diff --git a/src/libcmd/repl.cc b/src/libcmd/repl.cc
index 02aa5a272..49865aa90 100644
--- a/src/libcmd/repl.cc
+++ b/src/libcmd/repl.cc
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@
 #include "print.hh"
 #include "progress-bar.hh"
 #include "gc-small-vector.hh"
+#include "users.hh"
 
 #if HAVE_BOEHMGC
 #define GC_INCLUDE_NEW
diff --git a/src/libexpr/eval-cache.cc b/src/libexpr/eval-cache.cc
index 5969ee449..90fbfa308 100644
--- a/src/libexpr/eval-cache.cc
+++ b/src/libexpr/eval-cache.cc
@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
 #include "eval-cache.hh"
 #include "sqlite.hh"
 #include "eval.hh"
-#include "eval-inline.hh"
 #include "store-api.hh"
+#include "users.hh"
 
 namespace nix::eval_cache {
 
diff --git a/src/libexpr/eval-settings.cc b/src/libexpr/eval-settings.cc
index 046ca557d..105fd3e9d 100644
--- a/src/libexpr/eval-settings.cc
+++ b/src/libexpr/eval-settings.cc
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
+#include "file-system.hh"
 #include "globals.hh"
 #include "profiles.hh"
-#include "eval.hh"
+#include "users.hh"
 #include "eval-settings.hh"
 
 namespace nix {
diff --git a/src/libexpr/flake/config.cc b/src/libexpr/flake/config.cc
index b9613462a..35c605de2 100644
--- a/src/libexpr/flake/config.cc
+++ b/src/libexpr/flake/config.cc
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 #include "flake.hh"
-#include "globals.hh"
+#include "users.hh"
 #include "fetch-settings.hh"
 
 #include <nlohmann/json.hpp>
diff --git a/src/libexpr/parser.y b/src/libexpr/parser.y
index 5424d8741..91cc7d089 100644
--- a/src/libexpr/parser.y
+++ b/src/libexpr/parser.y
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@
 #include <variant>
 
 #include "finally.hh"
-#include "util.hh"
+#include "users.hh"
 
 #include "nixexpr.hh"
 #include "eval.hh"
diff --git a/src/libfetchers/cache.cc b/src/libfetchers/cache.cc
index 672e1e0bc..eec77c2dc 100644
--- a/src/libfetchers/cache.cc
+++ b/src/libfetchers/cache.cc
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 #include "sqlite.hh"
 #include "sync.hh"
 #include "store-api.hh"
+#include "users.hh"
 
 #include <nlohmann/json.hpp>
 
diff --git a/src/libfetchers/git.cc b/src/libfetchers/git.cc
index 86d9d437f..07cbc781c 100644
--- a/src/libfetchers/git.cc
+++ b/src/libfetchers/git.cc
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 #include "store-api.hh"
 #include "url-parts.hh"
 #include "pathlocks.hh"
-#include "util.hh"
+#include "users.hh"
 #include "git.hh"
 #include "logging.hh"
 #include "finally.hh"
diff --git a/src/libfetchers/mercurial.cc b/src/libfetchers/mercurial.cc
index 086db498f..4fffa71d3 100644
--- a/src/libfetchers/mercurial.cc
+++ b/src/libfetchers/mercurial.cc
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 #include "processes.hh"
 #include "store-api.hh"
 #include "url-parts.hh"
+#include "users.hh"
 
 #include "fetch-settings.hh"
 
diff --git a/src/libfetchers/registry.cc b/src/libfetchers/registry.cc
index 4b2d61f52..96e9ed1c6 100644
--- a/src/libfetchers/registry.cc
+++ b/src/libfetchers/registry.cc
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 #include "registry.hh"
 #include "fetchers.hh"
-#include "util.hh"
+#include "users.hh"
 #include "globals.hh"
 #include "store-api.hh"
 #include "local-fs-store.hh"
diff --git a/src/libstore/globals.cc b/src/libstore/globals.cc
index 30fd4e9e3..8ef25c469 100644
--- a/src/libstore/globals.cc
+++ b/src/libstore/globals.cc
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 #include "environment-variables.hh"
 #include "globals.hh"
-#include "util.hh"
+#include "users.hh"
 #include "archive.hh"
 #include "args.hh"
 #include "abstract-setting-to-json.hh"
diff --git a/src/libstore/nar-info-disk-cache.cc b/src/libstore/nar-info-disk-cache.cc
index c7176d30f..0413abbf1 100644
--- a/src/libstore/nar-info-disk-cache.cc
+++ b/src/libstore/nar-info-disk-cache.cc
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 #include "sync.hh"
 #include "sqlite.hh"
 #include "globals.hh"
+#include "users.hh"
 
 #include <sqlite3.h>
 #include <nlohmann/json.hpp>
diff --git a/src/libstore/profiles.cc b/src/libstore/profiles.cc
index 239047dd6..e8b88693d 100644
--- a/src/libstore/profiles.cc
+++ b/src/libstore/profiles.cc
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 #include "profiles.hh"
 #include "store-api.hh"
 #include "local-fs-store.hh"
-#include "util.hh"
+#include "users.hh"
 
 #include <sys/types.h>
 #include <sys/stat.h>
diff --git a/src/libstore/store-api.cc b/src/libstore/store-api.cc
index ed3566f5e..c5631dfd8 100644
--- a/src/libstore/store-api.cc
+++ b/src/libstore/store-api.cc
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@
 // FIXME this should not be here, see TODO below on
 // `addMultipleToStore`.
 #include "worker-protocol.hh"
+#include "users.hh"
 
 #include <nlohmann/json.hpp>
 #include <regex>
diff --git a/src/libutil/file-system.cc b/src/libutil/file-system.cc
index 9804c449c..721bf97e2 100644
--- a/src/libutil/file-system.cc
+++ b/src/libutil/file-system.cc
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
 #include "serialise.hh"
 #include "signals.hh"
 #include "types.hh"
+#include "users.hh"
 
 namespace fs = std::filesystem;
 
diff --git a/src/libutil/meson.build b/src/libutil/meson.build
index b662ea455..5e767b447 100644
--- a/src/libutil/meson.build
+++ b/src/libutil/meson.build
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@ libutil_sources = files(
   'unix-domain-socket.cc',
   'url.cc',
   'url-name.cc',
+  'users.cc',
   'util.cc',
   'xml-writer.cc',
 )
@@ -109,6 +110,7 @@ libutil_headers = files(
   'url-parts.hh',
   'url-name.hh',
   'url.hh',
+  'users.hh',
   'util.hh',
   'variant-wrapper.hh',
   'xml-writer.hh',
diff --git a/src/libutil/users.cc b/src/libutil/users.cc
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..a9a8a7353
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/libutil/users.cc
@@ -0,0 +1,105 @@
+#include "environment-variables.hh"
+#include "file-system.hh"
+#include "logging.hh"
+#include "strings.hh"
+
+#include <pwd.h>
+#include <sys/types.h>
+#include <unistd.h>
+
+namespace nix {
+
+std::string getUserName()
+{
+    auto pw = getpwuid(geteuid());
+    std::string name = pw ? pw->pw_name : getEnv("USER").value_or("");
+    if (name.empty())
+        throw Error("cannot figure out user name");
+    return name;
+}
+
+Path getHomeOf(uid_t userId)
+{
+    std::vector<char> buf(16384);
+    struct passwd pwbuf;
+    struct passwd * pw;
+    if (getpwuid_r(userId, &pwbuf, buf.data(), buf.size(), &pw) != 0
+        || !pw || !pw->pw_dir || !pw->pw_dir[0])
+        throw Error("cannot determine user's home directory");
+    return pw->pw_dir;
+}
+
+Path getHome()
+{
+    static Path homeDir = []()
+    {
+        std::optional<std::string> unownedUserHomeDir = {};
+        auto homeDir = getEnv("HOME");
+        if (homeDir) {
+            // Only use $HOME if doesn't exist or is owned by the current user.
+            struct stat st;
+            int result = stat(homeDir->c_str(), &st);
+            if (result != 0) {
+                if (errno != ENOENT) {
+                    warn("couldn't stat $HOME ('%s') for reason other than not existing ('%d'), falling back to the one defined in the 'passwd' file", *homeDir, errno);
+                    homeDir.reset();
+                }
+            } else if (st.st_uid != geteuid()) {
+                unownedUserHomeDir.swap(homeDir);
+            }
+        }
+        if (!homeDir) {
+            homeDir = getHomeOf(geteuid());
+            if (unownedUserHomeDir.has_value() && unownedUserHomeDir != homeDir) {
+                warn("$HOME ('%s') is not owned by you, falling back to the one defined in the 'passwd' file ('%s')", *unownedUserHomeDir, *homeDir);
+            }
+        }
+        return *homeDir;
+    }();
+    return homeDir;
+}
+
+
+Path getCacheDir()
+{
+    auto cacheDir = getEnv("XDG_CACHE_HOME");
+    return cacheDir ? *cacheDir : getHome() + "/.cache";
+}
+
+
+Path getConfigDir()
+{
+    auto configDir = getEnv("XDG_CONFIG_HOME");
+    return configDir ? *configDir : getHome() + "/.config";
+}
+
+std::vector<Path> getConfigDirs()
+{
+    Path configHome = getConfigDir();
+    auto configDirs = getEnv("XDG_CONFIG_DIRS").value_or("/etc/xdg");
+    std::vector<Path> result = tokenizeString<std::vector<std::string>>(configDirs, ":");
+    result.insert(result.begin(), configHome);
+    return result;
+}
+
+
+Path getDataDir()
+{
+    auto dataDir = getEnv("XDG_DATA_HOME");
+    return dataDir ? *dataDir : getHome() + "/.local/share";
+}
+
+Path getStateDir()
+{
+    auto stateDir = getEnv("XDG_STATE_HOME");
+    return stateDir ? *stateDir : getHome() + "/.local/state";
+}
+
+Path createNixStateDir()
+{
+    Path dir = getStateDir() + "/nix";
+    createDirs(dir);
+    return dir;
+}
+
+}
diff --git a/src/libutil/users.hh b/src/libutil/users.hh
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..3add4c732
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/libutil/users.hh
@@ -0,0 +1,61 @@
+#pragma once
+///@file
+
+#include "types.hh"
+
+#include <sys/types.h>
+
+namespace nix {
+
+std::string getUserName();
+
+/**
+ * @return the given user's home directory from /etc/passwd.
+ */
+Path getHomeOf(uid_t userId);
+
+/**
+ * @return $HOME or the user's home directory from /etc/passwd.
+ */
+Path getHome();
+
+/**
+ * @return $XDG_CACHE_HOME or $HOME/.cache.
+ */
+Path getCacheDir();
+
+/**
+ * @return $XDG_CONFIG_HOME or $HOME/.config.
+ */
+Path getConfigDir();
+
+/**
+ * @return the directories to search for user configuration files
+ */
+std::vector<Path> getConfigDirs();
+
+/**
+ * @return $XDG_DATA_HOME or $HOME/.local/share.
+ */
+Path getDataDir();
+
+/**
+ * @return $XDG_STATE_HOME or $HOME/.local/state.
+ *
+ * @note Not to be confused with settings.nixStateDir.
+ */
+Path getStateDir();
+
+/**
+ * Create $XDG_STATE_HOME/nix or $HOME/.local/state/nix, and return
+ * the path to it.
+ * @note Not to be confused with settings.nixStateDir.
+ */
+Path createNixStateDir();
+
+/**
+ * Perform tilde expansion on a path.
+ */
+std::string expandTilde(std::string_view path);
+
+}
diff --git a/src/libutil/util.cc b/src/libutil/util.cc
index 099a07622..8e813abc2 100644
--- a/src/libutil/util.cc
+++ b/src/libutil/util.cc
@@ -56,103 +56,6 @@
 namespace nix {
 
 
-std::string getUserName()
-{
-    auto pw = getpwuid(geteuid());
-    std::string name = pw ? pw->pw_name : getEnv("USER").value_or("");
-    if (name.empty())
-        throw Error("cannot figure out user name");
-    return name;
-}
-
-Path getHomeOf(uid_t userId)
-{
-    std::vector<char> buf(16384);
-    struct passwd pwbuf;
-    struct passwd * pw;
-    if (getpwuid_r(userId, &pwbuf, buf.data(), buf.size(), &pw) != 0
-        || !pw || !pw->pw_dir || !pw->pw_dir[0])
-        throw Error("cannot determine user's home directory");
-    return pw->pw_dir;
-}
-
-Path getHome()
-{
-    static Path homeDir = []()
-    {
-        std::optional<std::string> unownedUserHomeDir = {};
-        auto homeDir = getEnv("HOME");
-        if (homeDir) {
-            // Only use $HOME if doesn't exist or is owned by the current user.
-            struct stat st;
-            int result = stat(homeDir->c_str(), &st);
-            if (result != 0) {
-                if (errno != ENOENT) {
-                    warn("couldn't stat $HOME ('%s') for reason other than not existing ('%d'), falling back to the one defined in the 'passwd' file", *homeDir, errno);
-                    homeDir.reset();
-                }
-            } else if (st.st_uid != geteuid()) {
-                unownedUserHomeDir.swap(homeDir);
-            }
-        }
-        if (!homeDir) {
-            homeDir = getHomeOf(geteuid());
-            if (unownedUserHomeDir.has_value() && unownedUserHomeDir != homeDir) {
-                warn("$HOME ('%s') is not owned by you, falling back to the one defined in the 'passwd' file ('%s')", *unownedUserHomeDir, *homeDir);
-            }
-        }
-        return *homeDir;
-    }();
-    return homeDir;
-}
-
-
-Path getCacheDir()
-{
-    auto cacheDir = getEnv("XDG_CACHE_HOME");
-    return cacheDir ? *cacheDir : getHome() + "/.cache";
-}
-
-
-Path getConfigDir()
-{
-    auto configDir = getEnv("XDG_CONFIG_HOME");
-    return configDir ? *configDir : getHome() + "/.config";
-}
-
-std::vector<Path> getConfigDirs()
-{
-    Path configHome = getConfigDir();
-    auto configDirs = getEnv("XDG_CONFIG_DIRS").value_or("/etc/xdg");
-    std::vector<Path> result = tokenizeString<std::vector<std::string>>(configDirs, ":");
-    result.insert(result.begin(), configHome);
-    return result;
-}
-
-
-Path getDataDir()
-{
-    auto dataDir = getEnv("XDG_DATA_HOME");
-    return dataDir ? *dataDir : getHome() + "/.local/share";
-}
-
-Path getStateDir()
-{
-    auto stateDir = getEnv("XDG_STATE_HOME");
-    return stateDir ? *stateDir : getHome() + "/.local/state";
-}
-
-Path createNixStateDir()
-{
-    Path dir = getStateDir() + "/nix";
-    createDirs(dir);
-    return dir;
-}
-
-
-
-
-
 //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 
 
diff --git a/src/libutil/util.hh b/src/libutil/util.hh
index 907bdf4ed..e408821b9 100644
--- a/src/libutil/util.hh
+++ b/src/libutil/util.hh
@@ -39,53 +39,6 @@ struct Source;
 extern const std::string nativeSystem;
 
 
-std::string getUserName();
-
-/**
- * @return the given user's home directory from /etc/passwd.
- */
-Path getHomeOf(uid_t userId);
-
-/**
- * @return $HOME or the user's home directory from /etc/passwd.
- */
-Path getHome();
-
-/**
- * @return $XDG_CACHE_HOME or $HOME/.cache.
- */
-Path getCacheDir();
-
-/**
- * @return $XDG_CONFIG_HOME or $HOME/.config.
- */
-Path getConfigDir();
-
-/**
- * @return the directories to search for user configuration files
- */
-std::vector<Path> getConfigDirs();
-
-/**
- * @return $XDG_DATA_HOME or $HOME/.local/share.
- */
-Path getDataDir();
-
-/**
- * @return $XDG_STATE_HOME or $HOME/.local/state.
- *
- * @note Not to be confused with settings.nixStateDir.
- */
-Path getStateDir();
-
-/**
- * Create $XDG_STATE_HOME/nix or $HOME/.local/state/nix, and return
- * the path to it.
- * @note Not to be confused with settings.nixStateDir.
- */
-Path createNixStateDir();
-
-
 /**
  * Save the current mount namespace. Ignored if called more than
  * once.
diff --git a/src/nix-channel/nix-channel.cc b/src/nix-channel/nix-channel.cc
index 26003f021..971337b63 100644
--- a/src/nix-channel/nix-channel.cc
+++ b/src/nix-channel/nix-channel.cc
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 #include "legacy.hh"
 #include "fetchers.hh"
 #include "eval-settings.hh" // for defexpr
-#include "util.hh"
+#include "users.hh"
 
 #include <fcntl.h>
 #include <regex>
diff --git a/src/nix-env/nix-env.cc b/src/nix-env/nix-env.cc
index ad255a1e1..227a3331c 100644
--- a/src/nix-env/nix-env.cc
+++ b/src/nix-env/nix-env.cc
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@
 #include "store-api.hh"
 #include "local-fs-store.hh"
 #include "user-env.hh"
-#include "util.hh"
+#include "users.hh"
 #include "value-to-json.hh"
 #include "xml-writer.hh"
 #include "legacy.hh"