diff --git a/packages/core/src/location-mutation.ts b/packages/core/src/location-mutation.ts
index 42f272c90d4..1475f9a3710 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/location-mutation.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/location-mutation.ts
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import { makeLocationNode } from "@opencode-ai/util/effect/app-node"
 import path from "path"
 import { Context, Effect, Layer, Schema } from "effect"
 import { FSUtil } from "@opencode-ai/util/fs-util"
+import { Global } from "@opencode-ai/util/global"
 import { Location } from "./location.js"
 import { Project } from "./project.js"
 import { ProjectMarkers } from "./project/markers.js"
@@ -13,9 +14,9 @@ export const Kind = Schema.Literals(["file", "directory"])
 export type Kind = typeof Kind.Type
 
 /**
- * Mutation paths do not accept project references. Relative paths resolve
- * from the active Location. Paths outside it require separate
- * `external_directory` approval.
+ * Mutation paths do not accept project references. A leading `~` expands to
+ * the home directory; other relative paths resolve from the active Location.
+ * Paths outside it require separate `external_directory` approval.
  */
 export const ResolveInput = Schema.Struct({
   path: Schema.String,
@@ -49,13 +50,25 @@ export interface Target {
 
 export interface Interface {
   /**
-   * Resolve a path and derive its permission resources. Relative paths resolve
-   * from the Location. Paths outside it require separate `external_directory`
-   * approval. This does not approve the mutation.
+   * Resolve a path and derive its permission resources. A leading `~` expands
+   * to the home directory; other relative paths resolve from the Location.
+   * Paths outside it require separate `external_directory` approval. This does
+   * not approve the mutation.
    */
   readonly resolve: (input: ResolveInput) => Effect.Effect<Target, FSUtil.Error>
 }
 
+/** Lexical absolute path, expanding a leading `~` before resolving against `directory`. */
+export const resolvePath = (directory: string, input: string, home = Global.Path.home) =>
+  path.resolve(
+    directory,
+    input === "~"
+      ? home
+      : input.startsWith("~/") || (process.platform === "win32" && input.startsWith("~\\"))
+        ? path.join(home, input.slice(2))
+        : input,
+  )
+
 export class Service extends Context.Service<Service, Interface>()("@opencode/LocationMutation") {}
 
 const slash = (value: string) => value.replaceAll("\\", "/")
@@ -68,7 +81,7 @@ const layer = Layer.effect(
     const markers = yield* ProjectMarkers.Service
 
     const resolve = Effect.fnUntraced(function* (input: ResolveInput) {
-      const absolute = path.resolve(location.directory, input.path)
+      const absolute = resolvePath(location.directory, input.path)
       if (FSUtil.contains(location.directory, absolute)) {
         return {
           absolute,
diff --git a/packages/core/src/shell/parse.ts b/packages/core/src/shell/parse.ts
index a9588bbebc6..5f68468b04c 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/shell/parse.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/shell/parse.ts
@@ -329,7 +329,9 @@ function expandKnownDirectory(value: string) {
   // Unknown shell expressions cannot be resolved safely during permission analysis.
   if (value.includes("$") || value.includes("`") || value.startsWith("(")) return
   if (value === "~") return os.homedir()
-  if (value.startsWith("~/") || value.startsWith("~\\")) return path.join(os.homedir(), value.slice(2))
+  if (value.startsWith("~/") || (process.platform === "win32" && value.startsWith("~\\"))) {
+    return path.join(os.homedir(), value.slice(2))
+  }
   return value
 }
 
diff --git a/packages/core/src/tool/plugin/edit.ts b/packages/core/src/tool/plugin/edit.ts
index 0aac63e0341..830939e04d5 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/tool/plugin/edit.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/tool/plugin/edit.ts
@@ -11,7 +11,6 @@ import { ToolFailure } from "@opencode-ai/ai"
 import { FileDiff } from "@opencode-ai/schema/file-diff"
 import { Bom } from "@opencode-ai/util/bom"
 import { Effect, Schema } from "effect"
-import path from "path"
 import { Environment } from "../../environment/index.js"
 import { FileMutation } from "../../file-mutation.js"
 import { Formatter } from "../../formatter.js"
@@ -219,7 +218,7 @@ export const Plugin = {
                 replacements,
               } satisfies Output
             }).pipe(
-              fileMutation.withLock([path.resolve(location.directory, input.path)]),
+              fileMutation.withLock([LocationMutation.resolvePath(location.directory, input.path)]),
               Effect.map((output) => ({
                 output,
                 content: `Edited ${output.files[0]?.file} (${output.replacements} replacement${output.replacements === 1 ? "" : "s"})`,
diff --git a/packages/core/src/tool/plugin/patch.ts b/packages/core/src/tool/plugin/patch.ts
index eaccf3a8a9a..90b580f6a62 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/tool/plugin/patch.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/tool/plugin/patch.ts
@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@ import type { Context as PluginContext } from "@opencode-ai/plugin/effect/plugin
 import { ToolFailure } from "@opencode-ai/ai"
 import { FileDiff } from "@opencode-ai/schema/file-diff"
 import { Effect, Result, Schema } from "effect"
-import path from "path"
 import { Bom } from "@opencode-ai/util/bom"
 import { Environment } from "../../environment/index.js"
 import { Formatter } from "../../formatter.js"
@@ -87,8 +86,10 @@ export const Plugin = {
             const parsed = Patch.parse(input.patchText)
             const lockTargets = Result.isSuccess(parsed)
               ? parsed.success.flatMap((hunk) => [
-                  path.resolve(location.directory, hunk.path),
-                  ...(hunk.type === "update" && hunk.movePath ? [path.resolve(location.directory, hunk.movePath)] : []),
+                  LocationMutation.resolvePath(location.directory, hunk.path),
+                  ...(hunk.type === "update" && hunk.movePath
+                    ? [LocationMutation.resolvePath(location.directory, hunk.movePath)]
+                    : []),
                 ])
               : []
             const fail = (operation: string, error: unknown) => {
diff --git a/packages/core/test/location-mutation.test.ts b/packages/core/test/location-mutation.test.ts
index faee4c479d3..ee4da7d9dde 100644
--- a/packages/core/test/location-mutation.test.ts
+++ b/packages/core/test/location-mutation.test.ts
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import { LayerNode } from "@opencode-ai/util/effect/layer-node"
 import { Location } from "@opencode-ai/core/location"
 import { LocationMutation } from "@opencode-ai/core/location-mutation"
 import { AbsolutePath } from "@opencode-ai/core/schema"
+import { Global } from "@opencode-ai/util/global"
 import { tmpdir } from "./fixture/tmpdir"
 import { location } from "./fixture/location"
 import { it } from "./lib/effect"
@@ -196,4 +197,44 @@ describe("LocationMutation", () => {
       path: "README.md",
     })
   })
+
+  test("expands a leading tilde against the home directory", () => {
+    const home = path.resolve("/Users/aiden")
+    expect(LocationMutation.resolvePath("/project", "~", home)).toBe(home)
+    expect(LocationMutation.resolvePath("/project", "~/notes.md", home)).toBe(path.resolve(home, "notes.md"))
+    expect(LocationMutation.resolvePath("/project", "~draft.md", home)).toBe(path.resolve("/project", "~draft.md"))
+    expect(LocationMutation.resolvePath("/project", "~\\notes.md", home)).toBe(
+      process.platform === "win32"
+        ? path.resolve(home, "notes.md")
+        : path.resolve("/project", "~\\notes.md"),
+    )
+  })
+
+  it.live("resolves a tilde path as an external home target", () =>
+    withTmp((directory) =>
+      Effect.gen(function* () {
+        const target = yield* (yield* LocationMutation.Service).resolve({ path: "~/notes.md" })
+        const absolute = path.resolve(Global.Path.home, "notes.md")
+        expect(target).toMatchObject({
+          absolute,
+          resource: absolute.replaceAll("\\", "/"),
+        })
+        expect(target.externalDirectory).toMatchObject({
+          directory: Global.Path.home,
+          resource: path.join(Global.Path.home, "*").replaceAll("\\", "/"),
+        })
+      }).pipe(provide(directory)),
+    ),
+  )
+
+  it.live("treats a tilde path as in-location when the location is home", () =>
+    Effect.gen(function* () {
+      const target = yield* (yield* LocationMutation.Service).resolve({ path: "~/notes.md" })
+      expect(target).toMatchObject({
+        absolute: path.resolve(Global.Path.home, "notes.md"),
+        resource: "notes.md",
+      })
+      expect(target.externalDirectory).toBeUndefined()
+    }).pipe(provide(Global.Path.home)),
+  )
 })
diff --git a/packages/core/test/shell-parse.test.ts b/packages/core/test/shell-parse.test.ts
index 2212711cd9c..5ad4a43e928 100644
--- a/packages/core/test/shell-parse.test.ts
+++ b/packages/core/test/shell-parse.test.ts
@@ -137,6 +137,11 @@ describe("ShellParse", () => {
     const bash = await Effect.runPromise(ShellParse.scan("cd ~/src", "/bin/bash", "/workspace"))
     expect(bash.directories).toEqual([path.join(os.homedir(), "src")])
 
+    const backslash = await Effect.runPromise(ShellParse.scan("cd '~\\src'", "/bin/bash", "/workspace"))
+    expect(backslash.directories).toEqual(
+      process.platform === "win32" ? [path.join(os.homedir(), "src")] : ["~\\src"],
+    )
+
     const powershell = await Effect.runPromise(
       ShellParse.scan('Set-Location "$PWD/src"; Set-Location $PSHOME', "/usr/local/bin/pwsh", "/workspace"),
     )