diff --git a/priv/base/env.sh b/priv/base/env.sh
index bcaf475..d05bb66 100755
--- a/priv/base/env.sh
+++ b/priv/base/env.sh
@@ -44,7 +44,14 @@ fi
 # Registered process to wait for to consider start a success
 WAIT_FOR_PROCESS={{runner_wait_process}}
 
-WHOAMI=`whoami`
+WHOAMI=`id -un`
+
+# erlexec requires HOME to be set. The username needs to be a
+# unquoted literal because of the tilde expansion, hence the
+# usage of eval.
+if [ -z "$HOME" ]; then
+    export HOME=`eval echo "~$WHOAMI"`
+fi
 
 # Echo to stderr on errors
 echoerr() { echo "$@" 1>&2; }