diff --git a/code/nel/src/net/service.cpp b/code/nel/src/net/service.cpp
index 1f3436d1c..f7dc40da1 100644
--- a/code/nel/src/net/service.cpp
+++ b/code/nel/src/net/service.cpp
@@ -1169,7 +1169,7 @@ sint IService::main (const char *serviceShortName, const char *serviceLongName,
 		{
 			for (uint i = 0; i < var->size(); i++)
 			{
-				CPath::addSearchPath (var->asString(i), true, false);
+				CPath::addSearchPath (NLMISC::expandEnvironmentVariables(var->asString(i)), true, false);
 			}
 		}
 
@@ -1177,7 +1177,7 @@ sint IService::main (const char *serviceShortName, const char *serviceLongName,
 		{
 			for (uint i = 0; i < var->size(); i++)
 			{
-				CPath::addSearchPath (var->asString(i), false, false);
+				CPath::addSearchPath (NLMISC::expandEnvironmentVariables(var->asString(i)), false, false);
 			}
 		}
 
diff --git a/code/ryzom/server/src/ai_service/sheets.cpp b/code/ryzom/server/src/ai_service/sheets.cpp
index 56060db1e..57b26f4d2 100644
--- a/code/ryzom/server/src/ai_service/sheets.cpp
+++ b/code/ryzom/server/src/ai_service/sheets.cpp
@@ -906,7 +906,7 @@ void AISHEETS::CSheets::packSheets(const std::string &writeFilesDirectoryName)
 			{
 				addSearchPath=true;
 				for (uint32 i=0;i<varPtr->size();++i)
-					CPath::addSearchPath(varPtr->asString(i).c_str(), true, false);
+					CPath::addSearchPath(NLMISC::expandEnvironmentVariables(varPtr->asString(i)), true, false);
 			}
 			loadForm2("aiaction",	writeFilesDirectoryName+AISPackedActionSheetsFilename, _ActionSheets, true);
 		}
@@ -918,7 +918,7 @@ void AISHEETS::CSheets::packSheets(const std::string &writeFilesDirectoryName)
 			{
 				addSearchPath=true;
 				for (uint32 i=0;i<varPtr->size();++i)
-					CPath::addSearchPath(varPtr->asString(i).c_str(), true, false);
+					CPath::addSearchPath(NLMISC::expandEnvironmentVariables(varPtr->asString(i)), true, false);
 			}
 			loadForm("actionlist", writeFilesDirectoryName+AISPackedFightConfigSheetsFilename, _ActionListSheets, true);
 		}
@@ -931,7 +931,7 @@ void AISHEETS::CSheets::packSheets(const std::string &writeFilesDirectoryName)
 			{
 				addSearchPath=true;
 				for (uint32 i=0;i<varPtr->size();++i)
-					CPath::addSearchPath(varPtr->asString(i).c_str(), true, false);
+					CPath::addSearchPath(NLMISC::expandEnvironmentVariables(varPtr->asString(i)), true, false);
 			}
 			loadForm2("creature", writeFilesDirectoryName+AISPackedSheetsFilename, _Sheets, true);
 		}
@@ -943,7 +943,7 @@ void AISHEETS::CSheets::packSheets(const std::string &writeFilesDirectoryName)
 			{
 				addSearchPath=true;
 				for (uint32 i=0;i<varPtr->size();++i)
-					CPath::addSearchPath(varPtr->asString(i).c_str(), true, false);
+					CPath::addSearchPath(NLMISC::expandEnvironmentVariables(varPtr->asString(i)), true, false);
 			}
 			loadForm2("race_stats", writeFilesDirectoryName+AISPackedRaceStatsSheetsFilename, _RaceStatsSheets, true);
 		}
diff --git a/code/ryzom/tools/client/client_patcher/main.cpp b/code/ryzom/tools/client/client_patcher/main.cpp
index a0730b19f..004e3d861 100644
--- a/code/ryzom/tools/client/client_patcher/main.cpp
+++ b/code/ryzom/tools/client/client_patcher/main.cpp
@@ -249,7 +249,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 	{
 		for(uint i = 0; i < ClientCfg.PreDataPath.size(); ++i)
 		{
-			CPath::addSearchPath(ClientCfg.PreDataPath[i], true, false);
+			CPath::addSearchPath(NLMISC::expandEnvironmentVariables(ClientCfg.PreDataPath[i]), true, false);
 		}
 	}
 
diff --git a/code/ryzom/tools/leveldesign/alias_synchronizer/alias_synchronizer.cpp b/code/ryzom/tools/leveldesign/alias_synchronizer/alias_synchronizer.cpp
index c080fd038..5bfd98eae 100644
--- a/code/ryzom/tools/leveldesign/alias_synchronizer/alias_synchronizer.cpp
+++ b/code/ryzom/tools/leveldesign/alias_synchronizer/alias_synchronizer.cpp
@@ -390,7 +390,7 @@ int main()
 	// add the search paths
 	for (uint i=0; i<paths.size(); ++i)
 	{
-		CPath::addSearchPath(paths.asString(i), true, false);
+		CPath::addSearchPath(NLMISC::expandEnvironmentVariables(paths.asString(i)), true, false);
 	}
 
 	// init ligo
diff --git a/code/ryzom/tools/make_alias_file/make_alias_file.cpp b/code/ryzom/tools/make_alias_file/make_alias_file.cpp
index 387a04a23..df35be9cb 100644
--- a/code/ryzom/tools/make_alias_file/make_alias_file.cpp
+++ b/code/ryzom/tools/make_alias_file/make_alias_file.cpp
@@ -179,7 +179,7 @@ int main( int argc, char ** argv )
 		sint i;
 		for( i = 0; i< (sint)cvSheetPaths.size(); ++i)
 		{
-			sheetPaths.push_back( cvSheetPaths.asString(i) );
+			sheetPaths.push_back(NLMISC::expandEnvironmentVariables(cvSheetPaths.asString(i)));
 		}
 	}
 	catch(const EUnknownVar &) 
diff --git a/code/ryzom/tools/server/build_world_packed_col/build_world_packed_col.cpp b/code/ryzom/tools/server/build_world_packed_col/build_world_packed_col.cpp
index f03489196..b9ab53f98 100644
--- a/code/ryzom/tools/server/build_world_packed_col/build_world_packed_col.cpp
+++ b/code/ryzom/tools/server/build_world_packed_col/build_world_packed_col.cpp
@@ -108,7 +108,7 @@ int main(int argc, char* argv[])
 	//
 	for(uint k = 0; k < builderConfig.SearchPaths.size(); ++k)
 	{
-		CPath::addSearchPath(builderConfig.SearchPaths[k], true, false);
+		CPath::addSearchPath(NLMISC::expandEnvironmentVariables(builderConfig.SearchPaths[k]), true, false);
 	}
 	CPath::remapExtension("dds", "tga", true);
 	CPath::remapExtension("dds", "png", true);
diff --git a/code/ryzom/tools/sheets_packer/sheets_packer_init.cpp b/code/ryzom/tools/sheets_packer/sheets_packer_init.cpp
index 51d6c0095..1490895c6 100644
--- a/code/ryzom/tools/sheets_packer/sheets_packer_init.cpp
+++ b/code/ryzom/tools/sheets_packer/sheets_packer_init.cpp
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ bool init()
 	// Define the root path that contains all data needed for the application.
 	nlinfo("Adding search paths...");
 	for(uint i = 0; i < AppCfg.DataPath.size(); i++)
-		CPath::addSearchPath(AppCfg.DataPath[i], true, false);
+		CPath::addSearchPath(NLMISC::expandEnvironmentVariables(AppCfg.DataPath[i]), true, false);
 
 	// Initialize Sheet IDs.
 	nlinfo("Init SheetId...");
diff --git a/code/ryzom/tools/translation_tools/extract_bot_names.cpp b/code/ryzom/tools/translation_tools/extract_bot_names.cpp
index 4c3268e1f..e25d0e2b0 100644
--- a/code/ryzom/tools/translation_tools/extract_bot_names.cpp
+++ b/code/ryzom/tools/translation_tools/extract_bot_names.cpp
@@ -256,11 +256,11 @@ int extractBotNames(int argc, char *argv[])
 
 	for (uint i=0; i<paths.size(); ++i)
 	{
-		CPath::addSearchPath(paths.asString(i), true, false);
+		CPath::addSearchPath(NLMISC::expandEnvironmentVariables(paths.asString(i)), true, false);
 	}
 	for (uint i=0; i<pathNoRecurse.size(); ++i)
 	{
-		CPath::addSearchPath(pathNoRecurse.asString(i), false, false);
+		CPath::addSearchPath(NLMISC::expandEnvironmentVariables(pathNoRecurse.asString(i)), false, false);
 	}
 
 	for (uint i=0; i<filtersVar.size(); ++i)
@@ -278,7 +278,7 @@ int extractBotNames(int argc, char *argv[])
 	if (Creatures.empty())
 	{
 		for (uint i=0;i<georgesPaths.size();++i)
-			CPath::addSearchPath(georgesPaths.asString(i).c_str(), true, false);
+			CPath::addSearchPath(NLMISC::expandEnvironmentVariables(georgesPaths.asString(i)), true, false);
 
 		loadForm("creature", PACKED_SHEETS_NAME, Creatures, true);
 	}
diff --git a/code/ryzom/tools/translation_tools/extract_new_sheet_names.cpp b/code/ryzom/tools/translation_tools/extract_new_sheet_names.cpp
index a2ef5f2d2..d593a44b1 100644
--- a/code/ryzom/tools/translation_tools/extract_new_sheet_names.cpp
+++ b/code/ryzom/tools/translation_tools/extract_new_sheet_names.cpp
@@ -360,15 +360,15 @@ int extractNewSheetNames(int argc, char *argv[])
 	// parse path
 	for (uint i=0; i<paths.size(); ++i)
 	{
-		CPath::addSearchPath(paths.asString(i), true, false);
+		CPath::addSearchPath(NLMISC::expandEnvironmentVariables(paths.asString(i)), true, false);
 	}
 	for (uint i=0; i<pathNoRecurse.size(); ++i)
 	{
-		CPath::addSearchPath(pathNoRecurse.asString(i), false, false);
+		CPath::addSearchPath(NLMISC::expandEnvironmentVariables(pathNoRecurse.asString(i)), false, false);
 	}
 	
 	// init ligo config once
-	string ligoPath = CPath::lookup(ligoClassFile.asString(), true, true);
+	string ligoPath = CPath::lookup(NLMISC::expandEnvironmentVariables(ligoClassFile.asString()), true, true);
 	LigoConfig.readPrimitiveClass(ligoPath.c_str(), false);
 	NLLIGO::Register();
 	CPrimitiveContext::instance().CurrentLigoConfig = &LigoConfig;