diff --git a/src/security/key-chain.cpp b/src/security/key-chain.cpp
index c1c605a..e6b1ff0 100644
--- a/src/security/key-chain.cpp
+++ b/src/security/key-chain.cpp
@@ -123,11 +123,29 @@
   , m_tpm(nullptr)
   , m_lastTimestamp(time::toUnixTimestamp(time::system_clock::now()))
 {
-  ConfigFile config;
-  const ConfigFile::Parsed& parsed = config.getParsedConfiguration();
+  std::string pibLocator;
+  std::string tpmLocator;
 
-  std::string pibLocator = parsed.get<std::string>("pib", "");
-  std::string tpmLocator = parsed.get<std::string>("tpm", "");
+  if (getenv("NDN_CLIENT_PIB") != nullptr) {
+    pibLocator = getenv("NDN_CLIENT_PIB");
+  }
+
+  if (getenv("NDN_CLIENT_TPM") != nullptr) {
+    tpmLocator = getenv("NDN_CLIENT_TPM");
+  }
+
+  if (pibLocator.empty() || tpmLocator.empty()) {
+    ConfigFile config;
+    const ConfigFile::Parsed& parsed = config.getParsedConfiguration();
+
+    if (pibLocator.empty()) {
+      pibLocator = parsed.get<std::string>("pib", "");
+    }
+
+    if (tpmLocator.empty()) {
+      tpmLocator = parsed.get<std::string>("tpm", "");
+    }
+  }
 
   initialize(pibLocator, tpmLocator, false);
 }
diff --git a/src/security/pib-sqlite3.cpp b/src/security/pib-sqlite3.cpp
index b20ee7c..01e80f7 100644
--- a/src/security/pib-sqlite3.cpp
+++ b/src/security/pib-sqlite3.cpp
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 /* -*- Mode:C++; c-file-style:"gnu"; indent-tabs-mode:nil; -*- */
 /**
- * Copyright (c) 2013-2015 Regents of the University of California.
+ * Copyright (c) 2013-2016 Regents of the University of California.
  *
  * This file is part of ndn-cxx library (NDN C++ library with eXperimental eXtensions).
  *
@@ -216,16 +216,24 @@
   // Determine the path of PIB DB
   boost::filesystem::path actualDir;
   if (dir == "") {
-    if (getenv("HOME") == nullptr)
-      BOOST_THROW_EXCEPTION(PibImpl::Error("Environment variable HOME is not set"));
-
-    actualDir = boost::filesystem::path(getenv("HOME")) / ".ndn";
-    boost::filesystem::create_directories(actualDir);
+#ifdef NDN_CXX_HAVE_TESTS
+    if (getenv("TEST_HOME") != nullptr) {
+      actualDir = boost::filesystem::path(getenv("TEST_HOME")) / ".ndn";
+    }
+    else
+#endif // NDN_CXX_HAVE_TESTS
+    if (getenv("HOME") != nullptr) {
+      actualDir = boost::filesystem::path(getenv("HOME")) / ".ndn";
+    }
+    else {
+      actualDir = boost::filesystem::path(".") / ".ndn";
+    }
   }
   else {
     actualDir = boost::filesystem::path(dir);
-    boost::filesystem::create_directories(actualDir);
   }
+  boost::filesystem::create_directories(actualDir);
+
   // Open PIB
   int result = sqlite3_open_v2((actualDir / "pib.db").c_str(), &m_database,
                                SQLITE_OPEN_READWRITE | SQLITE_OPEN_CREATE,
diff --git a/src/security/sec-public-info-sqlite3.cpp b/src/security/sec-public-info-sqlite3.cpp
index 462f215..9974336 100644
--- a/src/security/sec-public-info-sqlite3.cpp
+++ b/src/security/sec-public-info-sqlite3.cpp
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 /* -*- Mode:C++; c-file-style:"gnu"; indent-tabs-mode:nil; -*- */
 /**
- * Copyright (c) 2013-2015 Regents of the University of California.
+ * Copyright (c) 2013-2016 Regents of the University of California.
  *
  * This file is part of ndn-cxx library (NDN C++ library with eXperimental eXtensions).
  *
@@ -114,10 +114,23 @@
   , m_database(nullptr)
 {
   boost::filesystem::path identityDir;
-  if (dir == "")
-    identityDir = boost::filesystem::path(getenv("HOME")) / ".ndn";
-  else
-    identityDir = boost::filesystem::path(dir) / ".ndn";
+  if (dir == "") {
+#ifdef NDN_CXX_HAVE_TESTS
+    if (getenv("TEST_HOME") != nullptr) {
+      identityDir = boost::filesystem::path(getenv("TEST_HOME")) / ".ndn";
+    }
+    else
+#endif // NDN_CXX_HAVE_TESTS
+    if (getenv("HOME") != nullptr) {
+      identityDir = boost::filesystem::path(getenv("HOME")) / ".ndn";
+    }
+    else {
+      identityDir = boost::filesystem::path(".") / ".ndn";
+    }
+  }
+  else {
+    identityDir = boost::filesystem::path(dir);
+  }
   boost::filesystem::create_directories(identityDir);
 
   /// @todo Add define for windows/unix in wscript. The following may completely fail on windows
diff --git a/src/security/sec-tpm-file.cpp b/src/security/sec-tpm-file.cpp
index e20fa94..306a062 100644
--- a/src/security/sec-tpm-file.cpp
+++ b/src/security/sec-tpm-file.cpp
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 /* -*- Mode:C++; c-file-style:"gnu"; indent-tabs-mode:nil; -*- */
 /**
- * Copyright (c) 2013-2015 Regents of the University of California.
+ * Copyright (c) 2013-2016 Regents of the University of California.
  *
  * This file is part of ndn-cxx library (NDN C++ library with eXperimental eXtensions).
  *
@@ -51,11 +51,26 @@
   explicit
   Impl(const string& dir)
   {
-    if (dir.empty())
-      m_keystorePath = boost::filesystem::path(getenv("HOME")) / ".ndn" / "ndnsec-tpm-file";
-    else
-      m_keystorePath = boost::filesystem::path(dir) / ".ndn" / "ndnsec-tpm-file";
+    boost::filesystem::path actualDir;
+    if (dir.empty()) {
+#ifdef NDN_CXX_HAVE_TESTS
+      if (getenv("TEST_HOME") != nullptr) {
+        actualDir = boost::filesystem::path(getenv("TEST_HOME")) / ".ndn";
+      }
+      else
+#endif // NDN_CXX_HAVE_TESTS
+      if (getenv("HOME") != nullptr) {
+        actualDir = boost::filesystem::path(getenv("HOME")) / ".ndn";
+      }
+      else {
+        actualDir = boost::filesystem::path(".") / ".ndn";
+      }
+    }
+    else {
+      actualDir = boost::filesystem::path(dir);
+    }
 
+    m_keystorePath = actualDir / "ndnsec-tpm-file";
     boost::filesystem::create_directories(m_keystorePath);
   }