diff --git a/src/browser/atom-window.coffee b/src/browser/atom-window.coffee
index 16456d274..a346f5c77 100644
--- a/src/browser/atom-window.coffee
+++ b/src/browser/atom-window.coffee
@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@ class AtomWindow
     loadSettings.resourcePath = @resourcePath
     loadSettings.devMode ?= false
     loadSettings.safeMode ?= false
+    loadSettings.atomHome = process.env.ATOM_HOME
 
     # Only send to the first non-spec window created
     if @constructor.includeShellLoadTime and not @isSpec
diff --git a/static/index.js b/static/index.js
index c21cd6327..2a5bcad3a 100644
--- a/static/index.js
+++ b/static/index.js
@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
 (function () {
-  var fs = require('fs-plus')
   var path = require('path')
   var FileSystemBlobStore = require('../src/file-system-blob-store')
   var NativeCompileCache = require('../src/native-compile-cache')
@@ -16,11 +15,6 @@
         console.error('Unhandled promise rejection %o with error: %o', promise, error)
       })
 
-      // Ensure ATOM_HOME is always set before anything else is required
-      // This is because of a difference in Linux not inherited between browser and render processes
-      // issue #5142
-      setupAtomHome()
-
       blobStore = FileSystemBlobStore.load(
         path.join(process.env.ATOM_HOME, 'blob-store/')
       )
@@ -92,24 +86,6 @@
     require('ipc').sendChannel('window-command', 'window:loaded')
   }
 
-  function setupAtomHome () {
-    if (!process.env.ATOM_HOME) {
-      var home
-      if (process.platform === 'win32') {
-        home = process.env.USERPROFILE
-      } else {
-        home = process.env.HOME
-      }
-      var atomHome = path.join(home, '.atom')
-      try {
-        atomHome = fs.realpathSync(atomHome)
-      } catch (error) {
-        // Ignore since the path might just not exist yet.
-      }
-      process.env.ATOM_HOME = atomHome
-    }
-  }
-
   function setupCsonCache (cacheDir) {
     require('season').setCacheDir(path.join(cacheDir, 'cson'))
   }
@@ -193,6 +169,20 @@
     }, false)
   }
 
+  var setupAtomHome = function () {
+    if (process.env.ATOM_HOME) {
+      return
+    }
+
+    // Ensure ATOM_HOME is always set before anything else is required
+    // This is because of a difference in Linux not inherited between browser and render processes
+    // https://github.com/atom/atom/issues/5412
+    if (loadSettings && loadSettings.atomHome) {
+      process.env.ATOM_HOME = loadSettings.atomHome
+    }
+  }
+
   parseLoadSettings()
+  setupAtomHome()
   setupWindowBackground()
 })()