diff --git a/data/core/commands/core.lua b/data/core/commands/core.lua
index 6457601e..3ce3cdfc 100644
--- a/data/core/commands/core.lua
+++ b/data/core/commands/core.lua
@@ -8,20 +8,15 @@ local LogView = require "core.logview"
 local fullscreen = false
 
 local function home_encode_list(paths)
-  if HOME then
-    local t = {}
-    for i = 1, #paths do
-      t[i] = common.home_encode(paths[i])
-    end
-    return t
+  local t = {}
+  for i = 1, #paths do
+    t[i] = common.home_encode(paths[i])
   end
-  return paths
+  return t
 end
 
 local function suggest_directory(text)
-  if HOME then
-    text = common.home_expand(text)
-  end
+  text = common.home_expand(text)
   return home_encode_list(text == "" and core.recent_projects or common.dir_path_suggest(text))
 end
 
@@ -110,8 +105,10 @@ command.add(nil, {
 
   ["core:open-file"] = function()
     core.command_view:enter("Open File", function(text)
-      core.root_view:open_doc(core.open_doc(text))
-    end, common.path_suggest)
+      core.root_view:open_doc(core.open_doc(common.home_expand(text)))
+    end, function (text)
+      return home_encode_list(common.path_suggest(common.home_expand(text)))
+    end)
   end,
 
   ["core:open-log"] = function()
diff --git a/data/core/common.lua b/data/core/common.lua
index eabfeedd..61ab355d 100644
--- a/data/core/common.lua
+++ b/data/core/common.lua
@@ -153,16 +153,18 @@ end
 
 
 function common.home_encode(text)
-  local n = #HOME
-  if text:sub(1, n) == HOME and text:sub(n + 1, n + 1):match("[/\\\\]") then
-    return "~" .. text:sub(n + 1)
+  if HOME then
+    local n = #HOME
+    if text:sub(1, n) == HOME and text:sub(n + 1, n + 1):match("[/\\\\]") then
+      return "~" .. text:sub(n + 1)
+    end
   end
   return text
 end
 
 
 function common.home_expand(text)
-  return text:gsub("^~", HOME)
+  return HOME and text:gsub("^~", HOME) or text
 end