diff --git a/src/modules/module-esound-sink.c b/src/modules/module-esound-sink.c
index f887962fc..bef3d8e46 100644
--- a/src/modules/module-esound-sink.c
+++ b/src/modules/module-esound-sink.c
@@ -527,6 +527,8 @@ int pa__init(pa_module*m) {
     const char *espeaker;
     uint32_t key;
     pa_sink_new_data data;
+    char *cookie_path;
+    int r;
 
     pa_assert(m);
 
@@ -620,9 +622,18 @@ int pa__init(pa_module*m) {
 
     pa_socket_client_set_callback(u->client, on_connection, u);
 
+    cookie_path = pa_xstrdup(pa_modargs_get_value(ma, "cookie", NULL));
+    if (!cookie_path) {
+        if (pa_append_to_home_dir(".esd_auth", &cookie_path) < 0)
+            goto fail;
+    }
+
     /* Prepare the initial request */
     u->write_data = pa_xmalloc(u->write_length = ESD_KEY_LEN + sizeof(int32_t));
-    if (pa_authkey_load(pa_modargs_get_value(ma, "cookie", ".esd_auth"), true, u->write_data, ESD_KEY_LEN) < 0) {
+
+    r = pa_authkey_load(cookie_path, true, u->write_data, ESD_KEY_LEN);
+    pa_xfree(cookie_path);
+    if (r < 0) {
         pa_log("Failed to load cookie");
         goto fail;
     }
diff --git a/src/pulse/client-conf.c b/src/pulse/client-conf.c
index fd1ccbf2c..317c9f9c9 100644
--- a/src/pulse/client-conf.c
+++ b/src/pulse/client-conf.c
@@ -168,6 +168,7 @@ void pa_client_conf_load(pa_client_conf *c, bool load_from_x11, bool load_from_e
 
 int pa_client_conf_load_cookie(pa_client_conf *c, uint8_t *cookie, size_t cookie_length) {
     int r;
+    char *fallback_path;
 
     pa_assert(c);
     pa_assert(cookie);
@@ -213,9 +214,12 @@ int pa_client_conf_load_cookie(pa_client_conf *c, uint8_t *cookie, size_t cookie
     if (r >= 0)
         return 0;
 
-    r = pa_authkey_load(PA_NATIVE_COOKIE_FILE_FALLBACK, false, cookie, cookie_length);
-    if (r >= 0)
-        return 0;
+    if (pa_append_to_home_dir(PA_NATIVE_COOKIE_FILE_FALLBACK, &fallback_path) > 0) {
+        r = pa_authkey_load(fallback_path, false, cookie, cookie_length);
+        pa_xfree(fallback_path);
+        if (r >= 0)
+            return 0;
+    }
 
     r = pa_authkey_load(PA_NATIVE_COOKIE_FILE, true, cookie, cookie_length);
     if (r >= 0)
diff --git a/src/pulsecore/protocol-esound.c b/src/pulsecore/protocol-esound.c
index 7c1b7a210..755109c9a 100644
--- a/src/pulsecore/protocol-esound.c
+++ b/src/pulsecore/protocol-esound.c
@@ -1707,15 +1707,20 @@ int pa_esound_options_parse(pa_esound_options *o, pa_core *c, pa_modargs *ma) {
         pa_auth_cookie_unref(o->auth_cookie);
 
     if (enabled) {
-        const char *cn;
+        char *cn;
 
         /* The new name for this is 'auth-cookie', for compat reasons
          * we check the old name too */
-        if (!(cn = pa_modargs_get_value(ma, "auth-cookie", NULL)))
-            if (!(cn = pa_modargs_get_value(ma, "cookie", NULL)))
-                cn = DEFAULT_COOKIE_FILE;
+        if (!(cn = pa_xstrdup(pa_modargs_get_value(ma, "auth-cookie", NULL)))) {
+            if (!(cn = pa_xstrdup(pa_modargs_get_value(ma, "cookie", NULL)))) {
+                if (pa_append_to_home_dir(DEFAULT_COOKIE_FILE, &cn) < 0)
+                    return -1;
+            }
+        }
 
-        if (!(o->auth_cookie = pa_auth_cookie_get(c, cn, true, ESD_KEY_LEN)))
+        o->auth_cookie = pa_auth_cookie_get(c, cn, true, ESD_KEY_LEN);
+        pa_xfree(cn);
+        if (!o->auth_cookie)
             return -1;
 
     } else
diff --git a/src/pulsecore/protocol-native.c b/src/pulsecore/protocol-native.c
index 606bf25cb..584e1d94c 100644
--- a/src/pulsecore/protocol-native.c
+++ b/src/pulsecore/protocol-native.c
@@ -5303,7 +5303,12 @@ int pa_native_options_parse(pa_native_options *o, pa_core *c, pa_modargs *ma) {
         else {
             o->auth_cookie = pa_auth_cookie_get(c, PA_NATIVE_COOKIE_FILE, false, PA_NATIVE_COOKIE_LENGTH);
             if (!o->auth_cookie) {
-                o->auth_cookie = pa_auth_cookie_get(c, PA_NATIVE_COOKIE_FILE_FALLBACK, false, PA_NATIVE_COOKIE_LENGTH);
+                char *fallback_path;
+
+                if (pa_append_to_home_dir(PA_NATIVE_COOKIE_FILE_FALLBACK, &fallback_path) >= 0) {
+                    o->auth_cookie = pa_auth_cookie_get(c, fallback_path, false, PA_NATIVE_COOKIE_LENGTH);
+                    pa_xfree(fallback_path);
+                }
 
                 if (!o->auth_cookie)
                     o->auth_cookie = pa_auth_cookie_get(c, PA_NATIVE_COOKIE_FILE, true, PA_NATIVE_COOKIE_LENGTH);