diff --git a/event-common/src/main/java/org/xbib/event/path/PathEventManagerService.java b/event-common/src/main/java/org/xbib/event/path/PathEventManagerService.java
index a97d8c2..3b72ffa 100644
--- a/event-common/src/main/java/org/xbib/event/path/PathEventManagerService.java
+++ b/event-common/src/main/java/org/xbib/event/path/PathEventManagerService.java
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ import java.util.Collection;
 import java.util.LinkedHashMap;
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Map;
+import java.util.Objects;
 import java.util.concurrent.ExecutorService;
 import java.util.concurrent.Future;
 import java.util.logging.Level;
@@ -49,7 +50,8 @@ public class PathEventManagerService extends AbstractEventManagerService impleme
                 String name = entry.getKey();
                 Settings definition = entry.getValue();
                 if (definition.getAsBoolean("enabled", true)) {
-                    Path path = Paths.get(definition.get("path", "/var/tmp/" + name));
+                    String pathName = Objects.requireNonNull(definition.get("path"), "path must not be null");
+                    Path path = Paths.get(pathName);
                     TimeValue lifetime = definition.getAsTime("lifetime", TimeValue.timeValueHours(72));
                     String eventType = definition.get("type", "path");
                     createQueue(name, path);