diff --git a/gcloud/_helpers.py b/gcloud/_helpers.py
index 834197a42f55..c6267888be36 100644
--- a/gcloud/_helpers.py
+++ b/gcloud/_helpers.py
@@ -194,10 +194,11 @@ def _default_service_project_id():
         search_paths.append(os.path.expanduser(DEFAULT_CONFIGURATION_PATH))
     except ImportError:
         pass
-    win32_config_path = os.path.join(os.getenv('APPDATA', ''),
-                                     'gcloud', 'configurations',
-                                     'config_default')
-    search_paths.append(win32_config_path)
+
+    windows_config_path = os.path.join(os.getenv('APPDATA', ''),
+                                       'gcloud', 'configurations',
+                                       'config_default')
+    search_paths.append(windows_config_path)
     config = configparser.RawConfigParser()
     config.read(search_paths)
 
diff --git a/gcloud/test__helpers.py b/gcloud/test__helpers.py
index 3f843ef6f4d5..4af1082cc551 100644
--- a/gcloud/test__helpers.py
+++ b/gcloud/test__helpers.py
@@ -183,34 +183,41 @@ def test_no_environment(self):
 class Test__get_default_service_project_id(unittest2.TestCase):
     config_path = '.config/gcloud/configurations/'
     config_file = 'config_default'
+    temp_APPDATA = ''
 
     def setUp(self):
         import tempfile
         import os
 
         self.temp_config_path = tempfile.mkdtemp()
+        self.temp_APPDATA = os.getenv('APPDATA')
+        if self.temp_APPDATA:  # pragma: NO COVER Windows
+            os.environ['APPDATA'] = self.temp_config_path
 
+        self.config_path = os.path.join(os.getenv('APPDATA', '~/.config'),
+                                        'gcloud', 'configurations')
         conf_path = os.path.join(self.temp_config_path, self.config_path)
         os.makedirs(conf_path)
-        full_config_path = os.path.join(conf_path, self.config_file)
+        self.temp_config_file = os.path.join(conf_path, self.config_file)
 
-        self.temp_config_file = full_config_path
-
-        with open(full_config_path, 'w') as conf_file:
+        with open(self.temp_config_file, 'w') as conf_file:
             conf_file.write('[core]\nproject = test-project-id')
 
     def tearDown(self):
         import shutil
-
-        shutil.rmtree(self.temp_config_path)
+        import os
+        if os.path.exists(self.temp_config_path):
+            shutil.rmtree(self.temp_config_path)
+        if self.temp_APPDATA:  # pragma: NO COVER Windows
+            os.environ['APPDATA'] = self.temp_APPDATA
 
     def callFUT(self, project_id=None):
         import os
         from gcloud._helpers import _default_service_project_id
         from gcloud._testing import _Monkey
 
-        def mock_expanduser(path=''):
-            if project_id and path.startswith('~'):
+        def mock_expanduser(path=None):
+            if project_id and path:
                 __import__('pwd')  # Simulate actual expanduser imports.
                 return self.temp_config_file
             return ''
@@ -224,6 +231,9 @@ def test_read_from_cli_info(self):
 
     def test_gae_without_expanduser(self):
         import sys
+        import shutil
+        shutil.rmtree(self.temp_config_path)
+
         try:
             sys.modules['pwd'] = None  # Blocks pwd from being imported.
             project_id = self.callFUT('test-project-id')
@@ -232,6 +242,8 @@ def test_gae_without_expanduser(self):
             del sys.modules['pwd']  # Unblocks importing of pwd.
 
     def test_info_value_not_present(self):
+        import shutil
+        shutil.rmtree(self.temp_config_path)
         project_id = self.callFUT()
         self.assertEqual(None, project_id)