diff --git a/CHANGELOG_PENDING.md b/CHANGELOG_PENDING.md
index 8a1927a39ca..6773dacfffc 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG_PENDING.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG_PENDING.md
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 ### SDK Features
 
 ### SDK Enhancements
+* `aws/session`: Modified config resolution strategy when `$HOME` or `%USERPROFILE%` environment variables are not set.
+  * When the environment variables are not set, the SDK will attempt to determine the home directory using `user.Current()`. 
 
 ### SDK Bugs
diff --git a/internal/shareddefaults/shared_config.go b/internal/shareddefaults/shared_config.go
index ebcbc2b40a3..34fea49ca81 100644
--- a/internal/shareddefaults/shared_config.go
+++ b/internal/shareddefaults/shared_config.go
@@ -1,9 +1,8 @@
 package shareddefaults
 
 import (
-	"os"
+	"os/user"
 	"path/filepath"
-	"runtime"
 )
 
 // SharedCredentialsFilename returns the SDK's default file path
@@ -31,10 +30,17 @@ func SharedConfigFilename() string {
 // UserHomeDir returns the home directory for the user the process is
 // running under.
 func UserHomeDir() string {
-	if runtime.GOOS == "windows" { // Windows
-		return os.Getenv("USERPROFILE")
+	var home string
+
+	home = userHomeDir()
+	if len(home) > 0 {
+		return home
+	}
+
+	currUser, _ := user.Current()
+	if currUser != nil {
+		home = currUser.HomeDir
 	}
 
-	// *nix
-	return os.Getenv("HOME")
+	return home
 }
diff --git a/internal/shareddefaults/shared_config_resolve_home.go b/internal/shareddefaults/shared_config_resolve_home.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..eb298ae0fc1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/shareddefaults/shared_config_resolve_home.go
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+//go:build !go1.12
+// +build !go1.12
+
+package shareddefaults
+
+import (
+	"os"
+	"runtime"
+)
+
+func userHomeDir() string {
+	if runtime.GOOS == "windows" { // Windows
+		return os.Getenv("USERPROFILE")
+	}
+
+	// *nix
+	return os.Getenv("HOME")
+}
diff --git a/internal/shareddefaults/shared_config_resolve_home_go1.12.go b/internal/shareddefaults/shared_config_resolve_home_go1.12.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..51541b50876
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/shareddefaults/shared_config_resolve_home_go1.12.go
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+//go:build go1.12
+// +build go1.12
+
+package shareddefaults
+
+import (
+	"os"
+)
+
+func userHomeDir() string {
+	home, _ := os.UserHomeDir()
+	return home
+}