diff --git a/src/pipewire/conf.c b/src/pipewire/conf.c
index c4fed6152..64951fac2 100644
--- a/src/pipewire/conf.c
+++ b/src/pipewire/conf.c
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ static int make_path(char *path, int size, const char *paths[])
 	return 0;
 }
 
-static int get_read_path(char *path, size_t size, const char *prefix, const char *name)
+static int get_config_path(char *path, size_t size, const char *prefix, const char *name)
 {
 	const char *dir;
 	char buffer[4096];
@@ -139,6 +139,63 @@ no_config:
 	return 0;
 }
 
+static int get_state_path(char *path, size_t size, const char *prefix, const char *name)
+{
+	const char *dir;
+	char buffer[4096];
+
+	if (name[0] == '/') {
+		const char *paths[] = { name, NULL };
+		if (make_path(path, size, paths) == 0 &&
+		    access(path, R_OK) == 0)
+			return 1;
+		return -ENOENT;
+	}
+
+	if (prefix && prefix[0] == '/') {
+		const char *paths[] = { prefix, name, NULL };
+		if (make_path(path, size, paths) == 0 &&
+		    access(path, R_OK) == 0)
+			return 1;
+		return -ENOENT;
+	}
+
+	if (prefix == NULL) {
+		prefix = name;
+		name = NULL;
+	}
+
+	dir = getenv("PIPEWIRE_STATE_DIR");
+	if (dir != NULL) {
+		const char *paths[] = { dir, prefix, name, NULL };
+		if (make_path(path, size, paths) == 0 &&
+		    access(path, R_OK) == 0)
+			return 1;
+	}
+
+	dir = getenv("XDG_STATE_HOME");
+	if (dir != NULL) {
+		const char *paths[] = { dir, "pipewire", prefix, name, NULL };
+		if (make_path(path, size, paths) == 0 &&
+		    access(path, R_OK) == 0)
+			return 1;
+	}
+	dir = getenv("HOME");
+	if (dir == NULL) {
+		struct passwd pwd, *result = NULL;
+		if (getpwuid_r(getuid(), &pwd, buffer, sizeof(buffer), &result) == 0)
+			dir = result ? result->pw_dir : NULL;
+	}
+	if (dir != NULL) {
+		const char *paths[] = { dir, ".config", "pipewire", prefix, name, NULL };
+		if (make_path(path, size, paths) == 0 &&
+		    access(path, R_OK) == 0)
+			return 1;
+	}
+
+	return 0;
+}
+
 static int ensure_path(char *path, int size, const char *paths[])
 {
 	int i, len, mode;
@@ -185,7 +242,7 @@ static int open_write_dir(char *path, int size, const char *prefix)
 		if (ensure_path(path, size, paths) == 0)
 			goto found;
 	}
-	dir = getenv("XDG_CONFIG_HOME");
+	dir = getenv("XDG_STATE_HOME");
 	if (dir != NULL) {
 		const char *paths[] = { dir, "pipewire", prefix, NULL };
 		if (ensure_path(path, size, paths) == 0)
@@ -198,7 +255,7 @@ static int open_write_dir(char *path, int size, const char *prefix)
 			dir = result ? result->pw_dir : NULL;
 	}
 	if (dir != NULL) {
-		const char *paths[] = { dir, ".config", "pipewire", prefix, NULL };
+		const char *paths[] = { dir, ".local", "state", "pipewire", prefix, NULL };
 		if (ensure_path(path, size, paths) == 0)
 			goto found;
 	}
@@ -286,7 +343,7 @@ int pw_conf_load_conf(const char *prefix, const char *name, struct pw_properties
 		return -EINVAL;
 	}
 
-	if (get_read_path(path, sizeof(path), prefix, name) == 0) {
+	if (get_config_path(path, sizeof(path), prefix, name) == 0) {
 		pw_log_debug(NAME" %p: can't load config '%s': %m", conf, path);
 		return -ENOENT;
 	}
@@ -304,7 +361,7 @@ int pw_conf_load_state(const char *prefix, const char *name, struct pw_propertie
 		return -EINVAL;
 	}
 
-	if (get_read_path(path, sizeof(path), prefix, name) == 0) {
+	if (get_state_path(path, sizeof(path), prefix, name) == 0) {
 		pw_log_debug(NAME" %p: can't load config '%s': %m", conf, path);
 		return -ENOENT;
 	}