diff --git a/aql2/src/aql.cpp b/aql2/src/aql.cpp
index 6ab6ad61d15f2768c28266f4487a208e50a92836..be2832c93f1e3b5b76e25934546388fd7ff282fb 100644
--- a/aql2/src/aql.cpp
+++ b/aql2/src/aql.cpp
@@ -97,10 +97,14 @@ int main ( int argc, char * argv[] ) {
 		exceptions.push_back ( exception.error ( ) );
 	} );
 
-	const char* envHome = std::getenv ( "HOME" );
+	std::optional < std::filesystem::path > envHomePath;
+	if ( auto *env = std::getenv ( "HOME" ) ) {
+		envHomePath = std::string ( env );
+	}
+
 	std::unique_ptr < ReadlinePromptHistory > historyHandler;
-	if ( envHome != nullptr ) {
-		historyHandler = std::make_unique < ReadlinePromptHistory > ( std::string ( envHome ) + "/.aql_history" );
+	if ( envHomePath ) {
+		historyHandler = std::make_unique < ReadlinePromptHistory > ( envHomePath.value ( ) / ".aql_history" );
 	}
 
 	try {