diff --git a/arduino-ide-extension/src/browser/workspace-service-ext-impl.ts b/arduino-ide-extension/src/browser/workspace-service-ext-impl.ts
index 3c036ad2..225bd3f7 100644
--- a/arduino-ide-extension/src/browser/workspace-service-ext-impl.ts
+++ b/arduino-ide-extension/src/browser/workspace-service-ext-impl.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
 import { inject, injectable } from 'inversify';
-import URI from '@theia/core/lib/common/uri';
 import { FileSystem } from '@theia/filesystem/lib/common';
 import { WorkspaceService } from '@theia/workspace/lib/browser/workspace-service';
 import { WorkspaceServiceExt } from './workspace-service-ext';
@@ -21,27 +20,4 @@ export class WorkspaceServiceExtImpl implements WorkspaceServiceExt {
         return stats.map(stat => stat.uri);
     }
 
-    async defaultWorkspaceUri(): Promise<string> {
-        const home = await this.fileSystem.getCurrentUserHome();
-        if (home) {
-            return new URI(home.uri).resolve('Arduino-PoC').resolve('workspace').toString();
-        }
-        throw new Error(`Could not locate current user's home folder.`);
-    }
-
-    async defaultDownloadsDirUri(): Promise<string> {
-        const home = await this.fileSystem.getCurrentUserHome();
-        if (home) {
-            return new URI(home.uri).resolve('Arduino-PoC').resolve('downloads').toString();
-        }
-        throw new Error(`Could not locate current user's home folder.`);
-    }
-
-    async defaultDataDirUri(): Promise<string> {
-        const home = await this.fileSystem.getCurrentUserHome();
-        if (home) {
-            return new URI(home.uri).resolve('Arduino-PoC').resolve('data').toString();
-        }
-        throw new Error(`Could not locate current user's home folder.`);
-    }
 }
diff --git a/arduino-ide-extension/src/browser/workspace-service-ext.ts b/arduino-ide-extension/src/browser/workspace-service-ext.ts
index 82c46208..8d77fbac 100644
--- a/arduino-ide-extension/src/browser/workspace-service-ext.ts
+++ b/arduino-ide-extension/src/browser/workspace-service-ext.ts
@@ -2,11 +2,4 @@ export const WorkspaceServiceExtPath = '/services/workspace-service-ext';
 export const WorkspaceServiceExt = Symbol('WorkspaceServiceExt');
 export interface WorkspaceServiceExt {
     roots(): Promise<string[]>;
-    /**
-     * By default it is under `~/Arduino-PoC/workspace`.
-     * It might not exist yet.
-     */
-    defaultWorkspaceUri(): Promise<string>;
-    defaultDownloadsDirUri(): Promise<string>;
-    defaultDataDirUri(): Promise<string>;
 }
diff --git a/arduino-ide-extension/src/node/core-client-provider-impl.ts b/arduino-ide-extension/src/node/core-client-provider-impl.ts
index 45b7f5fb..8a980a41 100644
--- a/arduino-ide-extension/src/node/core-client-provider-impl.ts
+++ b/arduino-ide-extension/src/node/core-client-provider-impl.ts
@@ -10,6 +10,8 @@ import * as PQueue from 'p-queue';
 import { ToolOutputServiceServer } from '../common/protocol/tool-output-service';
 import { Instance } from './cli-protocol/common_pb';
 import * as fs from 'fs-extra';
+import * as path from 'path';
+import * as os from 'os';
 
 @injectable()
 export class CoreClientProviderImpl implements CoreClientProvider {
@@ -66,20 +68,12 @@ export class CoreClientProviderImpl implements CoreClientProvider {
             throw new Error(`Could not resolve filesystem path of URI: ${rootUri}.`);
         }
 
-        const defaultDownloadsDirUri = await this.workspaceServiceExt.defaultDownloadsDirUri();
-        const defaultDownloadsDirPath = await this.fileSystem.getFsPath(defaultDownloadsDirUri);
-        if (!defaultDownloadsDirPath) {
-            throw new Error(`Could not resolve filesystem path of URI: ${defaultDownloadsDirUri}.`);
-        }
+        const defaultDownloadsDirPath = path.resolve(os.homedir(), 'Arduino-PoC', 'downloads');
         if (!fs.existsSync(defaultDownloadsDirPath)) {
             fs.mkdirpSync(defaultDownloadsDirPath);
         }
 
-        const defaultDataDirUri = await this.workspaceServiceExt.defaultDataDirUri();
-        const defaultDataDirPath = await this.fileSystem.getFsPath(defaultDataDirUri);
-        if (!defaultDataDirPath) {
-            throw new Error(`Could not resolve filesystem path of URI: ${defaultDataDirUri}.`);
-        }
+        const defaultDataDirPath = path.resolve(os.homedir(), 'Arduino-PoC', 'data')
         if (!fs.existsSync(defaultDataDirPath)) {
             fs.mkdirpSync(defaultDataDirPath);
         }