diff --git a/telegram-base.c b/telegram-base.c
index d897928..2d1fa93 100644
--- a/telegram-base.c
+++ b/telegram-base.c
@@ -386,6 +386,41 @@ void read_secret_chat_file (struct tgl_state *TLS) {
   close (secret_chat_fd);
 }
 
+gchar *get_config_dir (struct tgl_state *TLS, char const *username) {
+  gchar *dir = g_strconcat (purple_user_dir(), G_DIR_SEPARATOR_S, config_dir,
+                                G_DIR_SEPARATOR_S, username, NULL);
+  
+  if (g_str_has_prefix (dir, g_get_tmp_dir())) {
+    // telepathy-haze will set purple user dir to a tmp path,
+    // but we need the files to be persistent
+    g_free (dir);
+    dir = g_strconcat (g_get_home_dir(), G_DIR_SEPARATOR_S, ".telegram-purple",
+                                  G_DIR_SEPARATOR_S, username, NULL);
+  }
+  g_mkdir_with_parents (dir, 0700);
+  return dir;
+}
+
+gchar *get_download_dir (struct tgl_state *TLS) {
+  assert (TLS->base_path);
+  static gchar *dir;
+  if (dir) {
+    g_free (dir);
+  }
+  dir = g_strconcat (TLS->base_path, G_DIR_SEPARATOR_S, "downloads", NULL);
+  g_mkdir_with_parents (dir, 0700);
+  return dir;
+}
+
+void assert_file_exists (PurpleConnection *gc, const char *filepath, const char *format) {
+  if (!g_file_test (filepath, G_FILE_TEST_EXISTS)) {
+    gchar *msg = g_strdup_printf (format, filepath);
+    purple_connection_error_reason (gc, PURPLE_CONNECTION_ERROR_CERT_OTHER_ERROR, msg);
+    g_free (msg);
+    return;
+  }
+}
+
 void telegram_export_authorization (struct tgl_state *TLS);
 void export_auth_callback (struct tgl_state *TLS, void *extra, int success) {
   if (!error_if_val_false(TLS, success, "Login Canceled", "Authentication export failed.")) {
diff --git a/telegram-base.h b/telegram-base.h
index 10ced40..bda1295 100644
--- a/telegram-base.h
+++ b/telegram-base.h
@@ -36,4 +36,9 @@ void request_code_entered (gpointer data, const gchar *code);
 int generate_ident_icon(struct tgl_state *TLS, unsigned char* sha1_key);
 
 void request_accept_secret_chat (struct tgl_state *TLS, struct tgl_secret_chat *U);
+
+gchar *get_config_dir (struct tgl_state *TLS, char const *username);
+gchar *get_download_dir (struct tgl_state *TLS);
+void assert_file_exists (PurpleConnection *gc, const char *filepath, const char *format);
+
 #endif
diff --git a/telegram-purple.c b/telegram-purple.c
index 572aa54..3ad5554 100755
--- a/telegram-purple.c
+++ b/telegram-purple.c
@@ -437,28 +437,17 @@ static void tgprpl_login (PurpleAccount * acct) {
   debug ("tgprpl_login()");
   
   PurpleConnection *gc = purple_account_get_connection (acct);
-  char const *username = purple_account_get_username (acct);
   
   struct tgl_state *TLS = tgl_state_alloc ();
   connection_data *conn = connection_data_init (TLS, gc, acct);
   purple_connection_set_protocol_data (gc, conn);
 
-  TLS->base_path = g_strdup_printf ("%s/%s/%s", purple_user_dir(), config_dir, username);
-  char *ddir = g_strdup_printf ("%s/%s", TLS->base_path, "downloads");
-  tgl_set_download_directory (TLS, ddir);
-  g_mkdir_with_parents (TLS->base_path, 0700);
-  g_mkdir_with_parents (ddir, 0700);
-  free (ddir);
+  TLS->base_path = get_config_dir(TLS, purple_account_get_username (acct));
+  tgl_set_download_directory (TLS, get_download_dir(TLS));
+  assert_file_exists (gc, pk_path, "Error, server public key not found at %s."
+                      " Make sure that Telegram-Purple is installed properly.");
   debug ("base configuration path: '%s'", TLS->base_path);
   
-  if (!g_file_test(pk_path, G_FILE_TEST_EXISTS)) {
-    gchar *msg = g_strdup_printf ("Error, server public key not found at %s."
-                                  " Make sure that Telegram-Purple is installed properly.", pk_path);
-    purple_connection_error_reason (gc, PURPLE_CONNECTION_ERROR_CERT_OTHER_ERROR, msg);
-    g_free (msg);
-    return;
-  }
-  
   tgl_set_verbosity (TLS, 4);
   tgl_set_rsa_key (TLS, pk_path);