diff --git a/gazebo/common/CommonIface.hh b/gazebo/common/CommonIface.hh
index cc990d8a14..82606a8528 100644
--- a/gazebo/common/CommonIface.hh
+++ b/gazebo/common/CommonIface.hh
@@ -85,6 +85,12 @@ namespace gazebo
     GZ_COMMON_VISIBLE
     const char *getEnv(const char *_name);
 
+#ifdef _WIN32
+    #define HOMEDIR "USERPROFILE"
+#else
+    #define HOMEDIR "HOME"
+#endif  // _WIN32
+
     /// \brief Get the current working directory
     /// \return Name of the current directory
     GZ_COMMON_VISIBLE
diff --git a/gazebo/common/Console.cc b/gazebo/common/Console.cc
index 5bda931a05..b334978369 100644
--- a/gazebo/common/Console.cc
+++ b/gazebo/common/Console.cc
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@
 #include "gazebo/common/Exception.hh"
 #include "gazebo/common/Time.hh"
 #include "gazebo/common/Console.hh"
+#include "gazebo/common/CommonIface.hh"
 
 #include "gazebo/gazebo_config.h"
 
@@ -155,7 +156,7 @@ FileLogger::~FileLogger()
 /////////////////////////////////////////////////
 void FileLogger::Init(const std::string &_prefix, const std::string &_filename)
 {
-  if (!getenv("HOME"))
+  if (!getenv(HOMEDIR))
   {
     gzerr << "Missing HOME environment variable."
           << "No log file will be generated.";
@@ -165,7 +166,7 @@ void FileLogger::Init(const std::string &_prefix, const std::string &_filename)
   FileLogger::Buffer *buf = static_cast<FileLogger::Buffer*>(
       this->rdbuf());
 
-  boost::filesystem::path logPath(getenv("HOME"));
+  boost::filesystem::path logPath(getenv(HOMEDIR));
 
   // Create a subdirectory for the informational log. The name of the directory
   // will be <PREFIX><MASTER_PORT>. E.g.: server-11346. If the environment
diff --git a/gazebo/common/ModelDatabase.cc b/gazebo/common/ModelDatabase.cc
index 4e46add362..c434a1cdf3 100644
--- a/gazebo/common/ModelDatabase.cc
+++ b/gazebo/common/ModelDatabase.cc
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@
 #include "gazebo/common/ModelDatabasePrivate.hh"
 #include "gazebo/common/ModelDatabase.hh"
 #include "gazebo/common/SemanticVersion.hh"
+#include "gazebo/common/CommonIface.hh"
 
 using namespace gazebo;
 using namespace common;
@@ -503,7 +504,7 @@ std::string ModelDatabase::GetModelPath(const std::string &_uri,
         continue;
       }
 
-      std::string outputPath = getenv("HOME");
+      std::string outputPath = getenv(HOMEDIR);
       outputPath += "/.gazebo/models";
 
 #ifndef _WIN32
diff --git a/gazebo/common/SystemPaths.cc b/gazebo/common/SystemPaths.cc
index 08e84f234e..788628eac7 100644
--- a/gazebo/common/SystemPaths.cc
+++ b/gazebo/common/SystemPaths.cc
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@
 #include "gazebo/common/Exception.hh"
 #include "gazebo/common/ModelDatabase.hh"
 #include "gazebo/common/SystemPaths.hh"
+#include "gazebo/common/CommonIface.hh"
 
 using namespace gazebo;
 using namespace common;
@@ -81,7 +82,7 @@ SystemPaths::SystemPaths()
     return;
   }
 
-  char *homePath = getenv("HOME");
+  char *homePath = getenv(HOMEDIR);
   std::string home;
   if (!homePath)
     home = this->TmpPath() + "/gazebo";
diff --git a/gazebo/gui/DataLogger.cc b/gazebo/gui/DataLogger.cc
index e25cb0157c..40f9eb32b9 100644
--- a/gazebo/gui/DataLogger.cc
+++ b/gazebo/gui/DataLogger.cc
@@ -254,11 +254,7 @@ DataLogger::DataLogger(QWidget *_parent)
       "~/log/status",  &DataLogger::OnStatus, this);
 
   // Fill the path with the home folder - duplicated from util/LogRecord
-#ifndef _WIN32
-  const char *homePath = common::getEnv("HOME");
-#else
-  const char *homePath = common::getEnv("HOMEPATH");
-#endif
+  const char *homePath = common::getEnv(HOMEDIR);
 
   GZ_ASSERT(homePath, "HOME environment variable is missing");
 
diff --git a/gazebo/gui/GuiIface.cc b/gazebo/gui/GuiIface.cc
index 018e3a6f23..1d6c03ed8a 100644
--- a/gazebo/gui/GuiIface.cc
+++ b/gazebo/gui/GuiIface.cc
@@ -43,12 +43,6 @@
 #include "gazebo/gui/GuiPlugin.hh"
 #include "gazebo/gui/RenderWidget.hh"
 
-#ifdef WIN32
-# define HOMEDIR "HOMEPATH"
-#else
-# define HOMEDIR "HOME"
-#endif  // WIN32
-
 // These are needed by QT. They need to stay valid during the entire
 // lifetime of the application, and argc > 0 and argv must contain one valid
 // character string
diff --git a/gazebo/gui/MainWindow.cc b/gazebo/gui/MainWindow.cc
index 9cd24dde47..7b04049043 100644
--- a/gazebo/gui/MainWindow.cc
+++ b/gazebo/gui/MainWindow.cc
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@
 #include "gazebo/common/Console.hh"
 #include "gazebo/common/Events.hh"
 #include "gazebo/common/Exception.hh"
+#include "gazebo/common/CommonIface.hh"
 
 #include "gazebo/msgs/msgs.hh"
 
@@ -463,7 +464,7 @@ void MainWindow::Open()
 /////////////////////////////////////////////////
 void MainWindow::SaveINI()
 {
-  char *home = getenv("HOME");
+  char *home = getenv(HOMEDIR);
   if (!home)
   {
     gzerr << "HOME environment variable not found. "
diff --git a/gazebo/gui/SaveEntityDialog.cc b/gazebo/gui/SaveEntityDialog.cc
index 296cf10fb7..66e49262aa 100644
--- a/gazebo/gui/SaveEntityDialog.cc
+++ b/gazebo/gui/SaveEntityDialog.cc
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@
 
 #include "gazebo/common/SystemPaths.hh"
 #include "gazebo/common/Console.hh"
+#include "gazebo/common/CommonIface.hh"
 
 #include "gazebo/gui/GuiIface.hh"
 #include "gazebo/gui/SaveEntityDialog.hh"
@@ -408,7 +409,7 @@ void SaveEntityDialog::AddDirToModelPaths(const std::string &_path)
 
     // Save any changes that were made to the property tree
     // TODO: check gui.ini env variable
-    char *home = getenv("HOME");
+    char *home = getenv(HOMEDIR);
     if (home)
     {
       boost::filesystem::path guiINIPath = home;
diff --git a/gazebo/rendering/Camera.cc b/gazebo/rendering/Camera.cc
index 8b6e717e7e..246868298b 100644
--- a/gazebo/rendering/Camera.cc
+++ b/gazebo/rendering/Camera.cc
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@
 #include "gazebo/common/Console.hh"
 #include "gazebo/common/Exception.hh"
 #include "gazebo/common/VideoEncoder.hh"
+#include "gazebo/common/CommonIface.hh"
 
 #include "gazebo/rendering/ogre_gazebo.h"
 #include "gazebo/rendering/RTShaderSystem.hh"
@@ -101,7 +102,7 @@ Camera::Camera(const std::string &_name, ScenePtr _scene,
 
   this->sceneNode = NULL;
 
-  this->screenshotPath = getenv("HOME");
+  this->screenshotPath = getenv(HOMEDIR);
   this->screenshotPath += "/.gazebo/pictures";
 
   // Connect to the render signal
diff --git a/gazebo/util/Diagnostics.cc b/gazebo/util/Diagnostics.cc
index 55626b0fc1..60983bdab6 100644
--- a/gazebo/util/Diagnostics.cc
+++ b/gazebo/util/Diagnostics.cc
@@ -32,11 +32,7 @@ using namespace gazebo::util;
 DiagnosticManager::DiagnosticManager()
 : dataPtr(new DiagnosticManagerPrivate)
 {
-#ifndef _WIN32
-  const char *homePath = common::getEnv("HOME");
-#else
-  const char *homePath = common::getEnv("HOMEPATH");
-#endif
+  const char *homePath = common::getEnv(HOMEDIR);
   this->dataPtr->logPath = homePath;
 
   // Get the base of the time logging path
diff --git a/gazebo/util/LogRecord.cc b/gazebo/util/LogRecord.cc
index 19658f54a4..221543655a 100644
--- a/gazebo/util/LogRecord.cc
+++ b/gazebo/util/LogRecord.cc
@@ -71,11 +71,7 @@ LogRecord::LogRecord()
   this->dataPtr->readyToStart = false;
 
   // Get the user's home directory
-#ifndef _WIN32
-  const char *homePath = common::getEnv("HOME");
-#else
-  const char *homePath = common::getEnv("HOMEPATH");
-#endif
+  const char *homePath = common::getEnv(HOMEDIR);
 
   GZ_ASSERT(homePath, "HOME environment variable is missing");
 
diff --git a/gazebo/util/LogRecord_TEST.cc b/gazebo/util/LogRecord_TEST.cc
index 7448c2bfcf..70912ac25f 100644
--- a/gazebo/util/LogRecord_TEST.cc
+++ b/gazebo/util/LogRecord_TEST.cc
@@ -33,11 +33,7 @@ TEST_F(LogRecord_TEST, Constructor)
 {
   gazebo::util::LogRecord *recorder = gazebo::util::LogRecord::Instance();
 
-#ifndef _WIN32
-  const char *homePath = common::getEnv("HOME");
-#else
-  const char *homePath = common::getEnv("HOMEPATH");
-#endif
+  const char *homePath = common::getEnv(HOMEDIR);
 
   EXPECT_TRUE(homePath != NULL);
 
diff --git a/test/integration/plugin.cc b/test/integration/plugin.cc
index 19f605e535..e4240da9a6 100644
--- a/test/integration/plugin.cc
+++ b/test/integration/plugin.cc
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
 #include <boost/filesystem.hpp>
 
 #include "gazebo/test/ServerFixture.hh"
+#include "gazebo/common/CommonIface.hh"
 
 using namespace gazebo;
 class PluginTest : public ServerFixture
@@ -36,7 +37,7 @@ TEST_F(PluginTest, ModelExceptionConstructor)
 
   world->Step(100);
 
-  char *home = getenv("HOME");
+  char *home = getenv(HOMEDIR);
   ASSERT_TRUE(home);
 
   boost::filesystem::path path(home);
@@ -71,7 +72,7 @@ TEST_F(PluginTest, ModelExceptionInit)
 
   world->Step(100);
 
-  char *home = getenv("HOME");
+  char *home = getenv(HOMEDIR);
   ASSERT_TRUE(home);
 
   boost::filesystem::path path(home);
@@ -106,7 +107,7 @@ TEST_F(PluginTest, ModelExceptionLoad)
 
   world->Step(100);
 
-  char *home = getenv("HOME");
+  char *home = getenv(HOMEDIR);
   ASSERT_TRUE(home);
 
   boost::filesystem::path path(home);
diff --git a/test/integration/sdf_errors.cc b/test/integration/sdf_errors.cc
index c1bce2b223..aa4e322e09 100644
--- a/test/integration/sdf_errors.cc
+++ b/test/integration/sdf_errors.cc
@@ -40,11 +40,7 @@ class SDFLogsTest : public ServerFixture
 {
   public: void SetUp()
   {
-#ifndef _WIN32
-  const boost::filesystem::path home = common::getEnv("HOME");
-#else
-  const boost::filesystem::path home = common::getEnv("HOMEPATH");
-#endif
+    const boost::filesystem::path home = common::getEnv(HOMEDIR);
     boost::filesystem::path log_path("/.gazebo/server-11345/default.log");
     path = home / log_path;
   }