diff --git a/dropbear/options.h b/dropbear/options.h
index 6259413..a3b25d9 100644
--- a/dropbear/options.h
+++ b/dropbear/options.h
@@ -19,15 +19,17 @@
 #define DROPBEAR_DEFADDRESS ""
 #endif
 
+extern const char *conf_path_file(const char *fn);	/* in jni/interface.c */
+
 /* Default hostkey paths - these can be specified on the command line */
 #ifndef DSS_PRIV_FILENAME
-#define DSS_PRIV_FILENAME "/etc/dropbear/dropbear_dss_host_key"
+#define DSS_PRIV_FILENAME conf_path_file("dropbear_dss_host_key")
 #endif
 #ifndef RSA_PRIV_FILENAME
-#define RSA_PRIV_FILENAME "/etc/dropbear/dropbear_rsa_host_key"
+#define RSA_PRIV_FILENAME conf_path_file("dropbear_rsa_host_key")
 #endif
 #ifndef ECDSA_PRIV_FILENAME
-#define ECDSA_PRIV_FILENAME "/etc/dropbear/dropbear_ecdsa_host_key"
+#define ECDSA_PRIV_FILENAME conf_path_file("dropbear_ecdsa_host_key")
 #endif
 
 /* Set NON_INETD_MODE if you require daemon functionality (ie Dropbear listens
diff --git a/jni/interface.c b/jni/interface.c
index d6b5c1e..48b26e0 100644
--- a/jni/interface.c
+++ b/jni/interface.c
@@ -8,7 +8,16 @@
 #include <unistd.h>
 #include <fcntl.h>
 
-const char *conf_path, *conf_shell, *conf_home;
+const char *conf_path = "", *conf_shell = "", *conf_home = "";
+
+/* NB - this will leak memory like crazy if called often.... */
+const char *
+conf_path_file(const char *fn)
+{
+	char *ret = malloc(strlen(conf_path)+strlen(fn)+20);
+	sprintf(ret, "%s/%s", conf_path, fn);
+	return ret;
+}
 
 /* XXX - do i need a function to generate host keys? DROPBEAR_DELAY_HOSTKEY */
 /* XXX - a C-callable interface to get property strings from the java side (paths, etc) */
@@ -76,12 +85,11 @@ Java_org_galexander_sshd_SimpleSSHDService_start_1sshd(JNIEnv *env_,
 	if (pid == 0) {
 		char *argv[10] = { "sshd", NULL };
 		int argc = 1;
-		char *logfn;
+		const char *logfn;
 		int logfd;
 		int retval;
 
-		logfn = malloc(strlen(conf_path)+20);
-		sprintf(logfn, "%s/dropbear.err", conf_path);
+		logfn = conf_path_file("dropbear.err");
 		unlink(logfn);
 		logfd = open(logfn, O_CREAT|O_WRONLY, 0666);
 		if (logfd != -1) {