diff --git a/servers/slapd/back-bdb2/back-bdb2.h b/servers/slapd/back-bdb2/back-bdb2.h
index 082052d2ff..b05e1c2eb4 100644
--- a/servers/slapd/back-bdb2/back-bdb2.h
+++ b/servers/slapd/back-bdb2/back-bdb2.h
@@ -15,8 +15,8 @@ LDAP_BEGIN_DECL
 	which is suggested by Sleepycat  */
 #define DEFAULT_DBCACHE_SIZE (128 * DEFAULT_DB_PAGE_SIZE)
 
-#define DEFAULT_DB_DIRECTORY	"/usr/tmp"
-#define DEFAULT_DB_HOME         "/usr/tmp"
+#define DEFAULT_DB_DIRECTORY	LDAP_RUNDIR LDAP_DIRSEP "openldap-bdb2"
+#define DEFAULT_DB_HOME         DEFAULT_DB_DIRECTORY
 #define DEFAULT_MODE		0600
 
 #define SUBLEN			3
diff --git a/servers/slapd/back-ldbm/back-ldbm.h b/servers/slapd/back-ldbm/back-ldbm.h
index 2692137d4c..b73c187f95 100644
--- a/servers/slapd/back-ldbm/back-ldbm.h
+++ b/servers/slapd/back-ldbm/back-ldbm.h
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ LDAP_BEGIN_DECL
 #	define DEFAULT_DBCACHE_SIZE 100000
 #endif
 
-#define DEFAULT_DB_DIRECTORY	"/usr/tmp"
+#define DEFAULT_DB_DIRECTORY	LDAP_RUNDIR LDAP_DIRSEP "openldap-ldbm"
 #define DEFAULT_MODE		0600
 
 #define SUBLEN			3