diff --git a/core/shell.py b/core/shell.py
index ef8973f850..fcdb9088d6 100644
--- a/core/shell.py
+++ b/core/shell.py
@@ -609,8 +609,15 @@ def Main(lang, arg_r, environ, login_shell, loader, line_input):
                                       debug_f, line_input)  # type: comp_ui._IDisplay
       else:
         display = comp_ui.MinimalDisplay(comp_ui_state, prompt_state, debug_f)
+      if 'HISTFILE_%s' % lang.upper() in environ:
+        history_filename = environ.get('HISTFILE_%s' % lang.upper())
+      elif 'XDG_DATA_HOME' in environ:
+        history_filename = os_path.join(
+          environ.get('XDG_DATA_HOME'), 'oil/history_%s' % lang)
+      else:
+        history_filename = os_path.join(
+          home_dir, '.local/share/oil/history_%s' % lang)
 
-      history_filename = os_path.join(home_dir, '.config/oil/history_%s' % lang)
       comp_ui.InitReadline(line_input, history_filename, root_comp, display,
                            debug_f)
       if mylib.PYTHON:
diff --git a/oil-version.txt b/oil-version.txt
index 0ed0e932f2..fb980ffe5f 100644
--- a/oil-version.txt
+++ b/oil-version.txt
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 0.12.9
-
 # The first line of this file is the Oil version, and the rest is ignored.
-# It's used at build time for the release tarball, and at runtime for oil 
+# It's used at build time for the release tarball, and at runtime for oil
 # --version / osh --version.