diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 5d04c97..b4af105 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@
 /aerc.debug
 log
 raw.log
-aerc.conf
 *.1
 *.5
 *.7
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index a1973d2..9c8b921 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -10,8 +10,6 @@ SHAREDIR?=$(PREFIX)/share/aerc
 MANDIR?=$(PREFIX)/share/man
 GO?=go
 GOFLAGS?=
-LDFLAGS:=-X main.Prefix=$(PREFIX)
-LDFLAGS+=-X main.ShareDir=$(SHAREDIR)
 LDFLAGS+=-X main.Version=$(VERSION)
 
 GOSRC:=$(shell find * -name '*.go')
@@ -30,7 +28,7 @@ DOCS := \
 	aerc-templates.7 \
 	aerc-stylesets.7
 
-all: aerc aerc.conf $(DOCS)
+all: aerc $(DOCS)
 
 aerc: $(GOSRC)
 	$(GO) build $(GOFLAGS) -ldflags "$(LDFLAGS)" -o $@
@@ -47,9 +45,6 @@ checkfmt:
 		exit 1; \
 	fi
 
-aerc.conf: config/aerc.conf.in
-	sed -e 's:@SHAREDIR@:$(SHAREDIR):g' > $@ < config/aerc.conf.in
-
 .PHONY: debug
 debug: aerc.debug
 	@echo 'Run `./aerc.debug` and use this command in another terminal to attach a debugger:'
@@ -73,9 +68,9 @@ doc: $(DOCS)
 RM?=rm -f
 
 clean:
-	$(RM) $(DOCS) aerc.conf aerc
+	$(RM) $(DOCS) aerc
 
-install: $(DOCS) aerc aerc.conf
+install: $(DOCS) aerc
 	mkdir -m755 -p $(DESTDIR)$(BINDIR) $(DESTDIR)$(MANDIR)/man1 $(DESTDIR)$(MANDIR)/man5 $(DESTDIR)$(MANDIR)/man7 \
 		$(DESTDIR)$(SHAREDIR) $(DESTDIR)$(SHAREDIR)/filters $(DESTDIR)$(SHAREDIR)/templates $(DESTDIR)$(SHAREDIR)/stylesets
 	install -m755 aerc $(DESTDIR)$(BINDIR)/aerc
@@ -91,7 +86,7 @@ install: $(DOCS) aerc aerc.conf
 	install -m644 aerc-templates.7 $(DESTDIR)$(MANDIR)/man7/aerc-templates.7
 	install -m644 aerc-stylesets.7 $(DESTDIR)$(MANDIR)/man7/aerc-stylesets.7
 	install -m644 config/accounts.conf $(DESTDIR)$(SHAREDIR)/accounts.conf
-	install -m644 aerc.conf $(DESTDIR)$(SHAREDIR)/aerc.conf
+	install -m644 config/aerc.conf $(DESTDIR)$(SHAREDIR)/aerc.conf
 	install -m644 config/binds.conf $(DESTDIR)$(SHAREDIR)/binds.conf
 	install -m755 filters/hldiff $(DESTDIR)$(SHAREDIR)/filters/hldiff
 	install -m755 filters/html $(DESTDIR)$(SHAREDIR)/filters/html
diff --git a/aerc.go b/aerc.go
index 6467c61..555b3a3 100644
--- a/aerc.go
+++ b/aerc.go
@@ -86,10 +86,8 @@ func getCompletions(aerc *widgets.Aerc, cmd string) []string {
 	return completions
 }
 
-var (
-	ShareDir string
-	Version  string
-)
+// set at build time
+var Version string
 
 func usage() {
 	log.Fatal("Usage: aerc [-v] [mailto:...]")
@@ -152,7 +150,7 @@ func main() {
 	logger = log.New(logOut, "", log.LstdFlags)
 	logger.Println("Starting up aerc")
 
-	conf, err := config.LoadConfigFromFile(nil, ShareDir, logger)
+	conf, err := config.LoadConfigFromFile(nil, logger)
 	if err != nil {
 		fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "Failed to load config: %v\n", err)
 		os.Exit(1)
diff --git a/config/aerc.conf.in b/config/aerc.conf
similarity index 90%
rename from config/aerc.conf.in
rename to config/aerc.conf
index 98cd679..2c928f6 100644
--- a/config/aerc.conf.in
+++ b/config/aerc.conf
@@ -96,10 +96,16 @@ sort=
 next-message-on-delete=true
 
 # The directories where the stylesets are stored. It takes a colon-separated
-# list of directories.
+# list of directories. If this is unset or if a styleset cannot be found, the
+# following paths will be used as a fallback in that order:
 #
-# default: @SHAREDIR@/stylesets/
-stylesets-dirs=@SHAREDIR@/stylesets/
+#   ~/.config/aerc/stylesets
+#   ~/.local/share/aerc/stylesets
+#   /usr/local/share/aerc/stylesets
+#   /usr/share/aerc/stylesets
+#
+# default: ""
+stylesets-dirs=
 
 # Uncomment to use box-drawing characters for vertical and horizontal borders.
 #
@@ -215,9 +221,8 @@ reply-to-self=true
 # You can also match on non-mimetypes, by prefixing with the header to match
 # against (non-case-sensitive) and a comma, e.g. subject,text will match a
 # subject which contains "text". Use header,~regex to match against a regex.
-subject,~^\[PATCH=awk -f @SHAREDIR@/filters/hldiff
-#text/html=@SHAREDIR@/filters/html
-text/*=awk -f @SHAREDIR@/filters/plaintext
+#subject,~^\[PATCH=colordiff
+#text/html=pandoc -f html -t plain
 #image/*=catimg -w $(tput cols) -
 
 [triggers]
@@ -236,10 +241,16 @@ new-email=
 #
 
 # The directories where the templates are stored. It takes a colon-separated
-# list of directories.
+# list of directories. If this is unset or if a template cannot be found, the
+# following paths will be used as a fallback in that order:
 #
-# default: @SHAREDIR@/templates/
-template-dirs=@SHAREDIR@/templates/
+#   ~/.config/aerc/templates
+#   ~/.local/share/aerc/templates
+#   /usr/local/share/aerc/templates
+#   /usr/share/aerc/templates
+#
+# default: ""
+template-dirs=
 
 # The default template to be used for new messages.
 #
diff --git a/config/config.go b/config/config.go
index 185a14c..f730fe4 100644
--- a/config/config.go
+++ b/config/config.go
@@ -296,14 +296,28 @@ func parseCredential(cred, command string) (string, error) {
 	return u.String(), nil
 }
 
-func installTemplate(root, sharedir, name string) error {
-	if _, err := os.Stat(root); os.IsNotExist(err) {
-		err := os.MkdirAll(root, 0755)
+var defaultDirs []string = []string{
+	path.Join(xdg.ConfigHome(), "aerc"),
+	path.Join(xdg.DataHome(), "aerc"),
+	"/usr/local/share/aerc",
+	"/usr/share/aerc",
+}
+
+func installTemplate(root, name string) error {
+	var err error
+	if _, err = os.Stat(root); os.IsNotExist(err) {
+		err = os.MkdirAll(root, 0755)
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
 	}
-	data, err := ioutil.ReadFile(path.Join(sharedir, name))
+	var data []byte
+	for _, dir := range defaultDirs {
+		data, err = ioutil.ReadFile(path.Join(dir, name))
+		if err == nil {
+			break
+		}
+	}
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
@@ -446,20 +460,30 @@ func (config *AercConfig) LoadConfig(file *ini.File) error {
 		if templateDirs != "" {
 			config.Templates.TemplateDirs = strings.Split(templateDirs, ":")
 		}
-		for key, val := range templatesSec.KeysHash() {
-			if key == "template-dirs" {
-				continue
-			}
-			// we want to fail during startup if the templates are not ok
-			// hence we do a dummy execute here
-			_, err := templates.ParseTemplateFromFile(
-				val, config.Templates.TemplateDirs, templates.DummyData())
-			if err != nil {
-				return err
-			}
-		}
 	}
 
+	// append default paths to template-dirs and styleset-dirs
+	for _, dir := range defaultDirs {
+		config.Ui.StyleSetDirs = append(
+			config.Ui.StyleSetDirs, path.Join(dir, "stylesets"),
+		)
+		config.Templates.TemplateDirs = append(
+			config.Templates.TemplateDirs, path.Join(dir, "templates"),
+		)
+	}
+
+	// we want to fail during startup if the templates are not ok
+	// hence we do dummy executes here
+	t := config.Templates
+	if err := templates.CheckTemplate(t.NewMessage, t.TemplateDirs); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	if err := templates.CheckTemplate(t.QuotedReply, t.TemplateDirs); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	if err := templates.CheckTemplate(t.Forwards, t.TemplateDirs); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
 	if err := config.Ui.loadStyleSet(
 		config.Ui.StyleSetDirs); err != nil {
 		return err
@@ -506,7 +530,7 @@ func validateBorderChars(section *ini.Section, config *UIConfig) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
-func LoadConfigFromFile(root *string, sharedir string, logger *log.Logger) (*AercConfig, error) {
+func LoadConfigFromFile(root *string, logger *log.Logger) (*AercConfig, error) {
 	if root == nil {
 		_root := path.Join(xdg.ConfigHome(), "aerc")
 		root = &_root
@@ -519,7 +543,7 @@ func LoadConfigFromFile(root *string, sharedir string, logger *log.Logger) (*Aer
 
 	// if it doesn't exist copy over the template, then load
 	if _, err := os.Stat(filename); errors.Is(err, os.ErrNotExist) {
-		if err := installTemplate(*root, sharedir, "aerc.conf"); err != nil {
+		if err := installTemplate(*root, "aerc.conf"); err != nil {
 			return nil, err
 		}
 	}
@@ -572,7 +596,7 @@ func LoadConfigFromFile(root *string, sharedir string, logger *log.Logger) (*Aer
 			NextMessageOnDelete: true,
 			CompletionDelay:     250 * time.Millisecond,
 			CompletionPopovers:  true,
-			StyleSetDirs:        []string{path.Join(sharedir, "stylesets")},
+			StyleSetDirs:        []string{},
 			StyleSetName:        "default",
 			// border defaults
 			BorderCharVertical:   ' ',
@@ -602,7 +626,7 @@ func LoadConfigFromFile(root *string, sharedir string, logger *log.Logger) (*Aer
 		},
 
 		Templates: TemplateConfig{
-			TemplateDirs: []string{path.Join(sharedir, "templates")},
+			TemplateDirs: []string{},
 			NewMessage:   "new_message",
 			QuotedReply:  "quoted_reply",
 			Forwards:     "forward_as_body",
@@ -636,7 +660,7 @@ func LoadConfigFromFile(root *string, sharedir string, logger *log.Logger) (*Aer
 	filename = path.Join(*root, "binds.conf")
 	binds, err := ini.Load(filename)
 	if err != nil {
-		if err := installTemplate(*root, sharedir, "binds.conf"); err != nil {
+		if err := installTemplate(*root, "binds.conf"); err != nil {
 			return nil, err
 		}
 		if binds, err = ini.Load(filename); err != nil {
diff --git a/doc/aerc-config.5.scd b/doc/aerc-config.5.scd
index ce53f9b..1992b59 100644
--- a/doc/aerc-config.5.scd
+++ b/doc/aerc-config.5.scd
@@ -208,10 +208,18 @@ These options are configured in the *[ui]* section of aerc.conf.
 	Default: spaces
 
 *stylesets-dirs*
-	The directories where the stylesets are stored. The config takes a
-	colon-separated list of dirs.
+	The directories where the stylesets are stored. The config takes
+	a colon-separated list of dirs. If this is unset or if a styleset cannot
+	be found, the following paths will be used as a fallback in that order:
 
-	Default: "/usr/share/aerc/stylesets"
+	```
+	~/.config/aerc/stylesets
+	~/.local/share/aerc/stylesets
+	/usr/local/share/aerc/stylesets
+	/usr/share/aerc/stylesets
+	```
+
+	Default: ""
 
 *styleset-name*
 	The name of the styleset to be used to style the ui elements. The
@@ -398,10 +406,18 @@ _/usr/share/aerc/templates_).
 These options are configured in the *[templates]* section of aerc.conf.
 
 *template-dirs*
-	The directory where the templates are stored. The config takes a
-	colon-separated list of dirs.
+	The directory where the templates are stored. The config takes
+	a colon-separated list of dirs. If this is unset or if a template cannot
+	be found, the following paths will be used as a fallback in that order:
 
-	Default: "/usr/share/aerc/templates"
+	```
+	~/.config/aerc/templates
+	~/.local/share/aerc/templates
+	/usr/local/share/aerc/templates
+	/usr/share/aerc/templates
+	```
+
+	Default: ""
 
 *new-message*
 	The default template to be used for new messages.
diff --git a/lib/templates/template.go b/lib/templates/template.go
index 6d66d8e..9c71c46 100644
--- a/lib/templates/template.go
+++ b/lib/templates/template.go
@@ -227,3 +227,11 @@ func ParseTemplateFromFile(templateName string, templateDirs []string, data inte
 	}
 	return &body, nil
 }
+
+func CheckTemplate(templateName string, templateDirs []string) error {
+	if templateName != "" {
+		_, err := ParseTemplateFromFile(templateName, templateDirs, DummyData())
+		return err
+	}
+	return nil
+}