diff --git a/docs/binary.rst b/docs/binary.rst
index 97d84fc4d..534e4fdfe 100644
--- a/docs/binary.rst
+++ b/docs/binary.rst
@@ -55,8 +55,8 @@ particular desktop, but it should work for most major desktop environments.
     # If you want to open text files and images in kitty via your file manager also add the kitty-open.desktop file
     cp ~/.local/kitty.app/share/applications/kitty-open.desktop ~/.local/share/applications/
     # Update the paths to the kitty and its icon in the kitty desktop file(s)
-    sed -i "s|Icon=kitty|Icon=/home/$USER/.local/kitty.app/share/icons/hicolor/256x256/apps/kitty.png|g" ~/.local/share/applications/kitty*.desktop
-    sed -i "s|Exec=kitty|Exec=/home/$USER/.local/kitty.app/bin/kitty|g" ~/.local/share/applications/kitty*.desktop
+    sed -i "s|Icon=kitty|Icon=$(readlink -f ~)/.local/kitty.app/share/icons/hicolor/256x256/apps/kitty.png|g" ~/.local/share/applications/kitty*.desktop
+    sed -i "s|Exec=kitty|Exec=$(readlink -f ~)/.local/kitty.app/bin/kitty|g" ~/.local/share/applications/kitty*.desktop
     # Make xdg-terminal-exec (and hence desktop environments that support it use kitty)
     echo 'kitty.desktop' > ~/.config/xdg-terminals.list