diff --git a/timmy/cli.py b/timmy/cli.py
index 6e1980d..3f3acf4 100755
--- a/timmy/cli.py
+++ b/timmy/cli.py
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ import os
 from timmy.conf import load_conf
 from timmy import flock
 from timmy.tools import interrupt_wrapper
+from tempfile import gettempdir
 
 
 @interrupt_wrapper
@@ -123,7 +124,7 @@ def main(argv=None):
                                       main_arc,
                                       60)
     if args.only_logs or args.getlogs:
-        lf = '/tmp/timmy-logs.lock'
+        lf = os.path.join(gettempdir(),'timmy-logs.lock')
         lock = flock.FLock(lf)
         if lock.lock():
             size = nm.calculate_log_size(args.maxthreads)
diff --git a/timmy/conf.py b/timmy/conf.py
index 55fc591..688e922 100644
--- a/timmy/conf.py
+++ b/timmy/conf.py
@@ -1,4 +1,6 @@
-from tools import load_yaml_file, choose_path
+from tools import load_yaml_file
+from tempfile import gettempdir
+import os
 
 
 def load_conf(filename):
@@ -11,12 +13,20 @@ def load_conf(filename):
                         '-lroot', '-oBatchMode=yes']
     conf['env_vars'] = ['OPENRC=/root/openrc', 'IPTABLES_STR="iptables -nvL"']
     conf['fuelip'] = 'localhost'
-    conf['outdir'] = '/tmp/timmy/info'
+    conf['outdir'] = os.path.join(gettempdir(), 'timmy', 'info')
     conf['timeout'] = 15
-    conf['rqdir'] = choose_path('/usr/share/timmy/rq')
-    conf['rqfile'] = choose_path('/usr/share/timmy/configs/rq.yaml')
+    rqlabel = 'rq'
+    dtm = os.path.join(os.path.abspath(os.sep), 'usr', 'share', 'timmy')
+    if os.path.isdir(os.path.join(dtm, rqlabel)):
+        conf['rqdir'] = os.path.join(dtm, rqlabel)
+    else:
+        conf['rqdir'] = rqlabel
+    if os.path.isfile(os.path.join(dtm, 'configs', 'rq.yaml')):
+        conf['rqfile'] = os.path.join(dtm, 'configs', 'rq.yaml')
+    else:
+        conf['rqfile'] = 'rq.yaml'
     conf['compress_timeout'] = 3600
-    conf['archives'] = '/tmp/timmy/archives'
+    conf['archives'] = os.path.join(gettempdir(), 'timmy', 'archives')
     conf['cmds_archive'] = ''
     conf['logs'] = {'path': '/var/log',
                     'exclude': '[-_]\d{8}$|atop[-_]|\.gz$'}
diff --git a/timmy/nodes.py b/timmy/nodes.py
index 094720c..e1ccdb6 100644
--- a/timmy/nodes.py
+++ b/timmy/nodes.py
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ import logging
 import sys
 import re
 import tools
+from tempfile import gettempdir
 from tools import w_list
 from copy import deepcopy
 
@@ -522,7 +523,7 @@ class NodeManager(object):
 
     def run_commands(self, odir='info', timeout=15, fake=False,
                      maxthreads=100):
-        lock = flock.FLock('/tmp/timmy-cmds.lock')
+        lock = flock.FLock(os.path.join(gettempdir(), 'timmy-cmds.lock'))
         if not lock.lock():
             logging.warning('Unable to obtain lock, skipping "cmds"-part')
             return ''
@@ -623,13 +624,13 @@ class NodeManager(object):
             try:
                 with open(logslistfile, 'w') as llf:
                     for filename in node.logs_dict():
-                        llf.write(filename.lstrip('/')+"\0")
+                        llf.write(filename.lstrip(os.path.abspath(os.sep))+"\0")
             except:
                 logging.error("create_archive_logs: Can't write to file %s" %
                               logslistfile)
                 continue
-            cmd = ("tar --gzip -C / --create --warning=no-file-changed "
-                   " --file - --null --files-from -")
+            cmd = ("tar --gzip -C %s --create --warning=no-file-changed "
+                   " --file - --null --files-from -" % os.path.abspath(os.sep))
             if not (node.ip == 'localhost' or node.ip.startswith('127.')):
                 cmd = ' '.join([cmd, "| python -c '%s'" % pythonslowpipe])
             args = {'cmd': cmd,
@@ -647,7 +648,7 @@ class NodeManager(object):
                 logging.error("archive_logs: can't delete file %s" % tfile)
 
     def get_files(self, odir=Node.fkey, timeout=15):
-        lock = flock.FLock('/tmp/timmy-files.lock')
+        lock = flock.FLock(os.path.join(gettempdir(), 'timmy-files.lock'))
         if not lock.lock():
             logging.warning('Unable to obtain lock, skipping "files"-part')
             return ''
diff --git a/timmy/tools.py b/timmy/tools.py
index cf6bcf3..b92e38d 100644
--- a/timmy/tools.py
+++ b/timmy/tools.py
@@ -146,21 +146,15 @@ def get_dir_structure(rootdir):
     return dir
 
 
-def choose_path(filename):
-    if os.path.exists(filename):
-        return filename
-    elif '/' in filename:
-        return filename.split('/')[-1]
-
-
 def load_yaml_file(filename):
     try:
-        with open(choose_path(filename), 'r') as f:
+        with open(filename, 'r') as f:
             return yaml.load(f)
     except IOError as e:
         logging.error("load_conf: I/O error(%s): file: %s; msg: %s" %
                       (e.errno, e.filename, e.strerror))
-        return e
+        sys.exit(1)
+        # return e
     except ValueError:
         logging.error("load_conf: Could not convert data")
         sys.exit(1)