diff --git a/cmdbuf.c b/cmdbuf.c
index fc7667ef..0dda15f7 100644
--- a/cmdbuf.c
+++ b/cmdbuf.c
@@ -1394,11 +1394,12 @@ mlist_size(ml)
  * Get the name of the history file.
  */
 	static char *
-histfile_name(VOID_PARAM)
+histfile_name(must_exist)
+	int must_exist;
 {
 	char *home;
+	char *xdg;
 	char *name;
-	int len;
 	
 	/* See if filename is explicitly specified by $LESSHISTFILE. */
 	name = lgetenv("LESSHISTFILE");
@@ -1414,19 +1415,25 @@ histfile_name(VOID_PARAM)
 	if (strcmp(LESSHISTFILE, "") == 0 || strcmp(LESSHISTFILE, "-") == 0)
 		return (NULL);
 
-	/* Otherwise, file is in $HOME. */
+	/* Try in $XDG_DATA_HOME first, then in $HOME. */
+	xdg = lgetenv("XDG_DATA_HOME");
 	home = lgetenv("HOME");
-	if (isnullenv(home))
-	{
 #if OS2
+	if (isnullenv(home))
 		home = lgetenv("INIT");
-		if (isnullenv(home))
 #endif
-			return (NULL);
+	name = NULL;
+	if (!must_exist)
+	{
+	 	/* If we're writing the file and the file already exists, use it. */
+		name = dirfile(xdg, LESSHISTFILE+1, 1);
+		if (name == NULL)
+			name = dirfile(home, LESSHISTFILE, 1);
 	}
-	len = (int) (strlen(home) + strlen(LESSHISTFILE) + 2);
-	name = (char *) ecalloc(len, sizeof(char));
-	SNPRINTF2(name, len, "%s/%s", home, LESSHISTFILE);
+	if (name == NULL)
+		name = dirfile(xdg, LESSHISTFILE+1, must_exist);
+	if (name == NULL)
+		name = dirfile(home, LESSHISTFILE, must_exist);
 	return (name);
 }
 
@@ -1447,7 +1454,7 @@ read_cmdhist2(action, uparam, skip_search, skip_shell)
 	char *p;
 	int *skip = NULL;
 
-	filename = histfile_name();
+	filename = histfile_name(1);
 	if (filename == NULL)
 		return;
 	f = fopen(filename, "r");
@@ -1693,7 +1700,7 @@ save_cmdhist(VOID_PARAM)
 
 	if (!histfile_modified())
 		return;
-	histname = histfile_name();
+	histname = histfile_name(0);
 	if (histname == NULL)
 		return;
 	tempname = make_tempname(histname);
diff --git a/decode.c b/decode.c
index 914d1034..9fa89196 100644
--- a/decode.c
+++ b/decode.c
@@ -932,10 +932,16 @@ add_hometable(call_lesskey, envname, def_filename, sysvar)
 
 	if (envname != NULL && (filename = lgetenv(envname)) != NULL)
 		filename = save(filename);
-	else if (sysvar)
+	else if (sysvar) /* def_filename is full path */
 		filename = save(def_filename);
-	else
-		filename = homefile(def_filename);
+	else /* def_filename is just basename */
+	{
+		char *xdg = lgetenv("XDG_CONFIG_HOME");
+		if (!isnullenv(xdg))
+			filename = dirfile(xdg, def_filename+1, 1);
+		if (filename == NULL)
+			filename = homefile(def_filename);
+	}
 	if (filename == NULL)
 		return -1;
 	r = (*call_lesskey)(filename, sysvar);
diff --git a/filename.c b/filename.c
index c7e3bf08..1e51412d 100644
--- a/filename.c
+++ b/filename.c
@@ -209,10 +209,11 @@ shell_quote(s)
  * Return a pathname that points to a specified file in a specified directory.
  * Return NULL if the file does not exist in the directory.
  */
-	static char *
-dirfile(dirname, filename)
+	public char *
+dirfile(dirname, filename, must_exist)
 	char *dirname;
 	char *filename;
+	int must_exist;
 {
 	char *pathname;
 	int len;
@@ -228,17 +229,20 @@ dirfile(dirname, filename)
 	if (pathname == NULL)
 		return (NULL);
 	SNPRINTF3(pathname, len, "%s%s%s", dirname, PATHNAME_SEP, filename);
-	/*
-	 * Make sure the file exists.
-	 */
-	f = open(pathname, OPEN_READ);
-	if (f < 0)
-	{
-		free(pathname);
-		pathname = NULL;
-	} else
+	if (must_exist)
 	{
-		close(f);
+		/*
+		 * Make sure the file exists.
+		 */
+		f = open(pathname, OPEN_READ);
+		if (f < 0)
+		{
+			free(pathname);
+			pathname = NULL;
+		} else
+		{
+			close(f);
+		}
 	}
 	return (pathname);
 }
@@ -252,24 +256,18 @@ homefile(filename)
 {
 	char *pathname;
 
-	/*
-	 * Try $HOME/filename.
-	 */
-	pathname = dirfile(lgetenv("HOME"), filename);
+	/* Try $HOME/filename. */
+	pathname = dirfile(lgetenv("HOME"), filename, 1);
 	if (pathname != NULL)
 		return (pathname);
 #if OS2
-	/*
-	 * Try $INIT/filename.
-	 */
-	pathname = dirfile(lgetenv("INIT"), filename);
+	/* Try $INIT/filename. */
+	pathname = dirfile(lgetenv("INIT"), filename, 1);
 	if (pathname != NULL)
 		return (pathname);
 #endif
 #if MSDOS_COMPILER || OS2
-	/*
-	 * Look for the file anywhere on search path.
-	 */
+	/* Look for the file anywhere on search path. */
 	pathname = (char *) ecalloc(_MAX_PATH, sizeof(char));
 #if MSDOS_COMPILER==DJGPPC
 	{
@@ -1118,4 +1116,3 @@ last_component(name)
 	}
 	return (name);
 }
-
diff --git a/less.nro.VER b/less.nro.VER
index fb579e22..24ea98f7 100644
--- a/less.nro.VER
+++ b/less.nro.VER
@@ -1260,7 +1260,7 @@ Otherwise,
 looks in a standard place for the lesskey source file:
 On Unix systems,
 .I less
-looks for a lesskey file called "$HOME/.lesskey".
+looks for a lesskey file called "$XDG_CONFIG_HOME/lesskey" or "$HOME/.lesskey".
 On MS-DOS and Windows systems,
 .I less
 looks for a lesskey file called "$HOME/_lesskey", and if it is not found there,
@@ -1919,8 +1919,9 @@ Name of the history file used to remember search commands and
 shell commands between invocations of
 .IR less .
 If set to "\-" or "/dev/null", a history file is not used.
-The default is "$HOME/.lesshst" on Unix systems, "$HOME/_lesshst" on
-DOS and Windows systems, or "$HOME/lesshst.ini" or "$INIT/lesshst.ini"
+The default is "$XDG_DATA_HOME/lesshst" or "$HOME/.lesshst" on Unix systems,
+"$HOME/_lesshst" on DOS and Windows systems,
+or "$HOME/lesshst.ini" or "$INIT/lesshst.ini"
 on OS/2 systems.
 .IP LESSHISTSIZE
 The maximum number of commands to save in the history file.
diff --git a/lesskey.nro.VER b/lesskey.nro.VER
index 07362c6b..ae8d58e7 100644
--- a/lesskey.nro.VER
+++ b/lesskey.nro.VER
@@ -27,7 +27,8 @@ source file into a format understood by
 This compilation step is no longer required and the
 .I lesskey
 program is therefore deprecated although the file format remains supported by
-.IR less .
+.I less
+itself.
 .PP
 .SH FILE FORMAT
 The input file consists of one or more