diff --git a/run-medley b/run-medley
index c20418e0..928482ff 100755
--- a/run-medley
+++ b/run-medley
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ inferred_medleydir=false
 
 if [ -z "$MEDLEYDIR" ] ; then
     # the user is usually running this script from medley, so let's try that
-    export MEDLEYDIR=${PWD}
+    export MEDLEYDIR="${PWD}"
     inferred_medleydir=true
 fi
 
@@ -38,8 +38,18 @@ geometry="-g 1440x900"
 screensize="-sc 1440x900"
 passthrough_args=""
 
-export LDEDESTSYSOUT=${HOME}/lisp.virtualmem
-export LDEINIT="$MEDLEYDIR/greetfiles/SIMPLE-INIT"
+if [ -z "$LDEDESTSYSOUT" ] ; then
+    if [ -z "$LOGINDIR" ] ; then
+	export LDEDESTSYSOUT="${HOME}/lisp.virtualmem"
+    else
+	export LDEDESTSYSOUT="${LOGINDIR}/lisp.virtualmem"
+    fi
+fi
+
+if [ -z "$LDEINIT" ] ; then
+    export LDEINIT="$MEDLEYDIR/greetfiles/SIMPLE-INIT"
+fi
+
 export LDEKBDTYPE=x
 
 while [ "$#" -ne 0 ]; do
@@ -132,7 +142,7 @@ oldpath="$PATH"
 
 export PATH=.:"$PATH"
 cd "$MAIKODIR"/bin
-export PATH=$MAIKODIR/`osversion`.`machinetype`:"$oldpath"
+export PATH="$MAIKODIR"/`osversion`.`machinetype`:"$oldpath"
 
 cd "$OLDPWD"