diff --git a/cdc_fuse_fs/main.cc b/cdc_fuse_fs/main.cc
index 362afec..ef23e67 100644
--- a/cdc_fuse_fs/main.cc
+++ b/cdc_fuse_fs/main.cc
@@ -73,6 +73,31 @@ bool IsUpToDate(const std::string& components_arg) {
   return true;
 }
 
+absl::Status CreateMountDir(const std::vector<char*>& args) {
+  // Assume the mount dir is the last argument.
+  size_t argc = args.size();
+  if (argc < 2 || !args[argc - 1]) {
+    return absl::InvalidArgumentError(
+        "The last argument must be the mount directory");
+  }
+  std::string mount_dir = args[argc - 1];
+  if (mount_dir[0] == '-') {
+    return absl::InvalidArgumentError(absl::StrFormat(
+        "The last argument must be the mount directory, but is '%s'",
+        mount_dir));
+  }
+
+  // Expand ~ etc.
+  RETURN_IF_ERROR(cdc_ft::path::ExpandPathVariables(&mount_dir),
+                  "Failed to expand mount directory '%s'", mount_dir);
+
+  // Create expanded directory.
+  RETURN_IF_ERROR(cdc_ft::path::CreateDirRec(mount_dir),
+                  "Failed to create directory '%s'", mount_dir);
+
+  return absl::OkStatus();
+}
+
 }  // namespace
 }  // namespace cdc_ft
 
@@ -105,7 +130,7 @@ ABSL_FLAG(uint32_t, access_idle_timeout, cdc_ft::DataProvider::kAccessIdleSec,
 
 static_assert(static_cast<int>(absl::StatusCode::kOk) == 0, "kOk != 0");
 
-// Usage: cdc_fuse_fs <ABSL_FLAGs> -- mount_dir [-d|-s|..]
+// Usage: cdc_fuse_fs <ABSL_FLAGs> -- [-d|-s|.. mount_dir]
 // Any args after --  are FUSE args, search third_party/fuse for FUSE_OPT_KEY or
 // FUSE_LIB_OPT (there doesn't seem to be a place where they're all described).
 int main(int argc, char* argv[]) {
@@ -137,9 +162,16 @@ int main(int argc, char* argv[]) {
   printf("%s\n", cdc_ft::kFuseUpToDate);
   fflush(stdout);
 
+  // Create mount dir if it doesn't exist yet.
+  absl::Status status = cdc_ft::CreateMountDir(mount_args);
+  if (!status.ok()) {
+    LOG_ERROR("Failed to create mount directory: %s", status.ToString());
+    return 1;
+  }
+
   // Create fs. The rest of the flags are mount flags, so pass them along.
-  absl::Status status = cdc_ft::cdc_fuse_fs::Initialize(
-      static_cast<int>(mount_args.size()), mount_args.data());
+  status = cdc_ft::cdc_fuse_fs::Initialize(static_cast<int>(mount_args.size()),
+                                           mount_args.data());
   if (!status.ok()) {
     LOG_ERROR("Failed to initialize file system: %s", status.ToString());
     return static_cast<int>(status.code());
diff --git a/common/BUILD b/common/BUILD
index 76657c0..800acd2 100644
--- a/common/BUILD
+++ b/common/BUILD
@@ -35,16 +35,18 @@ cc_library(
             # Additional warnings from @com_github_dirent
             "/wd4505",  # unreferenced function with internal linkage has been removed
         ],
-        "//conditions:default": ["/wd4505"],
+        "//conditions:default": [],
     }),
     deps = [
         ":path",
         ":platform",
-        "@com_github_dirent//:dirent",
         "@com_google_absl//absl/status",
         "@com_google_absl//absl/strings",
         "@com_google_absl//absl/strings:str_format",
-    ],
+    ] + select({
+        "//tools:windows": ["@com_github_dirent//:dirent"],
+        "//conditions:default": [],
+    }),
 )
 
 cc_test(
diff --git a/common/path.cc b/common/path.cc
index e5b676f..b5d7e87 100644
--- a/common/path.cc
+++ b/common/path.cc
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@
 #include <stdlib.h>  // putenv
 #include <unistd.h>  // readlink
 #include <utime.h>   // struct utimbuf
+#include <wordexp.h>
 #define __stat64 stat64
 #define _chmod chmod
 #endif
@@ -198,8 +199,8 @@ absl::Status GetKnownFolderPath(FolderId folder_id, std::string* path) {
 }
 #endif
 
+absl::Status ExpandPathVariables(std::string* path) {
 #if PLATFORM_WINDOWS
-absl::Status ExpandEnvironmentPathVariables(std::string* path) {
   std::wstring wchar_path = Util::Utf8ToWideStr(*path);
 
   DWORD size = ::ExpandEnvironmentStrings(wchar_path.c_str(), nullptr, 0);
@@ -217,8 +218,18 @@ absl::Status ExpandEnvironmentPathVariables(std::string* path) {
   wchar_expanded.pop_back();
   *path = Util::WideToUtf8Str(wchar_expanded);
   return absl::OkStatus();
-}
+#else
+  wordexp_t res;
+  wordexp(path->c_str(), &res, 0);
+  if (res.we_wordc > 1) {
+    return absl::InvalidArgumentError(
+        "Path expands to multiple results (did you use * etc. ?");
+  }
+  *path = res.we_wordv[0];
+  wordfree(&res);
+  return absl::OkStatus();
 #endif
+}
 
 absl::Status GetEnv(const std::string& name, std::string* value) {
   value->clear();
diff --git a/common/path.h b/common/path.h
index 73fb9bf..8901277 100644
--- a/common/path.h
+++ b/common/path.h
@@ -99,12 +99,15 @@ enum class FolderId {
 
 // Returns the Windows known folder path for the given |folder_id|.
 absl::Status GetKnownFolderPath(FolderId folder_id, std::string* path);
-
-// Expands environment path variables like %APPDATA%. Variables are matched
-// case invariantly. Unknown environment variables are not changed.
-absl::Status ExpandEnvironmentPathVariables(std::string* path);
 #endif
 
+// Expands environment path variables like %APPDATA% on Windows or ~ on Linux.
+// On Windows, variables are matched case invariantly. Unknown environment
+// variables are not changed.
+// On Linux, performs a shell-like expansion. Returns an error if multiple
+// results would be returned, e.g. from *.txt.
+absl::Status ExpandPathVariables(std::string* path);
+
 // Returns the environment variable with given |name| in |value|.
 // Returns a NotFound error and sets |value| to an empty string if the variable
 // does not exist.
diff --git a/common/path_test.cc b/common/path_test.cc
index 7ea49ae..e0a08e0 100644
--- a/common/path_test.cc
+++ b/common/path_test.cc
@@ -199,22 +199,34 @@ TEST_F(PathTest, GetKnownFolderPath) {
 }
 #endif
 
+TEST_F(PathTest, ExpandPathVariables) {
 #if PLATFORM_WINDOWS
-TEST_F(PathTest, ExpandEnvironmentPathVariables) {
   std::string path = u8"%userPROfile%\\fOo\U0001F964";
-  EXPECT_OK(path::ExpandEnvironmentPathVariables(&path));
+  EXPECT_OK(path::ExpandPathVariables(&path));
   EXPECT_TRUE(absl::StartsWith(path, "C:\\Users\\")) << path;
   EXPECT_TRUE(absl::EndsWith(path, u8"\\fOo\U0001F964")) << path;
 
   path = "%ProgramFiles(x86)%\\Foo";
-  EXPECT_OK(path::ExpandEnvironmentPathVariables(&path));
+  EXPECT_OK(path::ExpandPathVariables(&path));
   EXPECT_EQ(path, "C:\\Program Files (x86)\\Foo");
 
   path = "%unrelated%\\fOo";
-  EXPECT_OK(path::ExpandEnvironmentPathVariables(&path));
+  EXPECT_OK(path::ExpandPathVariables(&path));
   EXPECT_EQ(path, "%unrelated%\\fOo") << path;
-}
+#else
+  std::string path = u8"fooU0001F964";
+  EXPECT_OK(path::ExpandPathVariables(&path));
+  EXPECT_EQ(path, u8"fooU0001F964");
+
+  path = "~/foo";
+  EXPECT_OK(path::ExpandPathVariables(&path));
+  EXPECT_TRUE(absl::StrContains(path, "home")) << path;
+
+  path = "*";
+  EXPECT_ERROR_MSG(InvalidArgument, "multiple results",
+                   path::ExpandPathVariables(&path));
 #endif
+}
 
 TEST_F(PathTest, GetEnv_DoesNotExist) {
   std::string value;
diff --git a/data_store/disk_data_store.cc b/data_store/disk_data_store.cc
index 531092b..3daa33b 100644
--- a/data_store/disk_data_store.cc
+++ b/data_store/disk_data_store.cc
@@ -84,6 +84,9 @@ DiskDataStore::DiskDataStore(unsigned int depth, std::string cache_root_dir,
 absl::StatusOr<std::unique_ptr<DiskDataStore>> DiskDataStore::Create(
     unsigned int depth, std::string cache_root_dir, bool create_dirs,
     SystemClock* clock) {
+  // Resolve e.g. ~.
+  RETURN_IF_ERROR(path::ExpandPathVariables(&cache_root_dir),
+                  "Failed to expand cache dir '%s'", cache_root_dir);
   std::unique_ptr<DiskDataStore> store = absl::WrapUnique(
       new DiskDataStore(depth, std::move(cache_root_dir), create_dirs, clock));
   if (create_dirs) {