diff --git a/src/fu-util-common.c b/src/fu-util-common.c
index 477f042bb..2320ead6d 100644
--- a/src/fu-util-common.c
+++ b/src/fu-util-common.c
@@ -127,3 +127,18 @@ fu_util_is_interesting_device (FwupdDevice *dev)
 		return TRUE;
 	return FALSE;
 }
+
+gchar *
+fu_util_get_user_cache_path (const gchar *fn)
+{
+	g_autofree gchar *basename = g_path_get_basename (fn);
+	g_autofree gchar *cachedir_legacy = NULL;
+
+	/* return the legacy path if it exists rather than renaming it to
+	 * prevent problems when using old and new versions of fwupd */
+	cachedir_legacy = g_build_filename (g_get_user_cache_dir (), "fwupdmgr", NULL);
+	if (g_file_test (cachedir_legacy, G_FILE_TEST_IS_DIR))
+		return g_build_filename (cachedir_legacy, basename, NULL);
+
+	return g_build_filename (g_get_user_cache_dir (), "fwupd", basename, NULL);
+}
diff --git a/src/fu-util-common.h b/src/fu-util-common.h
index 3a33b614d..43ec7ac0b 100644
--- a/src/fu-util-common.h
+++ b/src/fu-util-common.h
@@ -17,5 +17,6 @@ gboolean	 fu_util_prompt_for_boolean	(gboolean	 def);
 
 gboolean	 fu_util_print_device_tree	(GNode *n, gpointer data);
 gboolean	 fu_util_is_interesting_device	(FwupdDevice	*dev);
+gchar		*fu_util_get_user_cache_path	(const gchar	*fn);
 
 #endif /* __FU_UTIL_COMMON_H__ */
diff --git a/src/fu-util.c b/src/fu-util.c
index a332972cc..b21de14af 100644
--- a/src/fu-util.c
+++ b/src/fu-util.c
@@ -1291,7 +1291,6 @@ fu_util_download_metadata_for_remote (FuUtilPrivate *priv,
 	g_autofree gchar *basename_id_asc = NULL;
 	g_autofree gchar *basename_id = NULL;
 	g_autofree gchar *basename = NULL;
-	g_autofree gchar *cache_dir = NULL;
 	g_autofree gchar *filename = NULL;
 	g_autofree gchar *filename_asc = NULL;
 	g_autoptr(SoupURI) uri = NULL;
@@ -1302,8 +1301,7 @@ fu_util_download_metadata_for_remote (FuUtilPrivate *priv,
 	basename_id = g_strdup_printf ("%s-%s", fwupd_remote_get_id (remote), basename);
 
 	/* download the metadata */
-	cache_dir = g_build_filename (g_get_user_cache_dir (), "fwupdmgr", NULL);
-	filename = g_build_filename (cache_dir, basename_id, NULL);
+	filename = fu_util_get_user_cache_path (basename_id);
 	if (!fu_common_mkdir_parent (filename, error))
 		return FALSE;
 	uri = soup_uri_new (fwupd_remote_get_metadata_uri (remote));
@@ -1313,7 +1311,7 @@ fu_util_download_metadata_for_remote (FuUtilPrivate *priv,
 	/* download the signature */
 	basename_asc = g_path_get_basename (fwupd_remote_get_filename_cache_sig (remote));
 	basename_id_asc = g_strdup_printf ("%s-%s", fwupd_remote_get_id (remote), basename_asc);
-	filename_asc = g_build_filename (cache_dir, basename_id_asc, NULL);
+	filename_asc = fu_util_get_user_cache_path (basename_id_asc);
 	uri_sig = soup_uri_new (fwupd_remote_get_metadata_uri_sig (remote));
 	if (!fu_util_download_file (priv, uri_sig, filename_asc, NULL, error))
 		return FALSE;
@@ -1953,7 +1951,6 @@ fu_util_update_device_with_release (FuUtilPrivate *priv,
 	GPtrArray *checksums;
 	const gchar *remote_id;
 	const gchar *uri_tmp;
-	g_autofree gchar *basename = NULL;
 	g_autofree gchar *fn = NULL;
 	g_autofree gchar *uri_str = NULL;
 	g_autoptr(SoupURI) uri = NULL;
@@ -1993,8 +1990,7 @@ fu_util_update_device_with_release (FuUtilPrivate *priv,
 	g_print ("Downloading %s for %s...\n",
 		 fwupd_release_get_version (rel),
 		 fwupd_device_get_name (dev));
-	basename = g_path_get_basename (uri_str);
-	fn = g_build_filename (g_get_user_cache_dir (), "fwupdmgr", basename, NULL);
+	fn = fu_util_get_user_cache_path (uri_str);
 	if (!fu_common_mkdir_parent (fn, error))
 		return FALSE;
 	checksums = fwupd_release_get_checksums (rel);