diff --git a/cmd/helm/helm.go b/cmd/helm/helm.go
index ced336ac4..48f87d5e5 100644
--- a/cmd/helm/helm.go
+++ b/cmd/helm/helm.go
@@ -33,7 +33,6 @@ import (
 
 	"k8s.io/helm/pkg/helm"
 	helm_env "k8s.io/helm/pkg/helm/environment"
-	"k8s.io/helm/pkg/helm/helmpath"
 	"k8s.io/helm/pkg/helm/portforwarder"
 	"k8s.io/helm/pkg/kube"
 	tiller_env "k8s.io/helm/pkg/tiller/environment"
@@ -84,8 +83,6 @@ Environment:
 `
 
 func newRootCmd(out io.Writer) *cobra.Command {
-	var helmHomeTemp string
-
 	cmd := &cobra.Command{
 		Use:          "helm",
 		Short:        "The Helm package manager for Kubernetes.",
@@ -101,8 +98,7 @@ func newRootCmd(out io.Writer) *cobra.Command {
 		},
 	}
 	p := cmd.PersistentFlags()
-	p.StringVar(&helmHomeTemp, "home", helm_env.DefaultHelmHome(), "location of your Helm config. Overrides $HELM_HOME")
-	settings.Home = helmpath.Home(helmHomeTemp)
+	p.StringVar((*string)(&settings.Home), "home", helm_env.DefaultHelmHome(), "location of your Helm config. Overrides $HELM_HOME")
 	p.StringVar(&settings.TillerHost, "host", helm_env.DefaultHelmHost(), "address of tiller. Overrides $HELM_HOST")
 	p.StringVar(&kubeContext, "kube-context", "", "name of the kubeconfig context to use")
 	p.BoolVar(&settings.Debug, "debug", false, "enable verbose output")
diff --git a/cmd/helm/serve.go b/cmd/helm/serve.go
index 028af9751..1c9a772fe 100644
--- a/cmd/helm/serve.go
+++ b/cmd/helm/serve.go
@@ -55,19 +55,29 @@ func newServeCmd(out io.Writer) *cobra.Command {
 		Use:   "serve",
 		Short: "start a local http web server",
 		Long:  serveDesc,
+		PreRunE: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
+			return srv.complete(args)
+		},
 		RunE: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 			return srv.run()
 		},
 	}
 
 	f := cmd.Flags()
-	f.StringVar(&srv.repoPath, "repo-path", settings.Home.LocalRepository(), "local directory path from which to serve charts")
+	f.StringVar(&srv.repoPath, "repo-path", "", "local directory path from which to serve charts")
 	f.StringVar(&srv.address, "address", "127.0.0.1:8879", "address to listen on")
 	f.StringVar(&srv.url, "url", "", "external URL of chart repository")
 
 	return cmd
 }
 
+func (s *serveCmd) complete(args []string) error {
+	if s.repoPath == "" {
+		s.repoPath = settings.Home.LocalRepository()
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
 func (s *serveCmd) run() error {
 	repoPath, err := filepath.Abs(s.repoPath)
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/docs/helm/helm_serve.md b/docs/helm/helm_serve.md
index 866008844..874c0fc94 100644
--- a/docs/helm/helm_serve.md
+++ b/docs/helm/helm_serve.md
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ helm serve
 
 ```
       --address string     address to listen on (default "127.0.0.1:8879")
-      --repo-path string   local directory path from which to serve charts (default "~/.helm/repository/local")
+      --repo-path string   local directory path from which to serve charts
       --url string         external URL of chart repository
 ```
 
@@ -45,4 +45,4 @@ helm serve
 ### SEE ALSO
 * [helm](helm.md)	 - The Helm package manager for Kubernetes.
 
-###### Auto generated by spf13/cobra on 17-May-2017
+###### Auto generated by spf13/cobra on 18-May-2017
diff --git a/docs/man/man1/helm_serve.1 b/docs/man/man1/helm_serve.1
index f5c7d7e65..4901e245c 100644
--- a/docs/man/man1/helm_serve.1
+++ b/docs/man/man1/helm_serve.1
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ for more information on hosting chart repositories in a production setting.
     address to listen on
 
 .PP
-\fB\-\-repo\-path\fP="~/.helm/repository/local"
+\fB\-\-repo\-path\fP=""
     local directory path from which to serve charts
 
 .PP
@@ -76,4 +76,4 @@ for more information on hosting chart repositories in a production setting.
 
 .SH HISTORY
 .PP
-17\-May\-2017 Auto generated by spf13/cobra
+18\-May\-2017 Auto generated by spf13/cobra