diff --git a/changes/bug2971 b/changes/bug2971
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..8b71ce040b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changes/bug2971
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+  o Minor bugfixes:
+    - Be more consistent in our treatment of file system paths. ~ should
+      get expanded to the user's home directory in the Log config option.
+      Bugfix on 0.2.0.1-alpha, which introduced the feature for the -f and
+      --DataDirectory options.
+
diff --git a/src/or/config.c b/src/or/config.c
index 5000f5d60e..3770301370 100644
--- a/src/or/config.c
+++ b/src/or/config.c
@@ -4382,11 +4382,13 @@ options_init_logs(or_options_t *options, int validate_only)
     if (smartlist_len(elts) == 2 &&
         !strcasecmp(smartlist_get(elts,0), "file")) {
       if (!validate_only) {
-        if (add_file_log(severity, smartlist_get(elts, 1)) < 0) {
+        char *fname = expand_filename(smartlist_get(elts, 1));
+        if (add_file_log(severity, fname) < 0) {
           log_warn(LD_CONFIG, "Couldn't open file for 'Log %s': %s",
                    opt->value, strerror(errno));
           ok = 0;
         }
+        tor_free(fname);
       }
       goto cleanup;
     }