diff --git a/org.eclipse.jgit/resources/org/eclipse/jgit/internal/JGitText.properties b/org.eclipse.jgit/resources/org/eclipse/jgit/internal/JGitText.properties
index c9ca11b54..9dd632093 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.jgit/resources/org/eclipse/jgit/internal/JGitText.properties
+++ b/org.eclipse.jgit/resources/org/eclipse/jgit/internal/JGitText.properties
@@ -269,6 +269,7 @@ exceptionCaughtDuringExecutionOfTagCommand=Exception caught during execution of
 exceptionHookExecutionInterrupted=Execution of "{0}" hook interrupted.
 exceptionOccurredDuringAddingOfOptionToALogCommand=Exception occurred during adding of {0} as option to a Log command
 exceptionOccurredDuringReadingOfGIT_DIR=Exception occurred during reading of $GIT_DIR/{0}. {1}
+exceptionWhileFindingUserHome=Problem determining the user home directory, trying Java user.home
 exceptionWhileReadingPack=Exception caught while accessing pack file {0}, the pack file might be corrupt. Caught {1} consecutive errors while trying to read this pack.
 expectedACKNAKFoundEOF=Expected ACK/NAK, found EOF
 expectedACKNAKGot=Expected ACK/NAK, got: {0}
@@ -356,6 +357,7 @@ invalidGitdirRef = Invalid .git reference in file ''{0}''
 invalidGitModules=Invalid .gitmodules file
 invalidGitType=invalid git type: {0}
 invalidHexString=Invalid hex string: {0}
+invalidHomeDirectory=Invalid home directory: {0}
 invalidHooksPath=Invalid git config core.hooksPath = {0}
 invalidId=Invalid id: {0}
 invalidId0=Invalid id
diff --git a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/internal/JGitText.java b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/internal/JGitText.java
index ec2414d41..f18ecb921 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/internal/JGitText.java
+++ b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/internal/JGitText.java
@@ -297,6 +297,7 @@ public class JGitText extends TranslationBundle {
 	/***/ public String exceptionHookExecutionInterrupted;
 	/***/ public String exceptionOccurredDuringAddingOfOptionToALogCommand;
 	/***/ public String exceptionOccurredDuringReadingOfGIT_DIR;
+	/***/ public String exceptionWhileFindingUserHome;
 	/***/ public String exceptionWhileReadingPack;
 	/***/ public String expectedACKNAKFoundEOF;
 	/***/ public String expectedACKNAKGot;
@@ -384,6 +385,7 @@ public class JGitText extends TranslationBundle {
 	/***/ public String invalidGitModules;
 	/***/ public String invalidGitType;
 	/***/ public String invalidHexString;
+	/***/ public String invalidHomeDirectory;
 	/***/ public String invalidHooksPath;
 	/***/ public String invalidId;
 	/***/ public String invalidId0;
diff --git a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/util/FS.java b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/util/FS.java
index 988953b00..91574efec 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/util/FS.java
+++ b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/util/FS.java
@@ -1036,12 +1036,36 @@ public abstract class FS {
 	public File userHome() {
 		Holder<File> p = userHome;
 		if (p == null) {
-			p = new Holder<>(userHomeImpl());
+			p = new Holder<>(safeUserHomeImpl());
 			userHome = p;
 		}
 		return p.value;
 	}
 
+	private File safeUserHomeImpl() {
+		File home;
+		try {
+			home = userHomeImpl();
+			if (home != null) {
+				home.toPath();
+				return home;
+			}
+		} catch (RuntimeException e) {
+			LOG.error(JGitText.get().exceptionWhileFindingUserHome, e);
+		}
+		home = defaultUserHomeImpl();
+		if (home != null) {
+			try {
+				home.toPath();
+				return home;
+			} catch (InvalidPathException e) {
+				LOG.error(MessageFormat
+						.format(JGitText.get().invalidHomeDirectory, home), e);
+			}
+		}
+		return null;
+	}
+
 	/**
 	 * Set the user's home directory location.
 	 *
@@ -1081,6 +1105,10 @@ public abstract class FS {
 	 * @return the user's home directory; null if the user does not have one.
 	 */
 	protected File userHomeImpl() {
+		return defaultUserHomeImpl();
+	}
+
+	private File defaultUserHomeImpl() {
 		final String home = AccessController.doPrivileged(
 				(PrivilegedAction<String>) () -> System.getProperty("user.home") //$NON-NLS-1$
 		);