diff --git a/old-makefile b/old-makefile
index 7adc45d712..d7b1f1f1dc 100644
--- a/old-makefile
+++ b/old-makefile
@@ -195,6 +195,7 @@ SOURCES = audio/audio.c \
           options/parse_configfile.c \
           options/path.c \
           osdep/io.c \
+          osdep/path-unix.c \
           osdep/semaphore_osx.c \
           osdep/subprocess.c \
           osdep/subprocess-posix.c \
diff --git a/options/path.c b/options/path.c
index 433f5112cd..d19b360b99 100644
--- a/options/path.c
+++ b/options/path.c
@@ -43,41 +43,36 @@
 #include "osdep/io.h"
 #include "osdep/path.h"
 
-#if !defined(_WIN32) || defined(__CYGWIN__)
-static int mp_add_xdg_config_dirs(struct mpv_global *global, char **dirs, int i)
+#define MAX_CONFIG_PATHS 32
+
+static const char *mp_get_forced_home(void *talloc_ctx, const char *type)
 {
-    void *talloc_ctx = dirs;
-
-    char *home = getenv("HOME");
-    char *tmp = NULL;
-
-    char *xdg_home = NULL;
-    tmp = getenv("XDG_CONFIG_HOME");
-    if (tmp && *tmp)
-        xdg_home = talloc_asprintf(talloc_ctx, "%s/mpv", tmp);
-    else if (home && *home)
-        xdg_home = talloc_asprintf(talloc_ctx, "%s/.config/mpv", home);
-
-    // Maintain compatibility with old ~/.mpv
-    char *old_home = NULL;
-    if (home && *home)
-        old_home = talloc_asprintf(talloc_ctx, "%s/.mpv", home);
-
-    // If the old ~/.mpv exists, and the XDG config dir doesn't, use the old
-    // config dir only.
-    if (mp_path_exists(xdg_home) || !mp_path_exists(old_home))
-        dirs[i++] = xdg_home;
-    dirs[i++] = old_home;
-
-#if HAVE_COCOA
-    i = mp_add_macosx_bundle_dir(global, dirs, i);
-#endif
-
-    dirs[i++] = MPV_CONFDIR;
-
-    return i;
+    return strcmp(type, "home") == 0 ? getenv("MPV_HOME") : NULL;
 }
+
+// In order of increasing priority: the first hiz has highest priority.
+static const mp_get_platform_path_cb path_resolvers[] = {
+    mp_get_forced_home,
+#if HAVE_COCOA
+    mp_get_platform_path_osx,
 #endif
+#if !defined(_WIN32) || defined(__CYGWIN__)
+    mp_get_platform_path_unix,
+#endif
+#if defined(_WIN32)
+    mp_get_platform_path_win,
+#endif
+};
+
+static const char *mp_get_platform_path(void *talloc_ctx, const char *type)
+{
+    for (int n = 0; n < MP_ARRAY_SIZE(path_resolvers); n++) {
+        const char *path = path_resolvers[n](talloc_ctx, type);
+        if (path && path[0])
+            return path;
+    }
+    return NULL;
+}
 
 // Return NULL-terminated array of config directories, from highest to lowest
 // priority
@@ -85,7 +80,8 @@ static char **mp_config_dirs(void *talloc_ctx, struct mpv_global *global)
 {
     struct MPOpts *opts = global->opts;
 
-    char **ret = talloc_zero_array(talloc_ctx, char*, MAX_CONFIG_PATHS);
+    char **ret = talloc_zero_array(talloc_ctx, char*, MAX_CONFIG_PATHS + 1);
+    int num_ret = 0;
 
     if (!opts->load_config)
         return ret;
@@ -95,22 +91,23 @@ static char **mp_config_dirs(void *talloc_ctx, struct mpv_global *global)
         return ret;
     }
 
-    const char *tmp = NULL;
-    int i = 0;
+    // from highest (most preferred) to lowest priority
+    static const char *const configdirs[] = {
+        "home",
+        "old_home",
+        "osxbundle",
+        "global",
+    };
 
-    tmp = getenv("MPV_HOME");
-    if (tmp && *tmp)
-        ret[i++] = talloc_strdup(ret, tmp);
-
-#if defined(_WIN32) && !defined(__CYGWIN__)
-    i = mp_add_win_config_dirs(global, ret, i);
-#else
-    i = mp_add_xdg_config_dirs(global, ret, i);
-#endif
+    for (int n = 0; n < MP_ARRAY_SIZE(configdirs); n++) {
+        const char *path = mp_get_platform_path(ret, configdirs[n]);
+        if (path && path[0] && num_ret < MAX_CONFIG_PATHS)
+            ret[num_ret++] = (char *)path;
+    }
 
     MP_VERBOSE(global, "search dirs:");
-    for (char **c = ret; *c; c++)
-        MP_VERBOSE(global, " %s", *c);
+    for (int n = 0; n < num_ret; n++)
+        MP_VERBOSE(global, " %s", ret[n]);
     MP_VERBOSE(global, "\n");
 
     return ret;
diff --git a/osdep/path-macosx.m b/osdep/path-macosx.m
index ee34f9638b..618f2038c8 100644
--- a/osdep/path-macosx.m
+++ b/osdep/path-macosx.m
@@ -19,12 +19,14 @@
 #include "options/path.h"
 #include "osdep/path.h"
 
-int mp_add_macosx_bundle_dir(struct mpv_global *global, char **dirs, int i)
+const char *mp_get_platform_path_osx(void *talloc_ctx, const char *type)
 {
-    void *talloc_ctx = dirs;
-    NSAutoreleasePool *pool = [[NSAutoreleasePool alloc] init];
-    NSString *path = [[NSBundle mainBundle] resourcePath];
-    dirs[i++] = talloc_strdup(talloc_ctx, [path UTF8String]);
-    [pool release];
-    return i;
+    if (strcmp(type, "osxbundle") == 0) {
+        NSAutoreleasePool *pool = [[NSAutoreleasePool alloc] init];
+        NSString *path = [[NSBundle mainBundle] resourcePath];
+        char *res = talloc_strdup(talloc_ctx, [path UTF8String]);
+        [pool release];
+        return res;
+    }
+    return NULL;
 }
diff --git a/osdep/path-unix.c b/osdep/path-unix.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..c3b70d7e06
--- /dev/null
+++ b/osdep/path-unix.c
@@ -0,0 +1,64 @@
+/*
+ * This file is part of mpv.
+ *
+ * mpv is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
+ * it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+ * the Free Software Foundation; either version 2 of the License, or
+ * (at your option) any later version.
+ *
+ * mpv is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+ * but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+ * MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+ * GNU General Public License for more details.
+ *
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License along
+ * with mpv.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+ */
+
+#include <string.h>
+#include <pthread.h>
+
+#include "options/path.h"
+#include "path.h"
+
+#include "config.h"
+
+static pthread_once_t path_init_once = PTHREAD_ONCE_INIT;
+
+static char mpv_home[512];
+static char old_home[512];
+
+static void path_init(void)
+{
+    char *home = getenv("HOME");
+    char *xdg_dir = getenv("XDG_CONFIG_HOME");
+
+    if (xdg_dir && xdg_dir[0]) {
+        snprintf(mpv_home, sizeof(mpv_home), "%s/mpv", xdg_dir);
+    } else if (home && home[0]) {
+        snprintf(mpv_home, sizeof(mpv_home), "%s/.config/mpv", home);
+    }
+
+    // Maintain compatibility with old ~/.mpv
+    if (home && home[0])
+        snprintf(old_home, sizeof(old_home), "%s/.mpv", home);
+
+    // If the old ~/.mpv exists, and the XDG config dir doesn't, use the old
+    // config dir only.
+    if (mp_path_exists(old_home) && !mp_path_exists(mpv_home)) {
+        snprintf(mpv_home, sizeof(mpv_home), "%s", old_home);
+        old_home[0] = '\0';
+    }
+}
+
+const char *mp_get_platform_path_unix(void *talloc_ctx, const char *type)
+{
+    pthread_once(&path_init_once, path_init);
+    if (strcmp(type, "home") == 0)
+        return mpv_home;
+    if (strcmp(type, "old_home") == 0)
+        return old_home;
+    if (strcmp(type, "global") == 0)
+        return MPV_CONFDIR;
+    return NULL;
+}
diff --git a/osdep/path-win.c b/osdep/path-win.c
index 66d8de96e4..26f7ffa62e 100644
--- a/osdep/path-win.c
+++ b/osdep/path-win.c
@@ -58,14 +58,14 @@ static char *mp_get_win_app_dir(void *talloc_ctx)
     return talloc_asprintf(talloc_ctx, "%s/mpv", mp_to_utf8(talloc_ctx, w_appdir));
 }
 
-int mp_add_win_config_dirs(struct mpv_global *global, char **dirs, int i)
+const char *mp_get_platform_path_win(void *talloc_ctx, const char *type)
 {
-    void *talloc_ctx = dirs;
-    if ((dirs[i] = mp_get_win_app_dir(talloc_ctx)))
-        i++;
-    if ((dirs[i] = mp_get_win_exe_dir(talloc_ctx)))
-        i++;
-    if ((dirs[i] = mp_get_win_exe_subdir(talloc_ctx)))
-        i++;
-    return i;
+    if (strcmp(type, "home") == 0)
+        return mp_get_win_app_dir(talloc_ctx);
+    if (strcmp(type, "old_home") == 0)
+        return mp_get_win_exe_dir(talloc_ctx);
+    // Not really true, but serves as a way to return a lowest-priority dir.
+    if (strcmp(type, "global") == 0)
+        return mp_get_win_exe_subdir(talloc_ctx);
+    return NULL;
 }
diff --git a/osdep/path.h b/osdep/path.h
index c697453fcc..59a3ba7590 100644
--- a/osdep/path.h
+++ b/osdep/path.h
@@ -1,15 +1,22 @@
 #ifndef OSDEP_PATH_H
 #define OSDEP_PATH_H
 
-#define MAX_CONFIG_PATHS 32
+// Return a platform-specific path, identified by the type parameter. If the
+// return value is allocated, talloc_ctx is used as talloc parent context.
+//
+// The following type values are defined:
+//  "home"          the native mpv-specific user config dir
+//  "old_home"      same as "home", but lesser priority (compatibility)
+//  "osxbundle"     OSX bundle path
+//  "global"        the least priority, global config file location
+//
+// It is allowed to return a static string, so the caller must set talloc_ctx
+// to something other than NULL to avoid memory leaks.
+typedef const char *(*mp_get_platform_path_cb)(void *talloc_ctx, const char *type);
 
-struct mpv_global;
-
-// Append paths starting at dirs[i]. The dirs array has place only for at most
-// MAX_CONFIG_PATHS paths, but it's guaranteed that at least 4 paths can be
-// added without checking for i>=MAX_CONFIG_PATHS.
-// Return the new value of i.
-int mp_add_win_config_dirs(struct mpv_global *global, char **dirs, int i);
-int mp_add_macosx_bundle_dir(struct mpv_global *global, char **dirs, int i);
+// Conforming to mp_get_platform_path_cb.
+const char *mp_get_platform_path_win(void *talloc_ctx, const char *type);
+const char *mp_get_platform_path_osx(void *talloc_ctx, const char *type);
+const char *mp_get_platform_path_unix(void *talloc_ctx, const char *type);
 
 #endif
diff --git a/wscript_build.py b/wscript_build.py
index 7328be13b8..e2d1562d5b 100644
--- a/wscript_build.py
+++ b/wscript_build.py
@@ -380,6 +380,7 @@ def build(ctx):
         ( "osdep/subprocess-posix.c",            "posix-spawn" ),
         ( "osdep/subprocess-win.c",              "os-win32" ),
         ( "osdep/path-macosx.m",                 "cocoa" ),
+        ( "osdep/path-unix.c"),
         ( "osdep/path-win.c",                    "os-win32" ),
         ( "osdep/path-win.c",                    "os-cygwin" ),
         ( "osdep/glob-win.c",                    "glob-win32-replacement" ),