
+    sys.exit(1)
 
-REDFISH_HOME = HOME + "/.redfish"
+REDFISH_HOME = os.path.join(HOME, ".redfish")
 if not os.path.exists(REDFISH_HOME):
     try:
         os.mkdir(REDFISH_HOME)
@@ -31,7 +34,7 @@ if not os.path.exists(REDFISH_HOME):
         print('       using: mkdir -p {}'.format(os.path.dirname(REDFISH_LOGFILE)))
         sys.exit(1)
 
-REDFISH_LOGFILE = REDFISH_HOME + "/python-redfish.log"
+REDFISH_LOGFILE = os.path.join(REDFISH_HOME, "python-redfish.log")
 CONSOLE_LOGGER_LEVEL = logging.DEBUG
 FILE_LOGGER_LEVEL = logging.DEBUG
 
@@ -58,13 +61,13 @@ def initialize_logger(REDFISH_LOGFILE,
     formatter = logging.Formatter(
         '%(asctime)s :: %(levelname)s :: %(message)s'
         )
-    f = open(os.path.expandvars(REDFISH_LOGFILE), 'w')
-    f.close()
 
     try:
         file_handler = RotatingFileHandler(os.path.expandvars(REDFISH_LOGFILE), 'a', 1000000, 1)
     except IOError:
         print('ERROR: {} does not exist or is not writeable.\n'.format(REDFISH_LOGFILE))
+        print('       Try to create directory {}'.format(os.path.dirname(REDFISH_LOGFILE)))
+        print('       using: mkdir -p {}'.format(os.path.dirname(REDFISH_LOGFILE)))
         sys.exit(1)
 
     # First logger to file