diff --git a/tools/gpgconf-comp.c b/tools/gpgconf-comp.c
index 1643eb94c..c757d41bb 100644
--- a/tools/gpgconf-comp.c
+++ b/tools/gpgconf-comp.c
@@ -676,7 +676,6 @@ gpg_agent_runtime_change (int killflag)
   const char *pgmname;
   const char *argv[5];
   pid_t pid = (pid_t)(-1);
-  char *abs_homedir = NULL;
   int i = 0;
 
   pgmname = gnupg_module_name (GNUPG_MODULE_NAME_CONNECT_AGENT);
@@ -697,7 +696,6 @@ gpg_agent_runtime_change (int killflag)
     gc_error (0, 0, "error running '%s %s': %s",
               pgmname, argv[1], gpg_strerror (err));
   gnupg_release_process (pid);
-  xfree (abs_homedir);
 }
 
 
@@ -708,7 +706,6 @@ scdaemon_runtime_change (int killflag)
   const char *pgmname;
   const char *argv[9];
   pid_t pid = (pid_t)(-1);
-  char *abs_homedir = NULL;
   int i = 0;
 
   (void)killflag;  /* For scdaemon kill and reload are synonyms.  */
@@ -740,7 +737,6 @@ scdaemon_runtime_change (int killflag)
     gc_error (0, 0, "error running '%s %s': %s",
               pgmname, argv[4], gpg_strerror (err));
   gnupg_release_process (pid);
-  xfree (abs_homedir);
 }
 
 
@@ -751,7 +747,6 @@ dirmngr_runtime_change (int killflag)
   const char *pgmname;
   const char *argv[6];
   pid_t pid = (pid_t)(-1);
-  char *abs_homedir = NULL;
 
   pgmname = gnupg_module_name (GNUPG_MODULE_NAME_CONNECT_AGENT);
   argv[0] = "--no-autostart";
@@ -774,7 +769,6 @@ dirmngr_runtime_change (int killflag)
     gc_error (0, 0, "error running '%s %s': %s",
               pgmname, argv[2], gpg_strerror (err));
   gnupg_release_process (pid);
-  xfree (abs_homedir);
 }
 
 
@@ -1170,7 +1164,7 @@ gc_component_check_options (int component, estream_t out, const char *conf_file)
   gpg_error_t err;
   unsigned int result;
   const char *pgmname;
-  const char *argv[4];
+  const char *argv[5];
   int i;
   pid_t pid;
   int exitcode;
@@ -1186,6 +1180,12 @@ gc_component_check_options (int component, estream_t out, const char *conf_file)
 
   pgmname = gnupg_module_name (gc_component[component].module_name);
   i = 0;
+  if (!gnupg_default_homedir_p ()
+      && component != GC_COMPONENT_PINENTRY)
+    {
+      argv[i++] = "--homedir";
+      argv[i++] = gnupg_homedir ();
+    }
   if (conf_file)
     {
       argv[i++] = "--options";
@@ -1517,6 +1517,7 @@ retrieve_options_from_program (gc_component_id_t component, int only_installed)
   const char *config_name;
   gpgrt_argparse_t pargs;
   int dummy_argc;
+  char *twopartconfig_name = NULL;
   gpgrt_opt_t *opt_table = NULL;      /* A malloced option table.    */
   size_t opt_table_used = 0;          /* Its current length.         */
   size_t opt_table_size = 0;          /* Its allocated length.       */
@@ -1797,6 +1798,17 @@ retrieve_options_from_program (gc_component_id_t component, int only_installed)
   if (!config_name)
     gc_error (1, 0, "name of config file for %s is not known\n", pgmname);
 
+  if (!gnupg_default_homedir_p ())
+    {
+      /* This is not the default homedir.  We need to take an absolute
+       * config name for the user config file; gpgrt_argparser
+       * fortunately supports this.  */
+      char *tmp = make_filename (gnupg_homedir (), config_name, NULL);
+      twopartconfig_name = xstrconcat (config_name, PATHSEP_S, tmp, NULL);
+      xfree (tmp);
+      config_name = twopartconfig_name;
+    }
+
   memset (&pargs, 0, sizeof pargs);
   dummy_argc = 0;
   pargs.argc = &dummy_argc;
@@ -1876,6 +1888,7 @@ retrieve_options_from_program (gc_component_id_t component, int only_installed)
     }
 
   xfree (line);
+  xfree (twopartconfig_name);
 }