diff --git a/cmd/harvest/harvest.go b/cmd/harvest/harvest.go
index 32945dfa7..055d0a4c4 100644
--- a/cmd/harvest/harvest.go
+++ b/cmd/harvest/harvest.go
@@ -88,8 +88,8 @@ func doManageCmd(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) {
 		err                                              error
 	)
 	opts.command = cmd.Name()
-	HarvestHomePath = conf.GetHarvestHomePath()
-	HarvestConfigPath = conf.GetDefaultHarvestConfigPath()
+	HarvestHomePath = conf.Path()
+	HarvestConfigPath = conf.Path(conf.HarvestYML)
 
 	if opts.verbose {
 		_ = cmd.Flags().Set("loglevel", "1")
diff --git a/cmd/poller/options/options.go b/cmd/poller/options/options.go
index 24bb03721..d70f01ac4 100644
--- a/cmd/poller/options/options.go
+++ b/cmd/poller/options/options.go
@@ -68,7 +68,6 @@ func SetPathsAndHostname(args *Options) {
 		args.Hostname = hostname
 	}
 
-	args.HomePath = conf.GetHarvestHomePath()
-
+	args.HomePath = conf.Path()
 	args.LogPath = conf.GetHarvestLogPath()
 }
diff --git a/cmd/poller/poller.go b/cmd/poller/poller.go
index 7c7eb490e..4f223221e 100644
--- a/cmd/poller/poller.go
+++ b/cmd/poller/poller.go
@@ -778,7 +778,7 @@ func Union2(hNode *node.Node, poller *conf.Poller) {
 					newNode := node.NewS(yNode.Value)
 					// this is the value that goes along with the key from yNode
 					valNode := rootContent.Content[index+1]
-					//fmt.Printf("node type=%s val=%s %s\n", yNode.Value, valNode.Tag, valNode.Value)
+					// fmt.Printf("node type=%s val=%s %s\n", yNode.Value, valNode.Tag, valNode.Value)
 					switch valNode.Tag {
 					case "!!str", "!!bool":
 						newNode.Content = []byte(valNode.Value)
@@ -1163,7 +1163,7 @@ func (p *Poller) doZAPIsExist() error {
 }
 
 func startPoller(_ *cobra.Command, _ []string) {
-	//cmd.DebugFlags()  // uncomment to print flags
+	// cmd.DebugFlags()  // uncomment to print flags
 	poller := &Poller{}
 	poller.options = &args
 	if poller.Init() != nil {
@@ -1180,7 +1180,7 @@ var args = options.Options{
 }
 
 func init() {
-	configPath := conf.GetDefaultHarvestConfigPath()
+	configPath := conf.Path(conf.HarvestYML)
 
 	var flags = pollerCmd.Flags()
 	flags.StringVarP(&args.Poller, "poller", "p", "", "Poller name as defined in config")
diff --git a/cmd/tools/doctor/doctor.go b/cmd/tools/doctor/doctor.go
index 5ad102164..a1842d958 100644
--- a/cmd/tools/doctor/doctor.go
+++ b/cmd/tools/doctor/doctor.go
@@ -181,7 +181,7 @@ func checkCollectorName(config conf.HarvestConfig) validation {
 
 func checkCustomYaml(confParent string) validation {
 	valid := validation{isValid: true}
-	confDir := path.Join(conf.GetHarvestHomePath(), "conf")
+	confDir := conf.Path("conf")
 	if confParent != "" {
 		confDir = path.Join(confParent, "conf")
 	}
diff --git a/cmd/tools/grafana/grafana.go b/cmd/tools/grafana/grafana.go
index fe5175649..2440b009a 100644
--- a/cmd/tools/grafana/grafana.go
+++ b/cmd/tools/grafana/grafana.go
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ type Folder struct {
 
 func adjustOptions() {
 	opts.config = conf.ConfigPath(opts.config)
-	homePath = conf.GetHarvestHomePath()
+	homePath = conf.Path()
 	opts.dirGrafanaFolderMap = make(map[string]*Folder)
 
 	// When opt.addr starts with https don't change it
@@ -171,7 +171,7 @@ func exportFiles(dir string, folder *Folder) error {
 				fmt.Printf("error marshall dashboard [%s]: %v\n\n", uid, err)
 				return err
 			}
-			//#nosec G306 -- creating dashboards with group and other permissions of read are OK
+			// #nosec G306 -- creating dashboards with group and other permissions of read are OK
 			if err = os.WriteFile(fp, data, 0644); err != nil {
 				fmt.Printf("error write to [%s]: %v\n", fp, err)
 				return err
@@ -970,7 +970,7 @@ func doRequest(opts *options, method, url string, query map[string]interface{})
 		return nil, status, code, err
 	}
 
-	//fmt.Printf("(debug) send request [%s]\n", request.URL.String())
+	// fmt.Printf("(debug) send request [%s]\n", request.URL.String())
 
 	request.Header = opts.headers
 
diff --git a/cmd/tools/rest/rest.go b/cmd/tools/rest/rest.go
index 34c7da99d..383735c4e 100644
--- a/cmd/tools/rest/rest.go
+++ b/cmd/tools/rest/rest.go
@@ -579,7 +579,7 @@ func stderr(format string, a ...any) {
 }
 
 func init() {
-	configPath := conf.GetDefaultHarvestConfigPath()
+	configPath := conf.Path(conf.HarvestYML)
 
 	Cmd.AddCommand(showCmd)
 	flags := Cmd.PersistentFlags()
diff --git a/cmd/tools/zapi/export.go b/cmd/tools/zapi/export.go
index e01a93562..74af3b3d7 100644
--- a/cmd/tools/zapi/export.go
+++ b/cmd/tools/zapi/export.go
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ func exportCounters(item *node.Node, c *client.Client, args *Args) error {
 	*/
 	var fp []string
 
-	harvestHomePath = conf.GetHarvestHomePath()
+	harvestHomePath = conf.Path()
 	fp = append(fp, harvestHomePath)
 	fp = append(fp, "conf/")
 	fp = append(fp, "zapiperf/")
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@ func exportCounters(item *node.Node, c *client.Client, args *Args) error {
 		fp = append(fp, "7mode")
 	}
 
-	//fp = append(fp, fmt.Sprintf("%d.%d.%d", c.System.Version[0], c.System.Version[1], c.System.Version[2]))
+	// fp = append(fp, fmt.Sprintf("%d.%d.%d", c.System.Version[0], c.System.Version[1], c.System.Version[2]))
 	fp = append(fp, "9.8.0")
 	fp = append(fp, strings.ReplaceAll(args.Object, ":", "_")+".yaml")
 
diff --git a/cmd/tools/zapi/zapi.go b/cmd/tools/zapi/zapi.go
index 0997bff32..3b583519b 100644
--- a/cmd/tools/zapi/zapi.go
+++ b/cmd/tools/zapi/zapi.go
@@ -331,7 +331,7 @@ func getData(c *client.Client, args *Args) (*node.Node, error) {
 var args = &Args{}
 
 func init() {
-	configPath := conf.GetDefaultHarvestConfigPath()
+	configPath := conf.Path(conf.HarvestYML)
 	Cmd.AddCommand(showCmd, exportCmd)
 	flags := Cmd.PersistentFlags()
 	flags.StringVarP(&args.Poller, "poller", "p", "", "name of poller (cluster), as defined in your harvest config")
diff --git a/pkg/conf/conf.go b/pkg/conf/conf.go
index 116d655f3..ce16a2207 100644
--- a/pkg/conf/conf.go
+++ b/pkg/conf/conf.go
@@ -13,11 +13,9 @@ import (
 	"gopkg.in/yaml.v3"
 	"log"
 	"os"
-	"path"
 	"path/filepath"
 	"regexp"
 	"strconv"
-	"strings"
 )
 
 var Config = HarvestConfig{}
@@ -170,25 +168,13 @@ func PollerNamed(name string) (*Poller, error) {
 	return poller, nil
 }
 
-// GetDefaultHarvestConfigPath returns the absolute path of the default harvest config file.
-func GetDefaultHarvestConfigPath() string {
-	configPath := os.Getenv("HARVEST_CONF")
-	if configPath == "" {
-		return "./" + HarvestYML
-	}
-	return path.Join(configPath, HarvestYML)
-}
-
-// GetHarvestHomePath returns the value of the env var HARVEST_CONF or ./
-func GetHarvestHomePath() string {
-	harvestConf := os.Getenv("HARVEST_CONF")
-	if harvestConf == "" {
-		return "./"
-	}
-	if strings.HasSuffix(harvestConf, "/") {
-		return harvestConf
-	}
-	return harvestConf + "/"
+// Path joins a set of path elems into a single path.
+// The final path will be relative to the HARVEST_CONF environment variable
+// or ./ when the environment variable is not set
+func Path(elem ...string) string {
+	home := os.Getenv("HARVEST_CONF")
+	paths := append([]string{home}, elem...)
+	return filepath.Join(paths...)
 }
 
 func GetHarvestLogPath() string {