diff --git a/mopidy/__main__.py b/mopidy/__main__.py
index c22ee13c..fe215636 100644
--- a/mopidy/__main__.py
+++ b/mopidy/__main__.py
@@ -254,6 +254,7 @@ def filter_enabled_extensions(raw_config, extensions):
 def load_config(files, overrides, extensions):
     parser = configparser.RawConfigParser()
 
+    files = [path.expand_path(f) for f in files]
     sources = ['builtin-defaults'] + files + ['command-line']
     logging.info('Loading config from: %s', ', '.join(sources))
 
@@ -266,7 +267,6 @@ def load_config(files, overrides, extensions):
 
     # Load config from a series of config files
     for filename in files:
-        filename = path.expand_path(filename)
         try:
             filehandle = codecs.open(filename, encoding='utf-8')
             parser.readfp(filehandle)
diff --git a/mopidy/utils/path.py b/mopidy/utils/path.py
index 7d988a90..4e5a66cd 100644
--- a/mopidy/utils/path.py
+++ b/mopidy/utils/path.py
@@ -99,6 +99,7 @@ def split_path(path):
 
 
 def expand_path(path):
+    # TODO: expandvars as well?
     path = string.Template(path).safe_substitute(XDG_DIRS)
     path = os.path.expanduser(path)
     path = os.path.abspath(path)