diff --git a/include/freerdp/settings.h b/include/freerdp/settings.h
index 3556f38a9..0d2a0d0e9 100644
--- a/include/freerdp/settings.h
+++ b/include/freerdp/settings.h
@@ -289,7 +289,11 @@ struct rdp_settings
 	uint32 pdu_source; /* 114 */
 	UNICONV* uniconv; /* 115 */
 	boolean server_mode; /* 116 */
-	uint32 paddingE[144 - 117]; /* 117 */
+	char* config_path; /* 117 */
+	char* current_path; /* 118 */
+	char* development_path; /* 119 */
+	boolean development_mode; /* 120 */
+	uint32 paddingE[144 - 121]; /* 121 */
 
 	/* Security */
 	boolean encryption; /* 144 */
diff --git a/include/freerdp/utils/file.h b/include/freerdp/utils/file.h
index 74a86b58d..2236760e4 100644
--- a/include/freerdp/utils/file.h
+++ b/include/freerdp/utils/file.h
@@ -21,7 +21,16 @@
 #define __FILE_UTILS_H
 
 #include <freerdp/api.h>
+#include <freerdp/types.h>
+#include <freerdp/settings.h>
 
 FREERDP_API void freerdp_mkdir(char* path);
+FREERDP_API boolean freerdp_check_file_exists(char* file);
+FREERDP_API char* freerdp_get_home_path(rdpSettings* settings);
+FREERDP_API char* freerdp_get_config_path(rdpSettings* settings);
+FREERDP_API char* freerdp_get_current_path(rdpSettings* settings);
+FREERDP_API char* freerdp_get_parent_path(char* base_path, int depth);
+FREERDP_API boolean freerdp_detect_development_mode(rdpSettings* settings);
+FREERDP_API void freerdp_detect_paths(rdpSettings* settings);
 
 #endif /* __FILE_UTILS_H */
diff --git a/libfreerdp-core/settings.c b/libfreerdp-core/settings.c
index 04b1b39a1..c7d0f21fa 100644
--- a/libfreerdp-core/settings.c
+++ b/libfreerdp-core/settings.c
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@
 #endif
 
 #include <freerdp/settings.h>
+#include <freerdp/utils/file.h>
 
 static const char client_dll[] = "C:\\Windows\\System32\\mstscax.dll";
 
@@ -174,6 +175,8 @@ rdpSettings* settings_new(void* instance)
 
 		settings->server_random = xnew(rdpBlob);
 		settings->server_certificate = xnew(rdpBlob);
+
+		freerdp_detect_paths(settings);
 	}
 
 	return settings;
diff --git a/libfreerdp-utils/file.c b/libfreerdp-utils/file.c
index 32b42ebf6..f98a825e8 100644
--- a/libfreerdp-utils/file.c
+++ b/libfreerdp-utils/file.c
@@ -19,14 +19,32 @@
 
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
+#include <string.h>
+#include <unistd.h>
 #include <sys/stat.h>
 
+#include <freerdp/types.h>
+#include <freerdp/settings.h>
+#include <freerdp/utils/memory.h>
+#include <freerdp/utils/string.h>
+
 #include <freerdp/utils/file.h>
 
-#ifdef _WIN32
+#ifndef _WIN32
+#define PATH_SEPARATOR_STR	"/"
+#define PATH_SEPARATOR_CHR	'/'
+#define HOME_ENV_VARIABLE	"HOME"
+#else
 #include <windows.h>
+#define PATH_SEPARATOR_STR	"\\"
+#define PATH_SEPARATOR_CHR	'\\'
+#define HOME_ENV_VARIABLE	"HOMEPATH"
 #endif
 
+#define FREERDP_CONFIG_DIR	".freerdp"
+
+#define PARENT_PATH		".." PATH_SEPARATOR_STR
+
 void freerdp_mkdir(char* path)
 {
 #ifndef _WIN32
@@ -36,3 +54,131 @@ void freerdp_mkdir(char* path)
 #endif
 }
 
+boolean freerdp_check_file_exists(char* file)
+{
+	struct stat stat_info;
+
+	if (stat(file, &stat_info) != 0)
+		return false;
+
+	return true;
+}
+
+char* freerdp_get_home_path(rdpSettings* settings)
+{
+	if (settings->home_path == NULL)
+		settings->home_path = getenv(HOME_ENV_VARIABLE);
+
+	return settings->home_path;
+}
+
+char* freerdp_get_config_path(rdpSettings* settings)
+{
+	char* path;
+
+	path = (char*) xmalloc(strlen(settings->home_path) + sizeof(FREERDP_CONFIG_DIR) + 2);
+	sprintf(path, "%s/%s", settings->home_path, FREERDP_CONFIG_DIR);
+
+	if (!freerdp_check_file_exists(path))
+		freerdp_mkdir(path);
+
+	settings->config_path = path;
+
+	return path;
+}
+
+char* freerdp_get_current_path(rdpSettings* settings)
+{
+	if (settings->current_path == NULL)
+		settings->current_path = getcwd(NULL, 0);
+
+	return settings->current_path;
+}
+
+char* freerdp_get_parent_path(char* base_path, int depth)
+{
+	int i;
+	char* p;
+	char* path;
+	int length;
+	int base_length;
+
+	if (base_path == NULL)
+		return NULL;
+
+	if (depth <= 0)
+		return xstrdup(base_path);
+
+	base_length = strlen(base_path);
+
+	p = &base_path[base_length];
+
+	for (i = base_length - 1; ((i >= 0) && (depth > 0)); i--)
+	{
+		if (base_path[i] == PATH_SEPARATOR_CHR)
+		{
+			p = &base_path[i];
+			depth--;
+		}
+	}
+
+	length = (p - base_path);
+
+	path = (char*) xmalloc(length + 1);
+	memcpy(path, base_path, length);
+	path[length] = '\0';
+
+	return path;
+}
+
+/* detects if we are running from the source tree */
+
+boolean freerdp_detect_development_mode(rdpSettings* settings)
+{
+	int depth = 0;
+	char* current_path;
+	char* development_path = NULL;
+	boolean development_mode = false;
+
+	if (freerdp_check_file_exists(".git"))
+	{
+		depth = 0;
+		development_mode = true;
+	}
+	else if (freerdp_check_file_exists(PARENT_PATH ".git"))
+	{
+		depth = 1;
+		development_mode = true;
+	}
+	else if (freerdp_check_file_exists(PARENT_PATH PARENT_PATH ".git"))
+	{
+		depth = 2;
+		development_mode = true;
+	}
+
+	current_path = freerdp_get_current_path(settings);
+
+	if (development_mode)
+		development_path = freerdp_get_parent_path(current_path, depth);
+
+	settings->development_mode = development_mode;
+	settings->development_path = development_path;
+
+	return settings->development_mode;
+}
+
+void freerdp_detect_paths(rdpSettings* settings)
+{
+	freerdp_get_home_path(settings);
+	freerdp_get_config_path(settings);
+	freerdp_detect_development_mode(settings);
+
+#if 0
+	printf("home path: %s\n", settings->home_path);
+	printf("config path: %s\n", settings->config_path);
+	printf("current path: %s\n", settings->current_path);
+
+	if (settings->development_mode)
+		printf("development path: %s\n", settings->development_path);
+#endif
+}