diff --git a/internal/config/paths.go b/internal/config/paths.go
index 9a6fc2e..52a2d86 100644
--- a/internal/config/paths.go
+++ b/internal/config/paths.go
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ import (
 // system
 func Paths(sys string, envvars map[string]string) ([]string, error) {
 
-	// if CHEAT_CONFIG_PATH is set, expand ~ and return it
+	// if `CHEAT_CONFIG_PATH` is set, expand ~ and return it
 	if confpath, ok := envvars["CHEAT_CONFIG_PATH"]; ok {
 
 		// expand ~
@@ -25,11 +25,20 @@ func Paths(sys string, envvars map[string]string) ([]string, error) {
 
 	switch sys {
 	case "darwin", "linux", "freebsd":
-		return []string{
-			path.Join(envvars["XDG_CONFIG_HOME"], "/cheat/conf.yml"),
+		paths := []string{}
+
+		// don't include the `XDG_CONFIG_HOME` path if that envvar is not set
+		if xdgpath, ok := envvars["XDG_CONFIG_HOME"]; ok {
+			paths = append(paths, path.Join(xdgpath, "/cheat/conf.yml"))
+		}
+
+		// `HOME` will always be set on a POSIX-compliant system, though
+		paths = append(paths, []string{
 			path.Join(envvars["HOME"], ".config/cheat/conf.yml"),
 			path.Join(envvars["HOME"], ".cheat/conf.yml"),
-		}, nil
+		}...)
+
+		return paths, nil
 	case "windows":
 		return []string{
 			path.Join(envvars["APPDATA"], "/cheat/conf.yml"),
diff --git a/internal/config/paths_test.go b/internal/config/paths_test.go
index fd955b0..0838c3e 100644
--- a/internal/config/paths_test.go
+++ b/internal/config/paths_test.go
@@ -50,6 +50,47 @@ func TestValidatePathsNix(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+// TestValidatePathsNixNoXDG asserts that the proper config paths are returned
+// on *nix platforms when `XDG_CONFIG_HOME is not set
+func TestValidatePathsNixNoXDG(t *testing.T) {
+
+	// mock some envvars
+	envvars := map[string]string{
+		"HOME": "/home/foo",
+	}
+
+	// specify the platforms to test
+	oses := []string{
+		"darwin",
+		"freebsd",
+		"linux",
+	}
+
+	// test each *nix os
+	for _, os := range oses {
+		// get the paths for the platform
+		paths, err := Paths(os, envvars)
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Errorf("paths returned an error: %v", err)
+		}
+
+		// specify the expected output
+		want := []string{
+			"/home/foo/.config/cheat/conf.yml",
+			"/home/foo/.cheat/conf.yml",
+		}
+
+		// assert that output matches expectations
+		if !reflect.DeepEqual(paths, want) {
+			t.Errorf(
+				"failed to return expected paths: want:\n%s, got:\n%s",
+				spew.Sdump(want),
+				spew.Sdump(paths),
+			)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
 // TestValidatePathsWindows asserts that the proper config paths are returned
 // on Windows platforms
 func TestValidatePathsWindows(t *testing.T) {