diff --git a/cmd/mg/cmd/common.go b/cmd/mg/cmd/common.go
index a892724..cb331c3 100644
--- a/cmd/mg/cmd/common.go
+++ b/cmd/mg/cmd/common.go
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package cmd
 import (
 	"log"
 	"os"
+	"strings"
 
 	"github.com/taigrr/mg/parse"
 )
@@ -27,5 +28,11 @@ func GetConfig() parse.MGConfig {
 			}
 		}
 	}
+	homeDir, _ := os.UserHomeDir()
+	for i, repo := range conf.Repos {
+		if strings.HasPrefix(repo.Path, "$HOME") {
+			conf.Repos[i].Path = strings.Replace(repo.Path, "$HOME", homeDir, 1)
+		}
+	}
 	return conf
 }
diff --git a/cmd/mg/cmd/register.go b/cmd/mg/cmd/register.go
index 87f5153..86215d2 100644
--- a/cmd/mg/cmd/register.go
+++ b/cmd/mg/cmd/register.go
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"log"
 	"os"
+	"strings"
 
 	git "github.com/go-git/go-git/v5"
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
@@ -52,6 +53,16 @@ var registerCmd = &cobra.Command{
 			os.Exit(1)
 		}
 		path = newPath.Filesystem.Root()
+
+		homeDir, err := os.UserHomeDir()
+		if err != nil {
+			log.Println("Unable to get home directory")
+			os.Exit(1)
+		}
+		if strings.HasPrefix(path, homeDir) {
+			path = "$HOME" + path[len(homeDir):]
+		}
+
 		for _, v := range conf.Repos {
 			if v.Path == path {
 				fmt.Printf("repo %s already registered\n", path)
diff --git a/parse/myrepos.go b/parse/myrepos.go
index 8559b07..3f8b462 100644
--- a/parse/myrepos.go
+++ b/parse/myrepos.go
@@ -32,9 +32,9 @@ func (m MRConfig) ToMGConfig() MGConfig {
 	mgconf := MGConfig(m)
 	for i, repo := range mgconf.Repos {
 		checkout := repo.Remote
-		if strings.HasPrefix(checkout, "git clone '") {
+		if after, ok := strings.CutPrefix(checkout, "git clone '"); ok {
 			// git clone 'git@bitbucket.org:taigrr/mg.git' 'mg'
-			remote := strings.TrimPrefix(checkout, "git clone '")
+			remote := after
 			sp := strings.Split(remote, "' '")
 			remote = sp[0]
 			mgconf.Repos[i].Remote = remote