diff --git a/home-manager/home-manager b/home-manager/home-manager
index 1a5676e5..d3ef4dfc 100644
--- a/home-manager/home-manager
+++ b/home-manager/home-manager
@@ -26,8 +26,9 @@ function setConfigFile() {
         return
     fi
 
+    local defaultConfFile="${XDG_CONFIG_HOME:-$HOME/.config}/nixpkgs/home.nix"
     local confFile
-    for confFile in "$HOME/.config/nixpkgs/home.nix" \
+    for confFile in "$defaultConfFile" \
                     "$HOME/.nixpkgs/home.nix" ; do
         if [[ -e "$confFile" ]] ; then
             HOME_MANAGER_CONFIG="$confFile"
@@ -36,14 +37,14 @@ function setConfigFile() {
     done
 
     errorEcho "No configuration file found." \
-         "Please create one at ~/.config/nixpkgs/home.nix"
+         "Please create one at $defaultConfFile"
     exit 1
 }
 
 function setHomeManagerNixPath() {
     local path
     for path in "@HOME_MANAGER_PATH@" \
-                "$HOME/.config/nixpkgs/home-manager" \
+                "${XDG_CONFIG_HOME:-$HOME/.config}/nixpkgs/home-manager" \
                 "$HOME/.nixpkgs/home-manager" ; do
         if [[ -e "$path" || "$path" =~ ^https?:// ]] ; then
             export NIX_PATH="$NIX_PATH${NIX_PATH:+:}home-manager=$path"
diff --git a/modules/default.nix b/modules/default.nix
index 4cba27ff..9b6ad758 100644
--- a/modules/default.nix
+++ b/modules/default.nix
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ let
     ./misc/news.nix
     ./misc/nixpkgs.nix
     ./misc/pam.nix
+    ./misc/xdg.nix
     ./programs/bash.nix
     ./programs/beets.nix
     ./programs/browserpass.nix
diff --git a/modules/misc/fontconfig.nix b/modules/misc/fontconfig.nix
index aab29b67..e76e135e 100644
--- a/modules/misc/fontconfig.nix
+++ b/modules/misc/fontconfig.nix
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ in
   };
 
   config = mkIf cfg.enableProfileFonts {
-    home.file.".config/fontconfig/conf.d/10-nix-profile-fonts.conf".text = ''
+    xdg.configFile."fontconfig/conf.d/10-nix-profile-fonts.conf".text = ''
       <?xml version='1.0'?>
       <!DOCTYPE fontconfig SYSTEM 'fonts.dtd'>
       <fontconfig>
diff --git a/modules/misc/gtk.nix b/modules/misc/gtk.nix
index a95e8d6e..f0fc8b1a 100644
--- a/modules/misc/gtk.nix
+++ b/modules/misc/gtk.nix
@@ -124,10 +124,10 @@ in
             mapAttrsToList formatGtk2Option ini
           ) + "\n" + cfg2.extraConfig;
 
-        home.file.".config/gtk-3.0/settings.ini".text =
+        xdg.configFile."gtk-3.0/settings.ini".text =
           toGtk3Ini { Settings = ini // cfg3.extraConfig; };
 
-        home.file.".config/gtk-3.0/gtk.css".text = cfg3.extraCss;
+        xdg.configFile."gtk-3.0/gtk.css".text = cfg3.extraCss;
       }
     );
 }
diff --git a/modules/misc/news.nix b/modules/misc/news.nix
index dc546ed0..eb25444e 100644
--- a/modules/misc/news.nix
+++ b/modules/misc/news.nix
@@ -422,6 +422,31 @@ in
           commands run outside Home Manager.
         '';
       }
+
+      {
+        time = "2017-10-28T23:39:55+00:00";
+        message = ''
+          A new module is available: 'xdg'.
+
+          If enabled, this module allows configuration of the XDG base
+          directory paths.
+
+          Whether the module is enabled or not, it also offers the
+          option 'xdg.configFile', which acts much like 'home.file'
+          except the target path is relative to the XDG configuration
+          directory. That is, unless `XDG_CONFIG_HOME` is configured
+          otherwise, the assignment
+
+              xdg.configFile.hello.text = "hello world";
+
+          will result in a file '$HOME/.config/hello'.
+
+          Most modules in Home Manager that previously were hard coded
+          to write configuration to '$HOME/.config' now use this
+          option and will therefore honor the XDG configuration
+          directory.
+        '';
+      }
     ];
   };
 }
diff --git a/modules/misc/xdg.nix b/modules/misc/xdg.nix
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..941d51ed
--- /dev/null
+++ b/modules/misc/xdg.nix
@@ -0,0 +1,138 @@
+{ options, config, lib, pkgs, ... }:
+
+with lib;
+
+let
+
+  cfg = config.xdg;
+
+  fileType = basePath: (types.loaOf (types.submodule (
+    { name, config, ... }: {
+      options = {
+        target = mkOption {
+          type = types.str;
+          apply = p: "${cfg.configHome}/${p}";
+          description = ''
+            Path to target file relative to <varname>${basePath}</varname>.
+          '';
+        };
+
+        text = mkOption {
+          default = null;
+          type = types.nullOr types.lines;
+          description = "Text of the file.";
+        };
+
+        source = mkOption {
+          type = types.path;
+          description = ''
+            Path of the source file. The file name must not start
+            with a period since Nix will not allow such names in
+            the Nix store.
+            </para><para>
+            This may refer to a directory.
+          '';
+        };
+
+        executable = mkOption {
+          type = types.bool;
+          default = false;
+          description = "Whether the file should be executable.";
+        };
+      };
+
+      config = {
+        target = mkDefault name;
+        source = mkIf (config.text != null) (
+          let
+            file = pkgs.writeTextFile {
+              inherit (config) text executable;
+              name = "user-etc-" + baseNameOf name;
+            };
+          in
+            mkDefault file
+        );
+      };
+    }
+  )));
+
+  defaultCacheHome = "${config.home.homeDirectory}/.cache";
+  defaultConfigHome = "${config.home.homeDirectory}/.config";
+  defaultDataHome = "${config.home.homeDirectory}/.local/share";
+
+  getXdgDir = name: fallback:
+    let
+      value = builtins.getEnv name;
+    in
+      if value != "" then value else fallback;
+
+in
+
+{
+  options.xdg = {
+    enable = mkEnableOption "management of XDG base directories";
+
+    cacheHome = mkOption {
+      type = types.path;
+      defaultText = "~/.cache";
+      description = ''
+        Absolute path to directory holding application caches.
+      '';
+    };
+
+    configFile = mkOption {
+      type = fileType "xdg.configHome";
+      default = {};
+      description = ''
+        Attribute set of files to link into the user's XDG
+        configuration home.
+      '';
+    };
+
+    configHome = mkOption {
+      type = types.path;
+      defaultText = "~/.config";
+      description = ''
+        Absolute path to directory holding application configurations.
+      '';
+    };
+
+    dataHome = mkOption {
+      type = types.path;
+      defaultText = "~/.local/share";
+      description = ''
+        Absolute path to directory holding application data.
+      '';
+    };
+  };
+
+  config = mkMerge [
+    (mkIf cfg.enable {
+      xdg.cacheHome = mkDefault defaultCacheHome;
+      xdg.configHome = mkDefault defaultConfigHome;
+      xdg.dataHome = mkDefault defaultDataHome;
+
+      home.sessionVariables = {
+        XDG_CACHE_HOME = cfg.cacheHome;
+        XDG_CONFIG_HOME = cfg.configHome;
+        XDG_DATA_HOME = cfg.dataHome;
+      };
+    })
+
+    (mkIf (!cfg.enable) {
+      xdg.cacheHome = getXdgDir "XDG_CACHE_HOME" defaultCacheHome;
+      xdg.configHome = getXdgDir "XDG_CONFIG_HOME" defaultConfigHome;
+      xdg.dataHome = getXdgDir "XDG_DATA_HOME" defaultDataHome;
+    })
+
+    {
+      home.file =
+        let
+          f = n: v: {
+            inherit (v) source target;
+            mode = if v.executable then "777" else "444";
+          };
+        in mapAttrsToList f cfg.configFile;
+    }
+  ];
+}
diff --git a/modules/programs/beets.nix b/modules/programs/beets.nix
index 34aa0460..40e06a6b 100644
--- a/modules/programs/beets.nix
+++ b/modules/programs/beets.nix
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ in
   config = mkIf (cfg.settings != {}) {
     home.packages = [ pkgs.beets ];
 
-    home.file.".config/beets/config.yaml".text =
+    xdg.configFile."beets/config.yaml".text =
         builtins.toJSON config.programs.beets.settings;
   };
 }
diff --git a/modules/programs/feh.nix b/modules/programs/feh.nix
index 1ca83ca8..12d828ec 100644
--- a/modules/programs/feh.nix
+++ b/modules/programs/feh.nix
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ in
   config = mkIf cfg.enable {
     home.packages = [ pkgs.feh ];
 
-    home.file.".config/feh/keys".text = ''
+    xdg.configFile."feh/keys".text = ''
       # Disable default keybindings
       ${concatStringsSep "\n" (mapAttrsToList disableBinding cfg.keybindings)}
 
diff --git a/modules/programs/htop.nix b/modules/programs/htop.nix
index 10235ccd..d700c485 100644
--- a/modules/programs/htop.nix
+++ b/modules/programs/htop.nix
@@ -290,7 +290,7 @@ in
   config = mkIf cfg.enable {
     home.packages = [ pkgs.htop ];
 
-    home.file.".config/htop/htoprc".text = let
+    xdg.configFile."htop/htoprc".text = let
       leftMeters = map (m: m.kind) cfg.meters.left;
       leftModes = map (m: m.mode) cfg.meters.left;
       rightMeters = map (m: m.kind) cfg.meters.right;
diff --git a/modules/programs/termite.nix b/modules/programs/termite.nix
index 1e4ee671..ce047b8f 100644
--- a/modules/programs/termite.nix
+++ b/modules/programs/termite.nix
@@ -310,7 +310,7 @@ in
       optionalString = name: val: lib.optionalString (val != null) "${name} = ${val}";
     in mkIf cfg.enable {
       home.packages = [ pkgs.termite ];
-      home.file.".config/termite/config".text = ''
+      xdg.configFile."termite/config".text = ''
         [options]
         ${optionalBoolean "allow_bold" cfg.allowBold}
         ${optionalBoolean "audible_bell" cfg.audibleBell}
diff --git a/modules/services/dunst.nix b/modules/services/dunst.nix
index 22a7d216..a2f5dae9 100644
--- a/modules/services/dunst.nix
+++ b/modules/services/dunst.nix
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ in
       }
 
       (mkIf (cfg.settings != {}) {
-        home.file.".config/dunst/dunstrc".text = toDunstIni cfg.settings;
+        xdg.configFile."dunst/dunstrc".text = toDunstIni cfg.settings;
       })
     ]
   );
diff --git a/modules/services/polybar.nix b/modules/services/polybar.nix
index 8e92b4af..2e24f2a9 100644
--- a/modules/services/polybar.nix
+++ b/modules/services/polybar.nix
@@ -111,7 +111,7 @@ in
 
   config = mkIf cfg.enable {
     home.packages = [ cfg.package ];
-    home.file.".config/polybar/config".source = configFile;
+    xdg.configFile."polybar/config".source = configFile;
 
     systemd.user.services.polybar = {
       Unit = {
diff --git a/modules/systemd.nix b/modules/systemd.nix
index 06630477..8ee2db65 100644
--- a/modules/systemd.nix
+++ b/modules/systemd.nix
@@ -28,12 +28,12 @@ let
 
       wantedBy = target:
         {
-          name = ".config/systemd/user/${target}.wants/${name}.${style}";
+          name = "systemd/user/${target}.wants/${name}.${style}";
           value = { inherit source; };
         };
     in
       singleton {
-        name = ".config/systemd/user/${name}.${style}";
+        name = "systemd/user/${name}.${style}";
         value = { inherit source; };
       }
       ++
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@ in
     # If we run under a Linux system we assume that systemd is
     # available, in particular we assume that systemctl is in PATH.
     (mkIf pkgs.stdenv.isLinux {
-      home.file =
+      xdg.configFile =
         listToAttrs (
           (buildServices "service" cfg.services)
           ++