diff --git a/gns3server/controller/__init__.py b/gns3server/controller/__init__.py
index 2220f7e5..101854c9 100644
--- a/gns3server/controller/__init__.py
+++ b/gns3server/controller/__init__.py
@@ -191,29 +191,28 @@ class Controller:
         Save the controller configuration on disk
         """
 
-        if self._config_loaded is False:
-            return
-
-        controller_settings = {"computes": [],
-                               "templates": [],
-                               "gns3vm": self.gns3vm.__json__(),
-                               "iou_license": self._iou_license_settings,
-                               "appliances_etag": self._appliance_manager.appliances_etag,
-                               "version": __version__}
-
-        for template in self._template_manager.templates.values():
-            if not template.builtin:
-                controller_settings["templates"].append(template.__json__())
+        controller_settings = dict()
+        if self._config_loaded:
+            controller_settings = {"computes": [],
+                                   "templates": [],
+                                   "gns3vm": self.gns3vm.__json__(),
+                                   "iou_license": self._iou_license_settings,
+                                   "appliances_etag": self._appliance_manager.appliances_etag,
+                                   "version": __version__}
+
+            for template in self._template_manager.templates.values():
+                if not template.builtin:
+                    controller_settings["templates"].append(template.__json__())
 
-        for compute in self._computes.values():
-            if compute.id != "local" and compute.id != "vm":
-                controller_settings["computes"].append({"host": compute.host,
-                                                        "name": compute.name,
-                                                        "port": compute.port,
-                                                        "protocol": compute.protocol,
-                                                        "user": compute.user,
-                                                        "password": compute.password,
-                                                        "compute_id": compute.id})
+            for compute in self._computes.values():
+                if compute.id != "local" and compute.id != "vm":
+                    controller_settings["computes"].append({"host": compute.host,
+                                                            "name": compute.name,
+                                                            "port": compute.port,
+                                                            "protocol": compute.protocol,
+                                                            "user": compute.user,
+                                                            "password": compute.password,
+                                                            "compute_id": compute.id})
 
         try:
             os.makedirs(os.path.dirname(self._config_file), exist_ok=True)
@@ -229,8 +228,7 @@ class Controller:
 
         try:
             if not os.path.exists(self._config_file):
-                self._config_loaded = True
-                self.save()
+                self.save()  # this will create the config file
             with open(self._config_file) as f:
                 controller_settings = json.load(f)
         except (OSError, ValueError) as e:
@@ -255,6 +253,8 @@ class Controller:
         if not previous_version or \
                 parse_version(__version__.split("+")[0]) > parse_version(previous_version.split("+")[0]):
             self._appliance_manager.install_builtin_appliances()
+        elif not os.listdir(self._appliance_manager.builtin_appliances_path()):
+            self._appliance_manager.install_builtin_appliances()
 
         self._appliance_manager.appliances_etag = controller_settings.get("appliances_etag")
         self._appliance_manager.load_appliances()
diff --git a/gns3server/controller/appliance_manager.py b/gns3server/controller/appliance_manager.py
index 76cadfbf..d6878d71 100644
--- a/gns3server/controller/appliance_manager.py
+++ b/gns3server/controller/appliance_manager.py
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ import uuid
 import asyncio
 import aiohttp
 import shutil
+import platformdirs
 
 
 try:
@@ -81,13 +82,13 @@ class ApplianceManager:
         os.makedirs(appliances_path, exist_ok=True)
         return appliances_path
 
-    def _builtin_appliances_path(self, delete_first=False):
+    def builtin_appliances_path(self, delete_first=False):
         """
         Get the built-in appliance storage directory
         """
 
-        config = Config.instance()
-        appliances_dir = os.path.join(config.config_dir, "appliances")
+        appname = vendor = "GNS3"
+        appliances_dir = os.path.join(platformdirs.user_data_dir(appname, vendor, roaming=True), "appliances")
         if delete_first:
             shutil.rmtree(appliances_dir, ignore_errors=True)
         os.makedirs(appliances_dir, exist_ok=True)
@@ -98,7 +99,7 @@ class ApplianceManager:
         At startup we copy the built-in appliances files.
         """
 
-        dst_path = self._builtin_appliances_path(delete_first=True)
+        dst_path = self.builtin_appliances_path(delete_first=True)
         log.info(f"Installing built-in appliances in '{dst_path}'")
         from . import Controller
         try:
@@ -112,7 +113,7 @@ class ApplianceManager:
         """
 
         self._appliances = {}
-        for directory, builtin in ((self._builtin_appliances_path(), True,), (self._custom_appliances_path(), False,)):
+        for directory, builtin in ((self.builtin_appliances_path(), True,), (self._custom_appliances_path(), False,)):
             if directory and os.path.isdir(directory):
                 for file in os.listdir(directory):
                     if not file.endswith('.gns3a') and not file.endswith('.gns3appliance'):
@@ -215,7 +216,7 @@ class ApplianceManager:
                         from . import Controller
                         Controller.instance().save()
                     json_data = await response.json()
-                appliances_dir = self._builtin_appliances_path()
+                appliances_dir = self.builtin_appliances_path()
                 downloaded_appliance_files = []
                 for appliance in json_data:
                     if appliance["type"] == "file":
diff --git a/requirements.txt b/requirements.txt
index de280d34..3153ce45 100644
--- a/requirements.txt
+++ b/requirements.txt
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ psutil==5.9.5
 async-timeout>=4.0.2,<4.1
 distro>=1.8.0
 py-cpuinfo>=9.0.0,<10.0
+platformdirs>=2.4.0
 importlib-resources>=1.3; python_version <= '3.9'
 truststore>=0.7.0; python_version >= '3.10'
 setuptools>=60.8.1; python_version >= '3.7'