diff --git a/virtManager/addstorage.py b/virtManager/addstorage.py
index c31dc2b8d..21a56fb78 100644
--- a/virtManager/addstorage.py
+++ b/virtManager/addstorage.py
@@ -56,10 +56,7 @@ class vmmAddStorage(vmmGObjectUI):
     ##########################
 
     def _get_default_dir(self):
-        pool = self.conn.get_default_pool()
-        if pool:
-            return pool.get_target_path()
-        return self.config.get_default_image_dir(self.conn)
+        return virtinst.StoragePool.get_default_dir(self.conn.get_backend())
 
     def _get_ideal_path_info(self, name):
         path = self._get_default_dir()
diff --git a/virtManager/config.py b/virtManager/config.py
index 999b8364e..e983596bf 100644
--- a/virtManager/config.py
+++ b/virtManager/config.py
@@ -148,10 +148,6 @@ class vmmConfig(object):
     CONSOLE_SCALE_FULLSCREEN = 1
     CONSOLE_SCALE_ALWAYS = 2
 
-    DEFAULT_XEN_IMAGE_DIR = "/var/lib/xen/images"
-
-    DEFAULT_VIRT_IMAGE_DIR = "/var/lib/libvirt/images"
-
     def __init__(self, appname, CLIConfig, test_first_run=False):
         self.appname = appname
         self.appversion = CLIConfig.version
@@ -645,6 +641,7 @@ class vmmConfig(object):
         return None
 
     def get_default_directory(self, conn, _type):
+        ignore = conn
         key = self._get_default_dir_key(_type)
         path = None
 
@@ -655,7 +652,7 @@ class vmmConfig(object):
             if (_type == self.CONFIG_DIR_IMAGE or
                 _type == self.CONFIG_DIR_ISO_MEDIA or
                 _type == self.CONFIG_DIR_FLOPPY_MEDIA):
-                path = self.get_default_image_dir(conn)
+                path = os.getcwd()
 
         logging.debug("directory for type=%s returning=%s", _type, path)
         return path
@@ -668,19 +665,6 @@ class vmmConfig(object):
         logging.debug("saving directory for type=%s to %s", key, folder)
         self.conf.set("/paths/%s-default" % key, folder)
 
-    def get_default_image_dir(self, conn):
-        if conn.is_xen():
-            return self.DEFAULT_XEN_IMAGE_DIR
-
-        if (conn.is_qemu_session() or
-            not os.access(self.DEFAULT_VIRT_IMAGE_DIR, os.W_OK)):
-            return os.getcwd()
-
-        # Just return the default dir since the intention is that it
-        # is a managed pool and the user will be able to install to it.
-        return self.DEFAULT_VIRT_IMAGE_DIR
-
-
     # Keyring / VNC password dealings
     def get_secret_name(self, vm):
         return "vm-console-" + vm.get_uuid()
diff --git a/virtconv/formats.py b/virtconv/formats.py
index a14a87a60..9a6d23709 100644
--- a/virtconv/formats.py
+++ b/virtconv/formats.py
@@ -269,7 +269,7 @@ class VirtConverter(object):
             disk_format = None
 
         if destdir is None:
-            destdir = StoragePool.get_default_path(self.conn, build=not dry)
+            destdir = StoragePool.get_default_dir(self.conn, build=not dry)
 
         guest = self.get_guest()
         for disk in guest.get_devices("disk"):
diff --git a/virtinst/storage.py b/virtinst/storage.py
index 9a188bdae..a610a20a4 100644
--- a/virtinst/storage.py
+++ b/virtinst/storage.py
@@ -232,20 +232,23 @@ class StoragePool(_StorageObject):
 
 
     @staticmethod
-    def get_default_path(conn, build=True):
+    def get_default_dir(conn, build=False):
         """
-        Return the default storage path. If there's a 'default' pool,
-        report that. If there's no default pool, return the path we would
+        Return the default storage dir. If there's a 'default' pool,
+        report that. If there's no default pool, return the dir we would
         use for the default.
         """
         path = _get_default_pool_path(conn)
-        if not conn.check_support(conn.SUPPORT_CONN_STORAGE):
-            os.makedirs(path)
+        if (not conn.is_remote() and
+            not conn.check_support(conn.SUPPORT_CONN_STORAGE)):
+            if build and not os.path.exists(path):
+                os.makedirs(path)
             return path
 
         try:
-            poolobj = conn.storagePoolLookupByName("default")
-            return StoragePool(conn, parsexml=poolobj.XMLDesc(0)).target_path
+            for pool in conn.fetch_all_pools():
+                if pool.name == "default":
+                    return pool.target_path
         except:
             pass