diff --git a/docs-master/Config.md b/docs-master/Config.md
index bf0f5c2c6..152044be6 100644
--- a/docs-master/Config.md
+++ b/docs-master/Config.md
@@ -533,6 +533,7 @@ worktree:
   # location alongside the parent directories of any worktrees you already have.
   # A relative path is resolved against the repository's root directory, so
   # "../worktrees" sits beside the repo and ".worktrees" sits inside it.
+  # A leading "~" is expanded to your home directory, so "~/worktrees" works.
   defaultPath: ""
 
 # Periodic update checks
diff --git a/pkg/config/user_config.go b/pkg/config/user_config.go
index f83e26ea3..8314701ba 100644
--- a/pkg/config/user_config.go
+++ b/pkg/config/user_config.go
@@ -427,6 +427,7 @@ type CommitPrefixConfig struct {
 type WorktreeConfig struct {
 	// Default parent directory for new worktrees. It is offered as a candidate location alongside the parent directories of any worktrees you already have.
 	// A relative path is resolved against the repository's root directory, so "../worktrees" sits beside the repo and ".worktrees" sits inside it.
+	// A leading "~" is expanded to your home directory, so "~/worktrees" works.
 	DefaultPath string `yaml:"defaultPath"`
 }
 
diff --git a/pkg/gui/controllers/helpers/worktree_helper.go b/pkg/gui/controllers/helpers/worktree_helper.go
index 2bc877444..7a32d898c 100644
--- a/pkg/gui/controllers/helpers/worktree_helper.go
+++ b/pkg/gui/controllers/helpers/worktree_helper.go
@@ -378,7 +378,7 @@ func (self *WorktreeHelper) promptForWorktreeLocation(dirName string, prompt str
 	parentDirs := worktreeParentDirCandidates(
 		self.c.Git().RepoPaths.RepoPath(),
 		linkedWorktreePaths,
-		self.c.UserConfig().Worktree.DefaultPath,
+		utils.ExpandTilde(self.c.UserConfig().Worktree.DefaultPath),
 	)
 
 	targets := lo.Map(parentDirs, func(parentDir string, _ int) string {
@@ -398,7 +398,9 @@ func (self *WorktreeHelper) promptForWorktreeLocation(dirName string, prompt str
 			self.c.Prompt(types.PromptOpts{
 				Title:          self.c.Tr.NewWorktreePath,
 				InitialContent: targets[0],
-				HandleConfirm:  onConfirm,
+				HandleConfirm: func(response string) error {
+					return onConfirm(utils.ExpandTilde(response))
+				},
 			})
 			return nil
 		},
diff --git a/pkg/integration/tests/test_list.go b/pkg/integration/tests/test_list.go
index 5aa8a21ee..136cd579b 100644
--- a/pkg/integration/tests/test_list.go
+++ b/pkg/integration/tests/test_list.go
@@ -508,6 +508,7 @@ var tests = []*components.IntegrationTest{
 	worktree.BareRepoWorktreeConfig,
 	worktree.Crud,
 	worktree.CustomCommand,
+	worktree.DefaultPathTilde,
 	worktree.DetachWorktreeFromBranch,
 	worktree.DotfileBareRepo,
 	worktree.DoubleNestedLinkedSubmodule,
diff --git a/pkg/integration/tests/worktree/default_path_tilde.go b/pkg/integration/tests/worktree/default_path_tilde.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..57486f1a8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/integration/tests/worktree/default_path_tilde.go
@@ -0,0 +1,51 @@
+package worktree
+
+import (
+	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
+
+	"github.com/jesseduffield/lazygit/pkg/config"
+	. "github.com/jesseduffield/lazygit/pkg/integration/components"
+)
+
+var DefaultPathTilde = NewIntegrationTest(NewIntegrationTestArgs{
+	Description:  "A leading ~ in the worktree.defaultPath config is expanded to the home directory",
+	ExtraCmdArgs: []string{},
+	Skip:         false,
+	SetupConfig: func(config *config.AppConfig) {
+		config.GetUserConfig().Worktree.DefaultPath = "~/my-worktrees"
+	},
+	SetupRepo: func(shell *Shell) {
+		shell.NewBranch("mybranch")
+		shell.CreateFileAndAdd("README.md", "hello world")
+		shell.Commit("initial commit")
+	},
+	Run: func(t *TestDriver, keys config.KeybindingConfig) {
+		t.Views().Branches().
+			Focus().
+			NavigateToLine(Contains("mybranch")).
+			Press(keys.Universal.NewWorktree).
+			Tap(func() {
+				t.ExpectPopup().Menu().
+					Title(Equals("New worktree")).
+					Select(Contains("New branch and worktree from 'mybranch'")).
+					Confirm()
+
+				t.ExpectPopup().Prompt().
+					Title(Equals("New branch and worktree name")).
+					Type("newbranch").
+					Confirm()
+
+				// The default path's "~" is expanded to an absolute home-directory
+				// path; without expansion it would stay a literal "~" resolved
+				// against the repo, so the candidate would still contain a "~".
+				home, _ := os.UserHomeDir()
+				t.ExpectPopup().Menu().
+					Title(Equals("Worktree location")).
+					ContainsLines(
+						Contains(filepath.Join(home, "my-worktrees", "newbranch")).DoesNotContain("~"),
+					).
+					Cancel()
+			})
+	},
+})
diff --git a/pkg/utils/utils.go b/pkg/utils/utils.go
index 40411d520..0494bb035 100644
--- a/pkg/utils/utils.go
+++ b/pkg/utils/utils.go
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import (
 	"encoding/json"
 	"fmt"
 	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
 	"regexp"
 	"runtime"
 	"strconv"
@@ -96,3 +97,26 @@ func FilePath(skip int) string {
 	_, path, _, _ := runtime.Caller(skip)
 	return path
 }
+
+// ExpandTilde expands a leading "~" that refers to the current user's home
+// directory: "~" and "~/foo" become e.g. "/home/user" and "/home/user/foo". A
+// tilde anywhere other than the start, or one immediately followed by a
+// username ("~other/foo"), is left untouched, as is the path if the home
+// directory can't be determined. We expand it ourselves because lazygit runs
+// git directly, with no shell to do it for us.
+func ExpandTilde(path string) string {
+	if path != "~" && !strings.HasPrefix(path, "~/") &&
+		!(runtime.GOOS == "windows" && strings.HasPrefix(path, `~\`)) {
+		return path
+	}
+
+	home, err := os.UserHomeDir()
+	if err != nil {
+		return path
+	}
+
+	if path == "~" {
+		return home
+	}
+	return filepath.Join(home, path[2:])
+}
diff --git a/pkg/utils/utils_test.go b/pkg/utils/utils_test.go
index 41b40cd9f..8304e7ba4 100644
--- a/pkg/utils/utils_test.go
+++ b/pkg/utils/utils_test.go
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 package utils
 
 import (
+	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
 	"testing"
 
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
@@ -98,3 +100,28 @@ func TestModuloWithWrap(t *testing.T) {
 		}
 	}
 }
+
+func TestExpandTilde(t *testing.T) {
+	home, err := os.UserHomeDir()
+	assert.NoError(t, err)
+
+	scenarios := []struct {
+		name     string
+		path     string
+		expected string
+	}{
+		{"bare tilde", "~", home},
+		{"tilde with subpath", "~/worktrees", filepath.Join(home, "worktrees")},
+		{"absolute path is untouched", "/absolute/path", "/absolute/path"},
+		{"relative path is untouched", "relative/path", "relative/path"},
+		{"tilde not at the start is untouched", "/foo/~/bar", "/foo/~/bar"},
+		{"tilde followed by a username is untouched", "~other/worktrees", "~other/worktrees"},
+		{"empty string is untouched", "", ""},
+	}
+
+	for _, s := range scenarios {
+		t.Run(s.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			assert.Equal(t, s.expected, ExpandTilde(s.path))
+		})
+	}
+}
diff --git a/schema-master/config.json b/schema-master/config.json
index 5a0af4eb4..0dd1d5d20 100644
--- a/schema-master/config.json
+++ b/schema-master/config.json
@@ -3899,7 +3899,7 @@
       "properties": {
         "defaultPath": {
           "type": "string",
-          "description": "Default parent directory for new worktrees. It is offered as a candidate location alongside the parent directories of any worktrees you already have.\nA relative path is resolved against the repository's root directory, so \"../worktrees\" sits beside the repo and \".worktrees\" sits inside it."
+          "description": "Default parent directory for new worktrees. It is offered as a candidate location alongside the parent directories of any worktrees you already have.\nA relative path is resolved against the repository's root directory, so \"../worktrees\" sits beside the repo and \".worktrees\" sits inside it.\nA leading \"~\" is expanded to your home directory, so \"~/worktrees\" works."
         }
       },
       "additionalProperties": false,