diff --git a/include/dusk/settings.h b/include/dusk/settings.h
index 131ee5958c..f0d753dd35 100644
--- a/include/dusk/settings.h
+++ b/include/dusk/settings.h
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 #define DUSK_CONFIG_H
 
 #include <array>
+#include <filesystem>
 
 #include "dusk/config_var.hpp"
 
@@ -274,6 +275,7 @@ struct UserSettings {
 
 UserSettings& getSettings();
 
+std::filesystem::path tphd_content_path();
 bool tphd_active();
 
 void registerSettings();
diff --git a/src/dusk/settings.cpp b/src/dusk/settings.cpp
index b3e97ac000..7b9e594cc9 100644
--- a/src/dusk/settings.cpp
+++ b/src/dusk/settings.cpp
@@ -1,5 +1,8 @@
 #include "dusk/settings.h"
 #include "dusk/config.hpp"
+#include "dusk/main.h"
+
+#include <system_error>
 
 namespace dusk {
 
@@ -189,9 +192,26 @@ UserSettings& getSettings() {
     return g_userSettings;
 }
 
-bool tphd_active() {
+std::filesystem::path tphd_content_path() {
+#if DUSK_TPHD
     const std::string& hdPath = g_userSettings.backend.hdContentPath;
-    return !hdPath.empty();
+    if (!hdPath.empty()) {
+        return hdPath;
+    }
+
+    if (!ConfigPath.empty()) {
+        std::error_code ec;
+        auto localPath = ConfigPath / "tphd" / "content";
+        if (std::filesystem::is_directory(localPath, ec)) {
+            return localPath;
+        }
+    }
+#endif
+    return {};
+}
+
+bool tphd_active() {
+    return !tphd_content_path().empty();
 }
 
 void registerSettings() {
diff --git a/src/m_Do/m_Do_main.cpp b/src/m_Do/m_Do_main.cpp
index ef8ba9e314..a8882a2adc 100644
--- a/src/m_Do/m_Do_main.cpp
+++ b/src/m_Do/m_Do_main.cpp
@@ -740,7 +740,7 @@ int game_main(int argc, char* argv[]) {
 
 #if DUSK_TPHD
     {
-        const std::string& hdPath = dusk::getSettings().backend.hdContentPath;
+        const auto hdPath = dusk::tphd_content_path();
         if (!hdPath.empty()) {
             dusk::tphd::set_hd_content_path(hdPath);
         }