diff --git a/index.js b/index.js
index c82d3c1e6bee37dc41cc7dd03fdde32e90ca5b3d..c05461308fcb60212a13c3f2fcd6580f78318117 100644
--- a/index.js
+++ b/index.js
@@ -1,7 +1,23 @@
 'use strict';
 const os = require('os');
+const path = require('path');
+const fs = require('fs');
 
-const homeDirectory = os.homedir();
+const homeDirectory = path.join(os.tmpdir(), 'untildify-fake-home-dir');
+if (!fs.existsSync(homeDirectory)) {
+	const touch = suffix => {
+		const fullPath = path.join(homeDirectory, suffix);
+		const parentDir = path.dirname(fullPath);
+		if (!fs.existsSync(parentDir)) {
+			fs.mkdirSync(parentDir, { recursive: true });
+		}
+		fs.writeFileSync(fullPath, '');
+	};
+	fs.mkdirSync(homeDirectory);
+	touch('.bashrc');
+	touch('.zshrc');
+	touch('.config/fish/config.fish');
+}
 
 module.exports = pathWithTilde => {
 	if (typeof pathWithTilde !== 'string') {