Dear Bug Team! I think there is a "doc bug" in the docstring of `load-path'. The "News" (`C-h n') say: --8<---------------cut here---------------start------------->8--- * Lisp and internal changes in XEmacs 21.4 [...] Several bugs in locate-file have been fixed, most notably its failure to call expand-file-name on elements of PATH-LIST. Because of that elements of load-path of the form "~/..." used to not work. locate-file is now guaranteed to expand files during its course of operation. --8<---------------cut here---------------end--------------->8--- But the docstring of the variable `load-path' (still) says: --8<---------------cut here---------------start------------->8--- Note that the elements of this list *may not* begin with "~", so you must call `expand-file-name' on them before adding them to this list. --8<---------------cut here---------------end--------------->8--- I tested it, entries in load-path that start with `~' work. So I think the quoted paragraph of the docstring is hyperfluid. Please excuse me if you already fixed this, my XEmacsen are not really up-to-date.