diff --git a/config/category.go b/config/category.go
index 308079a..188919b 100644
--- a/config/category.go
+++ b/config/category.go
@@ -99,7 +99,7 @@ func DefaultCategories() map[ModelCategory]CategoryConfig {
 }
 
 // GetCategoryRegistry returns the global category registry.
-// It loads overrides from ~/.hawk/categories.json if present.
+// It loads overrides from Hawk user config if present.
 func GetCategoryRegistry() *CategoryRegistry {
 	registryOnce.Do(func() {
 		globalRegistry = &CategoryRegistry{
@@ -117,11 +117,15 @@ func ResetCategoryRegistry() {
 }
 
 func (r *CategoryRegistry) loadOverrides() {
-	home, err := os.UserHomeDir()
-	if err != nil {
-		return
+	configDir := os.Getenv("HAWK_CONFIG_DIR")
+	if configDir == "" {
+		dir, err := os.UserConfigDir()
+		if err != nil || dir == "" {
+			return
+		}
+		configDir = filepath.Join(dir, "hawk")
 	}
-	path := filepath.Join(home, ".hawk", "categories.json")
+	path := filepath.Join(configDir, "categories.json")
 	data, err := os.ReadFile(path)
 	if err != nil {
 		return // file not found is fine
diff --git a/config/provider_env.go b/config/provider_env.go
index afdd6bc..0ec48dd 100644
--- a/config/provider_env.go
+++ b/config/provider_env.go
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/GrayCodeAI/eyrie/catalog"
 )
 
-// ProviderConfig mirrors ~/.hawk/provider.json.
+// ProviderConfig mirrors the Hawk provider.json file.
 type ProviderConfig struct {
 	ConfigVersion              int                         `json:"config_version,omitempty"`
 	Version                    string                      `json:"_version,omitempty"`
@@ -314,8 +314,10 @@ func GetProviderConfigDir() string {
 	if d := os.Getenv("HAWK_CONFIG_DIR"); d != "" {
 		return d
 	}
-	home, _ := os.UserHomeDir()
-	return filepath.Join(home, ".hawk")
+	if d, err := os.UserConfigDir(); err == nil && d != "" {
+		return filepath.Join(d, "hawk")
+	}
+	panic("hawk provider config: user config directory unavailable")
 }
 
 // GetProviderConfigPath returns the full path to provider.json.
diff --git a/config/provider_env_test.go b/config/provider_env_test.go
index b34422d..9aa1b64 100644
--- a/config/provider_env_test.go
+++ b/config/provider_env_test.go
@@ -119,11 +119,11 @@ func TestGetProviderConfigDir(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Errorf("expected %q, got %q", dir, got)
 	}
 
-	// Test without env var (falls back to ~/.hawk)
+	// Test without env var (uses OS config dir when available)
 	os.Unsetenv("HAWK_CONFIG_DIR")
 	got = GetProviderConfigDir()
-	if !strings.HasSuffix(got, ".hawk") {
-		t.Errorf("expected path ending in .hawk, got %q", got)
+	if !strings.HasSuffix(got, filepath.Join("hawk")) {
+		t.Errorf("expected path ending in hawk, got %q", got)
 	}
 }