diff --git a/scripts/search.py b/scripts/search.py
index 988f95d..442e7ae 100755
--- a/scripts/search.py
+++ b/scripts/search.py
@@ -2,18 +2,19 @@
 """Fuzzy search artists in playlists.db and show their similar artists."""
 
 import curses
+import os
 import sqlite3
 import sys
 from pathlib import Path
 
 
 def find_db():
-    """Look for playlists.db in cwd, then script's parent dir."""
-    for base in [Path.cwd(), Path(__file__).resolve().parent.parent]:
-        p = base / "playlists.db"
-        if p.exists():
-            return str(p)
-    print("Could not find playlists.db", file=sys.stderr)
+    """Find playlists.db in XDG data dir."""
+    data_home = os.environ.get("XDG_DATA_HOME", Path.home() / ".local" / "share")
+    p = Path(data_home) / "playlists" / "playlists.db"
+    if p.exists():
+        return str(p)
+    print(f"Could not find {p}", file=sys.stderr)
     sys.exit(1)
 
 
diff --git a/src/db.rs b/src/db.rs
index 7badf16..ac48415 100644
--- a/src/db.rs
+++ b/src/db.rs
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ use rusqlite::Connection;
 
 use crate::lastfm::{SimilarArtist, TopTrack};
 
-pub fn open(path: &str) -> Result<Connection, rusqlite::Error> {
+pub fn open(path: &std::path::Path) -> Result<Connection, rusqlite::Error> {
     let conn = Connection::open(path)?;
     conn.execute_batch(
         "CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS artists (
diff --git a/src/main.rs b/src/main.rs
index 69586fe..42ff0d8 100644
--- a/src/main.rs
+++ b/src/main.rs
@@ -7,11 +7,23 @@ mod tui;
 
 use std::collections::HashMap;
 use std::env;
-use std::path::Path;
+use std::path::{Path, PathBuf};
 
 use rand::distr::weighted::WeightedIndex;
 use rand::prelude::*;
 
+fn db_path() -> PathBuf {
+    let data_dir = env::var("XDG_DATA_HOME")
+        .map(PathBuf::from)
+        .unwrap_or_else(|_| {
+            let home = env::var("HOME").expect("HOME not set");
+            PathBuf::from(home).join(".local/share")
+        });
+    let dir = data_dir.join("playlists");
+    std::fs::create_dir_all(&dir).expect("failed to create data directory");
+    dir.join("playlists.db")
+}
+
 fn usage(program: &str) -> ! {
     eprintln!("Usage:");
     eprintln!("  {program} index [-v] <directory>");
@@ -50,7 +62,7 @@ fn cmd_index(args: &[String]) {
         std::process::exit(1);
     }
 
-    let conn = db::open("playlists.db").expect("failed to open database");
+    let conn = db::open(&db_path()).expect("failed to open database");
     let lastfm = lastfm::LastfmClient::new(api_key);
     let dir = Path::new(rest[0].as_str());
 
@@ -166,7 +178,7 @@ fn cmd_build(args: &[String]) {
     }
 
     dotenvy::dotenv().ok();
-    let conn = db::open("playlists.db").expect("failed to open database");
+    let conn = db::open(&db_path()).expect("failed to open database");
 
     let (artist_mbid, seed_name) = if let Some(file_arg) = rest.first() {
         let path = Path::new(file_arg.as_str());