diff --git a/cmd/cheatmd/compose.go b/cmd/cheatmd/compose.go
index 1a579ae..a34d79c 100644
--- a/cmd/cheatmd/compose.go
+++ b/cmd/cheatmd/compose.go
@@ -131,7 +131,7 @@ func buildComposeMarkdown(name, desc, command string) string {
 
 func determineComposeTargetFile(file string) (string, error) {
 	if file != "" {
-		return file, nil
+		return config.ExpandHomePath(file)
 	}
 
 	cfgPath := config.Get().Path
diff --git a/cmd/cheatmd/dump.go b/cmd/cheatmd/dump.go
index 7712803..6cd0e98 100644
--- a/cmd/cheatmd/dump.go
+++ b/cmd/cheatmd/dump.go
@@ -4,12 +4,9 @@ import (
 	"encoding/csv"
 	"encoding/json"
 	"fmt"
-	"os"
-	"path/filepath"
 	"strconv"
 	"strings"
 
-	"github.com/cheatmd-dev/cheatmd/pkg/config"
 	"github.com/cheatmd-dev/cheatmd/pkg/parser"
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
 )
@@ -104,25 +101,11 @@ func dumpVars(vars []parser.VarDef) []dumpVar {
 }
 
 func parseDumpIndex(args []string) (*parser.CheatIndex, error) {
-	path := "."
-	if len(args) > 0 {
-		path = args[0]
-	} else if config.Get().Path != "." {
-		path = config.Get().Path
-	}
-	absPath, err := filepath.Abs(path)
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("error resolving path: %w", err)
-	}
-	info, err := os.Stat(absPath)
+	path, err := resolveCheatPath(args)
 	if err != nil {
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("path error: %w", err)
-	}
-	p := parser.NewParser()
-	if info.IsDir() {
-		return p.ParseDirectory(absPath)
+		return nil, err
 	}
-	return p.ParseSingleFile(absPath)
+	return loadAndParseCheats(path)
 }
 
 func writeDumpCSV(cmd *cobra.Command, entries []dumpEntry) error {
diff --git a/cmd/cheatmd/path_test.go b/cmd/cheatmd/path_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..dd9ec16
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmd/cheatmd/path_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,95 @@
+package main
+
+import (
+	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/cheatmd-dev/cheatmd/pkg/config"
+	"github.com/spf13/viper"
+)
+
+func TestHomePathInputs(t *testing.T) {
+	old := *config.Get()
+	t.Cleanup(func() { *config.Get() = old; viper.Reset() })
+	dir := t.TempDir()
+	path := filepath.Join(dir, "greeting.md")
+	if err := os.WriteFile(path, []byte("# Greeting\n```sh\necho hello\n```\n"), 0o600); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	home, err := os.UserHomeDir()
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	relative, err := filepath.Rel(home, path)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	homePath := "~/" + filepath.ToSlash(relative)
+	expandedPath := home + "/" + filepath.ToSlash(relative)
+	configFile := filepath.Join(dir, "cheatmd.yaml")
+	if err := os.WriteFile(configFile, []byte("{}\n"), 0o600); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	for _, configured := range []bool{false, true} {
+		name := "explicit"
+		if configured {
+			name = "configured"
+		}
+		t.Run(name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			args, composeFile := []string{homePath}, homePath
+			viper.Reset()
+			viper.SetConfigFile(configFile)
+			if configured {
+				t.Setenv("CHEATMD_PATH", homePath)
+				args, composeFile = nil, ""
+			} else {
+				t.Setenv("CHEATMD_PATH", ".")
+			}
+			if err := config.Init(); err != nil {
+				t.Fatal(err)
+			}
+			t.Run("root", func(t *testing.T) {
+				got, err := resolveCheatPath(args)
+				if err != nil || got != path {
+					t.Fatalf("resolved path = %q, %v; want %q", got, err, path)
+				}
+			})
+			t.Run("dump", func(t *testing.T) {
+				index, err := parseDumpIndex(args)
+				if err != nil {
+					t.Fatal(err)
+				}
+				if len(index.Cheats) != 1 || index.Cheats[0].Command != "echo hello" {
+					t.Fatalf("unexpected cheats: %+v", index.Cheats)
+				}
+			})
+			t.Run("compose", func(t *testing.T) {
+				got, err := determineComposeTargetFile(composeFile)
+				if err != nil || got != expandedPath {
+					t.Fatalf("compose target = %q, %v; want %q", got, err, expandedPath)
+				}
+			})
+		})
+	}
+
+	for _, tc := range []struct{ name, path, want string }{
+		{"absolute second path", homePath + ",/unused/second.md", expandedPath},
+		{"parent in second path", homePath + ",/second/../../third.md", expandedPath},
+		{"bare home first", "~,/second", filepath.Join(home, "snippets.md")},
+	} {
+		t.Run("compose configured path list/"+tc.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			viper.Reset()
+			viper.SetConfigFile(configFile)
+			t.Setenv("CHEATMD_PATH", tc.path)
+			if err := config.Init(); err != nil {
+				t.Fatal(err)
+			}
+			got, err := determineComposeTargetFile("")
+			if err != nil || got != tc.want {
+				t.Fatalf("compose target = %q, %v; want first path %q", got, err, tc.want)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
diff --git a/cmd/cheatmd/root.go b/cmd/cheatmd/root.go
index 153e25a..bb7cb8d 100644
--- a/cmd/cheatmd/root.go
+++ b/cmd/cheatmd/root.go
@@ -102,6 +102,10 @@ func resolveCheatPath(args []string) (string, error) {
 		path = config.Get().Path
 	}
 
+	path, err := config.ExpandHomePath(path)
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", fmt.Errorf("error resolving path: %w", err)
+	}
 	absPath, err := filepath.Abs(path)
 	if err != nil {
 		return "", fmt.Errorf("error resolving path: %w", err)
diff --git a/pkg/config/config.go b/pkg/config/config.go
index dd11df5..d7baa26 100644
--- a/pkg/config/config.go
+++ b/pkg/config/config.go
@@ -181,8 +181,36 @@ func Init() error {
 	}); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
+	if configErr != nil {
+		return configErr
+	}
+	path, remaining, multiple := strings.Cut(cfg.Path, ",")
+	path, err := ExpandHomePath(path)
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("cheat path: %w", err)
+	}
+	if multiple {
+		path += "," + remaining
+	}
+	cfg.Path = path
+
+	return nil
+}
 
-	return configErr
+// ExpandHomePath resolves a leading ~ or ~/ against the user's home directory.
+// Other paths are preserved, including relative paths and literal dollar signs.
+func ExpandHomePath(path string) (string, error) {
+	if path != "~" && !strings.HasPrefix(path, "~/") && !strings.HasPrefix(path, "~"+string(filepath.Separator)) {
+		return path, nil
+	}
+	home, err := os.UserHomeDir()
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", err
+	}
+	if path == "~" {
+		return home, nil
+	}
+	return home + path[1:], nil
 }
 
 // registerDefaults seeds viper with a default for every config key, sourced
diff --git a/pkg/config/path_test.go b/pkg/config/path_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a839a34
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/config/path_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,48 @@
+package config
+
+import (
+	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/spf13/viper"
+)
+
+func TestConfiguredHomePaths(t *testing.T) {
+	old := *Get()
+	t.Cleanup(func() { *Get() = old; viper.Reset() })
+	file := filepath.Join(t.TempDir(), "cheatmd.yaml")
+	if err := os.WriteFile(file, []byte("{}\n"), 0o600); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	home, err := os.UserHomeDir()
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	for _, tc := range []struct{ path, want string }{
+		{"~", home},
+		{"~/cheats", filepath.Join(home, "cheats")},
+		{"~/first/../cheats", home + "/first/../cheats"},
+		{"~,/second", home + ",/second"},
+		{"~/first,/second/../third", home + "/first,/second/../third"},
+		{"~/first,/second/../../third", home + "/first,/second/../../third"},
+		{"~other/cheats", "~other/cheats"},
+		{"cheats/~archive", "cheats/~archive"},
+		{"$HOME/cheats", "$HOME/cheats"},
+	} {
+		t.Run(tc.path, func(t *testing.T) {
+			viper.Reset()
+			viper.SetConfigFile(file)
+			t.Setenv("CHEATMD_PATH", tc.path)
+			if err := Init(); err != nil {
+				t.Fatal(err)
+			}
+			if got := Get().Path; got != tc.want {
+				t.Errorf("configured path = %q, want %q", got, tc.want)
+			}
+			if got := CheatsInstallDir(); got != tc.want {
+				t.Errorf("install path = %q, want %q", got, tc.want)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}