diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
index e124de95b..288156311 100644
--- a/Cargo.lock
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -98,6 +98,7 @@ version = "0.0.1"
 dependencies = [
  "anyhow",
  "derive_builder",
+ "directories",
  "futures",
  "hyper",
  "pin-project",
@@ -107,7 +108,6 @@ dependencies = [
  "tokio-util",
  "tor-chanmgr",
  "tor-circmgr",
- "tor-config",
  "tor-dirmgr",
  "tor-persist",
  "tor-proto",
diff --git a/crates/arti-client/Cargo.toml b/crates/arti-client/Cargo.toml
index e619f76d6..76dae2239 100644
--- a/crates/arti-client/Cargo.toml
+++ b/crates/arti-client/Cargo.toml
@@ -25,13 +25,13 @@ experimental-api = []
 [dependencies]
 tor-circmgr = { path="../tor-circmgr", version = "0.0.1"}
 tor-chanmgr = { path="../tor-chanmgr", version = "0.0.1"}
-tor-config = { path="../tor-config", version = "0.0.1"}
 tor-dirmgr = { path="../tor-dirmgr", version = "0.0.1"}
 tor-persist = { path="../tor-persist", version = "0.0.1"}
 tor-proto = { path="../tor-proto", version = "0.0.1"}
 tor-rtcompat = { path="../tor-rtcompat", version = "0.0.1"}
 
 derive_builder = "0.10.2"
+directories = "4.0.1"
 futures = "0.3.13"
 tracing = "0.1.26"
 serde = { version = "1.0.124", features = ["derive"] }
diff --git a/crates/arti-client/src/config.rs b/crates/arti-client/src/config.rs
index 3d4d7c03b..606fd02dc 100644
--- a/crates/arti-client/src/config.rs
+++ b/crates/arti-client/src/config.rs
@@ -94,19 +94,23 @@ pub struct TorClientConfig {
 impl TorClientConfig {
     /// Returns a `TorClientConfig` using reasonably sane defaults.
     ///
-    /// This uses `tor_config`'s definitions for `APP_LOCAL_DATA` and
-    /// `APP_CACHE` for the state and cache directories respectively.
+    /// This gies the same result as using `tor_config`'s definitions
+    /// for `APP_LOCAL_DATA` and `APP_CACHE` for the state and cache
+    /// directories respectively.
     ///
     /// (On unix, this usually works out to `~/.local/share/arti` and
     /// `~/.cache/arti`, depending on your environment.  We use the
     /// `directories` crate for reasonable defaults on other platforms.)
     pub fn sane_defaults() -> Result<Self> {
-        let state_dir = tor_config::CfgPath::new("${APP_LOCAL_DATA}".into())
-            .path()
-            .map_err(|e| Error::Configuration(format!("failed to find APP_LOCAL_DATA: {:?}", e)))?;
-        let cache_dir = tor_config::CfgPath::new("${APP_CACHE}".into())
-            .path()
-            .map_err(|e| Error::Configuration(format!("failed to find APP_CACHE: {:?}", e)))?;
+        // Note: this must stay in sync with project_dirs() in the
+        // tor-config crate.
+        let dirs =
+            directories::ProjectDirs::from("org", "torproject", "Arti").ok_or_else(|| {
+                Error::Configuration("Could not determine default directories".to_string())
+            })?;
+
+        let state_dir = dirs.data_local_dir();
+        let cache_dir = dirs.cache_dir();
 
         Self::with_directories(state_dir, cache_dir)
     }
diff --git a/crates/tor-config/src/path.rs b/crates/tor-config/src/path.rs
index 6a8630330..375468716 100644
--- a/crates/tor-config/src/path.rs
+++ b/crates/tor-config/src/path.rs
@@ -98,6 +98,8 @@ impl std::fmt::Display for CfgPath {
 /// Return a ProjectDirs object for the Arti project.
 fn project_dirs() -> Result<&'static ProjectDirs, Error> {
     /// lazy cell holding the ProjectDirs object.
+    // Note: this must stay in sync with sane_defaults() in the
+    // arti-client crate.
     static PROJECT_DIRS: Lazy<Option<ProjectDirs>> =
         Lazy::new(|| ProjectDirs::from("org", "torproject", "Arti"));