Index: src/org/jruby/RubyDir.java
===================================================================
--- src/org/jruby/RubyDir.java	(revision 3602)
+++ src/org/jruby/RubyDir.java	(working copy)
@@ -464,8 +464,12 @@
 	
 	public static RubyString getHomeDirectoryPath(IRubyObject recv) {
 		RubyHash hash = (RubyHash) recv.getRuntime().getObject().getConstant("ENV_JAVA");
-		IRubyObject home = hash.aref(recv.getRuntime().newString("user.home"));
-		
+        IRubyObject  home = hash.aref(recv.getRuntime().newString("HOME"));
+
+        if (home == null || home.isNil()) {
+            home = hash.aref(recv.getRuntime().newString("user.home"));
+        }
+        
 		if (home == null || home.isNil()) {
 			home = hash.aref(recv.getRuntime().newString("LOGDIR"));
 		}