diff --git a/bin/cdist-config b/bin/cdist-config
index 94c836c1..7f4124b7 100755
--- a/bin/cdist-config
+++ b/bin/cdist-config
@@ -27,18 +27,25 @@
 : ${CDIST_HOSTS:=$CDIST_CONFIG/hosts}
 : ${CDIST_MODULES:=$CDIST_CONFIG/modules}
 
+# create basedir + tempfile for direct usage
+: ${CDIST_TMPBASEDIR:=/tmp}
+: ${CDIST_TMPDIR:=$(mktemp -d "$CDIST_TMPBASEDIR/cdist.XXXXXXXXXXXX")}
+: ${CDIST_TMP:=$(mktemp "$CDIST_TMPDIR/cdist.XXXXXXXXXXXX")}
+
 ################################################################################
 # cconf standard vars prefixed with cdist
 __cdist_pwd="$(pwd -P)"
 __cdist_mydir="${0%/*}";
-__cdist_abs_mydir="$(cd "$__mydir" && pwd -P)"
+__cdist_abs_mydir="$(cd "$__cdist_mydir" && pwd -P)"
 __cdist_myname=${0##*/};
-__cdist_abs_myname="$__abs_mydir/$__myname"
+__cdist_abs_myname="$__cdist_abs_mydir/$__cdist_myname"
 
 
 __cdist_debug_echo()
 {
-   [ "$CDIST_DEBUG" ] && echo "Debug: $@"
+   if [ "$CDIST_DEBUG" ]; then
+      echo "Debug: $@"
+   fi
 }
 
 __cdist_usage()
@@ -47,7 +54,6 @@ __cdist_usage()
    exit 1
 }
 
-: ${CDIST_TMP:=$(mktemp /tmp/cdist.XXXXXXXXXXXX)}
 
 #set -e