diff --git a/agent/gpg-agent.c b/agent/gpg-agent.c
index 183229653..e5b352cc9 100644
--- a/agent/gpg-agent.c
+++ b/agent/gpg-agent.c
@@ -1762,7 +1762,7 @@ create_socket_name (char *standard_name, int with_homedir)
   char *name;
 
   if (with_homedir)
-    name = make_filename (gnupg_homedir (), standard_name, NULL);
+    name = make_filename (gnupg_socketdir (), standard_name, NULL);
   else
     name = make_filename (standard_name, NULL);
   if (strchr (name, PATHSEP_C))
@@ -2729,7 +2729,7 @@ check_own_socket (void)
   if (check_own_socket_running || shutdown_pending)
     return;  /* Still running or already shutting down.  */
 
-  sockname = make_filename_try (gnupg_homedir (), GPG_AGENT_SOCK_NAME, NULL);
+  sockname = make_filename_try (gnupg_socketdir (), GPG_AGENT_SOCK_NAME, NULL);
   if (!sockname)
     return; /* Out of memory.  */
 
@@ -2755,7 +2755,7 @@ check_for_running_agent (int silent)
   char *sockname;
   assuan_context_t ctx = NULL;
 
-  sockname = make_filename_try (gnupg_homedir (), GPG_AGENT_SOCK_NAME, NULL);
+  sockname = make_filename_try (gnupg_socketdir (), GPG_AGENT_SOCK_NAME, NULL);
   if (!sockname)
     return gpg_error_from_syserror ();
 
diff --git a/agent/preset-passphrase.c b/agent/preset-passphrase.c
index 29fdfe850..549ecc327 100644
--- a/agent/preset-passphrase.c
+++ b/agent/preset-passphrase.c
@@ -245,7 +245,7 @@ main (int argc, char **argv)
 
   /* Tell simple-pwquery about the the standard socket name.  */
   {
-    char *tmp = make_filename (gnupg_homedir (), GPG_AGENT_SOCK_NAME, NULL);
+    char *tmp = make_filename (gnupg_socketdir (), GPG_AGENT_SOCK_NAME, NULL);
     simple_pw_set_socket (tmp);
     xfree (tmp);
   }
diff --git a/common/asshelp.c b/common/asshelp.c
index f89d1d554..5c32c6ed3 100644
--- a/common/asshelp.c
+++ b/common/asshelp.c
@@ -374,7 +374,14 @@ start_new_gpg_agent (assuan_context_t *r_ctx,
       return err;
     }
 
-  sockname = make_absfilename (gnupg_homedir (), GPG_AGENT_SOCK_NAME, NULL);
+  sockname = make_filename_try (gnupg_socketdir (), GPG_AGENT_SOCK_NAME, NULL);
+  if (!sockname)
+    {
+      err = gpg_err_make (errsource, gpg_err_code_from_syserror ());
+      assuan_release (ctx);
+      return err;
+    }
+
   err = assuan_socket_connect (ctx, sockname, 0, 0);
   if (err && autostart)
     {
diff --git a/common/homedir.c b/common/homedir.c
index eccffeccf..8992bc69c 100644
--- a/common/homedir.c
+++ b/common/homedir.c
@@ -375,7 +375,7 @@ w32_commondir (void)
 
 
 /* Change the homedir.  Some care must be taken to set this early
- * enough becuase previous calls to gnupg_homedir may else return a
+ * enough because previous calls to gnupg_homedir may else return a
  * different string.  */
 void
 gnupg_set_homedir (const char *newdir)
@@ -400,6 +400,35 @@ gnupg_homedir (void)
 }
 
 
+/*
+ * Return the name of the socket dir.  That is the directory used for
+ * the IPC local sockets.  This is an absolute filename.
+ */
+const char *
+gnupg_socketdir (void)
+{
+  static char *name;
+
+  if (!name)
+    {
+      /* Check XDG variable.  */
+
+      /* XDG is not set: Check whether we have a /run directory.  */
+
+      /* If there is no run directpry we assume a /var/run directory.  */
+
+      /* Check that the user directory exists or create it if
+       * required,  */
+
+      /* If nothing works fall back to the homedir.  */
+      if (!name)
+        name = make_absfilename (gnupg_homedir (), NULL);
+    }
+
+  return name;
+}
+
+
 /* Return the name of the sysconfdir.  This is a static string.  This
    function is required because under Windows we can't simply compile
    it in.  */
@@ -631,7 +660,7 @@ dirmngr_user_socket_name (void)
   static char *name;
 
   if (!name)
-    name = make_absfilename (default_homedir (), DIRMNGR_SOCK_NAME, NULL);
+    name = make_filename (gnupg_socketdir (), DIRMNGR_SOCK_NAME, NULL);
   return name;
 }
 
diff --git a/common/util.h b/common/util.h
index 634ae06a9..0621047df 100644
--- a/common/util.h
+++ b/common/util.h
@@ -222,6 +222,7 @@ const char *standard_homedir (void);
 const char *default_homedir (void);
 void gnupg_set_homedir (const char *newdir);
 const char *gnupg_homedir (void);
+const char *gnupg_socketdir (void);
 const char *gnupg_sysconfdir (void);
 const char *gnupg_bindir (void);
 const char *gnupg_libexecdir (void);
diff --git a/scd/scdaemon.c b/scd/scdaemon.c
index 576dbf976..215e63f37 100644
--- a/scd/scdaemon.c
+++ b/scd/scdaemon.c
@@ -1042,7 +1042,7 @@ create_socket_name (char *standard_name)
 {
   char *name;
 
-  name = make_filename (gnupg_homedir (), standard_name, NULL);
+  name = make_filename (gnupg_socketdir (), standard_name, NULL);
   if (strchr (name, PATHSEP_C))
     {
       log_error (("'%s' are not allowed in the socket name\n"), PATHSEP_S);
diff --git a/tools/gpgconf.c b/tools/gpgconf.c
index 180c88adf..e5a6c222e 100644
--- a/tools/gpgconf.c
+++ b/tools/gpgconf.c
@@ -375,7 +375,7 @@ main (int argc, char **argv)
         }
 
       {
-        char *tmp = make_filename (default_homedir (),
+        char *tmp = make_filename (gnupg_socketdir (),
                                    GPG_AGENT_SOCK_NAME, NULL);
         es_fprintf (outfp, "agent-socket:%s\n", gc_percent_escape (tmp));
         xfree (tmp);
diff --git a/tools/symcryptrun.c b/tools/symcryptrun.c
index 49c17c511..98813d5af 100644
--- a/tools/symcryptrun.c
+++ b/tools/symcryptrun.c
@@ -1008,7 +1008,7 @@ main (int argc, char **argv)
 
   /* Tell simple-pwquery about the the standard socket name.  */
   {
-    char *tmp = make_filename (gnupg_homedir (), GPG_AGENT_SOCK_NAME, NULL);
+    char *tmp = make_filename (gnupg_socketgdir (), GPG_AGENT_SOCK_NAME, NULL);
     simple_pw_set_socket (tmp);
     xfree (tmp);
   }