diff --git a/docs/production/export-and-import.md b/docs/production/export-and-import.md
index e2728da89a..f407218151 100644
--- a/docs/production/export-and-import.md
+++ b/docs/production/export-and-import.md
@@ -70,10 +70,10 @@ following commands, replacing the filename with the path to your data
 export tarball:
 
 ```
-cd /tmp
+cd ~
 tar -xf /path/to/export/file/zulip-export-zcmpxfm6.tar.gz
 cd /home/zulip/deployments/current
-./manage.py import '' /tmp/zulip-export-zcmpxfm6
+./manage.py import '' ~/zulip-export-zcmpxfm6
 ./manage reactivate_realm -r ''  # Reactivates the organization
 ```
 
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ root domain. Replace the last two lines above with the following, after replacin
 `<subdomain>` with the desired subdomain.
 
 ```
-./manage.py import <subdomain> /tmp/zulip-export-zcmpxfm6
+./manage.py import <subdomain> ~/zulip-export-zcmpxfm6
 ./manage reactivate_realm -r <subdomain>  # Reactivates the organization
 ```
 
diff --git a/docs/production/install-existing-server.md b/docs/production/install-existing-server.md
index 9464dc5dbf..bf5595ff36 100644
--- a/docs/production/install-existing-server.md
+++ b/docs/production/install-existing-server.md
@@ -27,16 +27,16 @@ one created by Zulip into it:
 
 ```shell
 sudo cp /etc/nginx/nginx.conf /etc/nginx.conf.before-zulip-install
-wget -O /tmp/nginx.conf.zulip \
+sudo wget -O /etc/nginx/nginx.conf.zulip \
     https://raw.githubusercontent.com/zulip/zulip/master/puppet/zulip/files/nginx/nginx.conf
-sudo meld /etc/nginx/nginx.conf /tmp/nginx.conf.zulip  # be sure to merge to the right
+sudo meld /etc/nginx/nginx.conf /etc/nginx/nginx.conf.zulip  # be sure to merge to the right
 ```
 
 After the zulip installation completes, then you can overwrite (or
 merge) your new nginx.conf with the installed one:
 
 ```shell
-$ sudo meld /tmp/nginx.conf.zulip /etc/nginx/nginx.conf  # be sure to merge to the right
+$ sudo meld /etc/nginx/nginx.conf.zulip /etc/nginx/nginx.conf  # be sure to merge to the right
 $ sudo service nginx restart
 ```
 
diff --git a/tools/zanitizer b/tools/zanitizer
index a14326ed8e..e221482897 100755
--- a/tools/zanitizer
+++ b/tools/zanitizer
@@ -3,10 +3,10 @@
 # usage:
 # git clone --bare git@git.zulip.net:eng/zulip.git
 # cd zulip.git
-# git fast-export --export-marks=/tmp/em --progress=1000 --all > /tmp/fe
+# git fast-export --export-marks=../zulip.em --progress=1000 --all > ../zulip.fe
 # git init --bare ../zulip-zanitized.git
 # cd ../zulip-zanitized.git
-# zanitizer /tmp/fe /tmp/em | git fast-import --quiet
+# zanitizer ../zulip.fe ../zulip.em | git fast-import --quiet
 
 use strict;
 use warnings;
diff --git a/zerver/management/commands/convert_hipchat_data.py b/zerver/management/commands/convert_hipchat_data.py
index 8f2cc56345..76ea637957 100644
--- a/zerver/management/commands/convert_hipchat_data.py
+++ b/zerver/management/commands/convert_hipchat_data.py
@@ -9,10 +9,10 @@ from typing import Any
 Example usage for testing purposes:
 
 Move the data:
-    rm -Rf /tmp/hipchat*
-    mkdir /tmp/hipchat
-    ./manage.py convert_hipchat_data ~/hipchat-31028-2018-08-08_23-23-22.tar --output /tmp/hipchat
-    ./manage.py import --destroy-rebuild-database hipchat /tmp/hipchat
+    rm -Rf ~/hipchat-data
+    mkdir ~/hipchat-data
+    ./manage.py convert_hipchat_data ~/hipchat-31028-2018-08-08_23-23-22.tar --output ~/hipchat-data
+    ./manage.py import --destroy-rebuild-database hipchat ~/hipchat-data
 
 
 Test out the realm: