diff --git a/app.js b/app.js
index 486da9c1..44cc4199 100644
--- a/app.js
+++ b/app.js
@@ -27,8 +27,11 @@ app.io.set('authorization', function(handshakeData, accept) {
   accept(null, true);
 });
 
+// fetch the config directory
+app.set('configDir', process.env.configDir || __dirname);
+
 // make sure the dbs directory is present
-mkdirp(__dirname + '/dbs/covers', function() {
+mkdirp(app.get('configDir') + '/dbs/covers', function() {
   // attach the db to the app
   require(__dirname + '/db.js')(app);
 
diff --git a/config.js b/config.js
index a756d2ca..208cba48 100644
--- a/config.js
+++ b/config.js
@@ -31,14 +31,8 @@ function Config(app) {
   // based on iTunes defaults https://support.apple.com/en-au/HT1391
   var home_dir = getUserHome();
 
-  // platform
-  if (home_dir.indexOf('C:') === 0) {
-    // windows
-    this.music_dir = path.join(home_dir, 'My Music');
-  } else {
-    // Mac or Linux
-    this.music_dir = path.join(home_dir, 'Music');
-  }
+  // this works on all platforms
+  this.music_dir = path.join(home_dir, 'Music');
 
   // execute the two db calls in parrallel
   async.parallel([
diff --git a/db.js b/db.js
index 3244dcd0..dcb6488f 100644
--- a/db.js
+++ b/db.js
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ var Datastore = require('nedb');
 
 module.exports = function(app) {
   app.db = {};
-  app.db.songs = new Datastore({ filename: __dirname + '/dbs/songs.db', autoload: true });
-  app.db.playlists = new Datastore({ filename: __dirname + '/dbs/playlists.db', autoload: true });
-  app.db.settings = new Datastore({ filename: __dirname + '/dbs/settings.db', autoload: true });
+  app.db.songs = new Datastore({ filename: app.get('configDir') + '/dbs/songs.db', autoload: true });
+  app.db.playlists = new Datastore({ filename: app.get('configDir') + '/dbs/playlists.db', autoload: true });
+  app.db.settings = new Datastore({ filename: app.get('configDir') + '/dbs/settings.db', autoload: true });
 };
diff --git a/electron.js b/electron.js
index c086c8cf..f61bde23 100644
--- a/electron.js
+++ b/electron.js
@@ -20,6 +20,9 @@ electronApp.on('ready', function() {
   // disable the menu entirely
   mainWindow.setMenu(null);
 
+  // set the config directory in the users applicatin settings location
+  process.env.configDir = electronApp.getPath('userData');
+
   // init the server
   var app = require(__dirname + '/app.js');
 
diff --git a/library_functions.js b/library_functions.js
index 0833b474..385e0b08 100644
--- a/library_functions.js
+++ b/library_functions.js
@@ -174,7 +174,7 @@ function findSong(relative_location, callback) {
             pic = result.picture[0];
             pic.format = pic.format.replace(/[^a-z0-9]/gi, '_').toLowerCase();
             song.cover_location = md5(pic.data) + '.' + pic.format;
-            filename = __dirname + '/dbs/covers/' + song.cover_location;
+            filename = app.get('configDir') + '/dbs/covers/' + song.cover_location;
             fs.exists(filename, function(exists) {
               if (!exists) {
                 fs.writeFile(filename, pic.data, function(err) {
@@ -326,9 +326,11 @@ exports.scanLibrary = function(hard) {
 
     // list with paths with music_dir removed
     var stripped = [];
-    for (var cnt = 0; cnt < list.length; cnt++) {
-      stripped.push(list[cnt].replace(app.get('config').music_dir, ''));
-    }
+    list.forEach(function(item) {
+      if (item) {
+        stripped.push(item.replace(app.get('config').music_dir, ''));
+      }
+    });
 
     clearNotIn(stripped);
     if (!hard) {
@@ -758,7 +760,7 @@ exports.sync_import = function(songs, url) {
 
           // is there a cover?
           if (songs[cnt].cover_location !== undefined) {
-            var cover_file_url = __dirname + '/dbs/covers/' + songs[cnt].cover_location;
+            var cover_file_url = app.get('configDir') + '/dbs/covers/' + songs[cnt].cover_location;
             request(url + '/cover/' + songs[cnt].cover_location).on('end', function() {
               // once the cover has finished transferring add the song to the database
               addSong(songs[cnt]);
@@ -795,7 +797,7 @@ function saveID3(songData) {
     var options = {};
     if (songData.cover_location) {
       // assign it in array format with 1 element
-      options.attachments = [path.join(app.get('root') + '/dbs/covers/' + songData.cover_location)];
+      options.attachments = [path.join(app.get('configDir') + '/dbs/covers/' + songData.cover_location)];
     }
 
     var destinationFile = path.join(app.get('config').music_dir, songData.location);
@@ -816,7 +818,7 @@ function downloadCoverArt(url, callback) {
   request({url: url, encoding: null}, function(error, response, body) {
     // where are we storing the cover art?
     var cover_location = md5(body) + '.jpg';
-    var filename = __dirname + '/dbs/covers/' + cover_location;
+    var filename = app.get('configDir') + '/dbs/covers/' + cover_location;
 
     // does it exist?
     fs.exists(filename, function(exists) {
diff --git a/routes/index.js b/routes/index.js
index 3bd50583..b64427c1 100644
--- a/routes/index.js
+++ b/routes/index.js
@@ -137,7 +137,7 @@ function sendSong(req, res) {
 function sendCover(req, res) {
   // if they passed the location of the cover, fetch it
   if (req.params.id.length > 0) {
-    res.sendFile(app.get('root') + '/dbs/covers/' + req.params.id);
+    res.sendFile(app.get('configDir') + '/dbs/covers/' + req.params.id);
   } else {
     res.sendFile(app.get('root') + '/static/images/unknown.png');
   }
@@ -374,7 +374,7 @@ function updateSongInfo(req) {
     // function to be called by both download file and file upload methods
     var process_cover = function(type, content_buffer) {
       var cover_filename = md5(content_buffer) + '.' + type;
-      var location = app.get('root') + '/dbs/covers/' + cover_filename;
+      var location = app.get('configDir') + '/dbs/covers/' + cover_filename;
       fs.exists(location, function(exists) {
         if (!exists) {
           fs.writeFile(location, content_buffer, function(err) {