diff --git a/attributes/default.rb b/attributes/default.rb
index 5206fa3..c0f5a2c 100644
--- a/attributes/default.rb
+++ b/attributes/default.rb
@@ -21,4 +21,5 @@
 end
 
 default['composer']['global_configs'] = {}
+default['composer']['home_dir'] = nil
 default['composer']['php_recipe'] = 'php::default'
diff --git a/recipes/global_configs.rb b/recipes/global_configs.rb
index dea93b5..be8cdfc 100644
--- a/recipes/global_configs.rb
+++ b/recipes/global_configs.rb
@@ -16,6 +16,10 @@
       action :create
     end
 
+    if node['composer']['home_dir'].nil?
+      node.set['composer']['home_dir'] = "/home/#{user}/.composer"
+    end
+
     user_configs.nil? && next
 
     user_configs.each_pair do |option, value|
@@ -23,7 +27,7 @@
         value.each_pair do |value_k, value_v|
           execute "composer-config-for-#{user}" do
             command "composer config --global #{option}.#{value_k} #{value_v}"
-            environment 'COMPOSER_HOME' => node['composer']['install_dir']
+            environment 'COMPOSER_HOME' => node['composer']['home_dir']
             user user
             group user
             action :run
@@ -32,7 +36,7 @@
       else
         execute "composer-config-for-#{user}" do
           command "composer config --global #{option} #{value}"
-          environment 'COMPOSER_HOME' => node['composer']['install_dir']
+          environment 'COMPOSER_HOME' => node['composer']['home_dir']
           user user
           group user
           action :run
diff --git a/recipes/self_update.rb b/recipes/self_update.rb
index 72ae9e7..8cb4e15 100644
--- a/recipes/self_update.rb
+++ b/recipes/self_update.rb
@@ -7,10 +7,14 @@
 
 include_recipe 'composer::install'
 
+if node['composer']['home_dir'].nil?
+  node.set['composer']['home_dir'] = node['composer']['install_dir']
+end
+
 execute 'composer-self_update' do
   cwd node['composer']['install_dir']
   command 'composer self-update'
-  environment 'COMPOSER_HOME' => node['composer']['install_dir']
+  environment 'COMPOSER_HOME' => node['composer']['home_dir']
   action :run
   ignore_failure true
 end