diff --git a/avocado/core/data_dir.py b/avocado/core/data_dir.py
index 80d207263298bfe44e90021bea0b966b38b02cd6..ec3c7307b7a0967f6de749245c60537e952eaf13 100755
--- a/avocado/core/data_dir.py
+++ b/avocado/core/data_dir.py
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ def _get_settings_dir(dir_name):
     """
     Returns a given "datadir" directory as set by the configuration system
     """
-    return os.path.expanduser(settings.settings.get_value('datadir.paths', dir_name))
+    return settings.settings.get_value('datadir.paths', dir_name, 'path')
 
 
 def _get_rw_dir(settings_location, system_location, user_location):
diff --git a/avocado/core/sysinfo.py b/avocado/core/sysinfo.py
index e511a5555f07013dfc11a63218b620f5502d0c55..9ef76bff190ffda361248c15bd02ec9dbd006478 100644
--- a/avocado/core/sysinfo.py
+++ b/avocado/core/sysinfo.py
@@ -333,14 +333,14 @@ class SysInfo(object):
 
         commands_file = settings.get_value('sysinfo.collectibles',
                                            'commands',
-                                           key_type='str',
+                                           key_type='path',
                                            default='')
         log.info('Commands configured by file: %s', commands_file)
         self.commands = genio.read_all_lines(commands_file)
 
         files_file = settings.get_value('sysinfo.collectibles',
                                         'files',
-                                        key_type='str',
+                                        key_type='path',
                                         default='')
         log.info('Files configured by file: %s', files_file)
         self.files = genio.read_all_lines(files_file)
@@ -355,7 +355,7 @@ class SysInfo(object):
 
         profiler_file = settings.get_value('sysinfo.collectibles',
                                            'profilers',
-                                           key_type='str',
+                                           key_type='path',
                                            default='')
         self.profilers = genio.read_all_lines(profiler_file)
 
diff --git a/avocado/plugins/diff.py b/avocado/plugins/diff.py
index 2e82dda09c587dd707d62d282c33dacbcfb7db22..ab5430ed6b56c2b4d9c61f2e491e1933960d69cd 100644
--- a/avocado/plugins/diff.py
+++ b/avocado/plugins/diff.py
@@ -336,9 +336,9 @@ class Diff(CLICmd):
             resultsdir = os.path.dirname(os.path.expanduser(job_id))
             job_id = ''
         else:
-            logs_dir = settings.get_value('datadir.paths', 'logs_dir',
-                                          default=None)
-            logdir = os.path.expanduser(logs_dir)
+            logdir = settings.get_value(section='datadir.paths',
+                                        key='logs_dir', key_type='path',
+                                        default=None)
             try:
                 resultsdir = jobdata.get_resultsdir(logdir, job_id)
             except ValueError as exception:
diff --git a/avocado/plugins/gdb.py b/avocado/plugins/gdb.py
index 3fbd90db6359815518fc30f57fd4bbaa69678d33..a74645acf2c4a4cea48640cfd24359304fdb5a63 100644
--- a/avocado/plugins/gdb.py
+++ b/avocado/plugins/gdb.py
@@ -77,11 +77,12 @@ class GDB(CLI):
             gdb.GDB_ENABLE_CORE = True if args.gdb_coredump == 'on' else False
 
         system_gdb_path = utils_path.find_command('gdb', '/usr/bin/gdb')
-        gdb.GDB_PATH = settings.get_value('gdb.paths', 'gdb',
+        gdb.GDB_PATH = settings.get_value('gdb.paths', 'gdb', key_type='path',
                                           default=system_gdb_path)
         system_gdbserver_path = utils_path.find_command('gdbserver',
                                                         '/usr/bin/gdbserver')
         gdb.GDBSERVER_PATH = settings.get_value('gdb.paths',
                                                 'gdbserver',
+                                                key_type='path',
                                                 default=system_gdbserver_path)
         process.UNDEFINED_BEHAVIOR_EXCEPTION = exceptions.TestError
diff --git a/avocado/plugins/jobscripts.py b/avocado/plugins/jobscripts.py
index 87c88cc314be0a27d27c68a7e0d9cf79ce1e07eb..fc281e14ae1b19133b38718ac183ff318053d0ee 100644
--- a/avocado/plugins/jobscripts.py
+++ b/avocado/plugins/jobscripts.py
@@ -58,12 +58,12 @@ class JobScripts(JobPre, JobPost):
 
     def pre(self, job):
         path = settings.get_value(section=CONFIG_SECTION,
-                                  key="pre", key_type=str,
+                                  key="pre", key_type='path',
                                   default="/etc/avocado/scripts/job/pre.d/")
         self._run_scripts('pre', path, job)
 
     def post(self, job):
         path = settings.get_value(section=CONFIG_SECTION,
-                                  key="post", key_type=str,
+                                  key="post", key_type='path',
                                   default="/etc/avocado/scripts/job/post.d/")
         self._run_scripts('post', path, job)
diff --git a/avocado/plugins/replay.py b/avocado/plugins/replay.py
index 55028a5600d53bb6f2360d2fa38d47bc23d5045b..7bfcfa38bc1f85d61dc961ced57ea85ba5f43056 100644
--- a/avocado/plugins/replay.py
+++ b/avocado/plugins/replay.py
@@ -140,9 +140,9 @@ class Replay(CLI):
         if args.replay_datadir is not None:
             resultsdir = args.replay_datadir
         else:
-            logs_dir = settings.get_value('datadir.paths', 'logs_dir',
-                                          default=None)
-            logdir = os.path.expanduser(logs_dir)
+            logdir = settings.get_value(section='datadir.paths',
+                                        key='logs_dir', key_type='path',
+                                        default=None)
             try:
                 resultsdir = jobdata.get_resultsdir(logdir, args.replay_jobid)
             except ValueError as exception: