diff --git a/modules/email/mu4e/config.el b/modules/email/mu4e/config.el
index 90e95d8c8..90b2419e3 100644
--- a/modules/email/mu4e/config.el
+++ b/modules/email/mu4e/config.el
@@ -52,9 +52,12 @@
               ((featurep! :completion vertico) #'completing-read)
               (t #'ido-completing-read))
         mu4e-attachment-dir
-        (expand-file-name (or (getenv "XDG_DOWNLOAD_DIR")
-                              "Downloads")
-                          "~")
+        (if (executable-find "xdg-user-dir")
+            ;; remove trailing newline
+            (substring (shell-command-to-string "xdg-user-dir DOWNLOAD") 0 -1)
+          (expand-file-name (or (getenv "XDG_DOWNLOAD_DIR")
+                                "Downloads")
+                            "~"))
         ;; no need to ask
         mu4e-confirm-quit nil
         mu4e-headers-thread-single-orphan-prefix '("─>" . "─▶")