diff --git a/source/packages/com_mokosuitebackup/forms/profile.xml b/source/packages/com_mokosuitebackup/forms/profile.xml
index bc446b2..1944d47 100644
--- a/source/packages/com_mokosuitebackup/forms/profile.xml
+++ b/source/packages/com_mokosuitebackup/forms/profile.xml
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@
 			type="FolderPicker"
 			label="COM_MOKOJOOMBACKUP_FIELD_BACKUP_DIR"
 			description="COM_MOKOJOOMBACKUP_FIELD_BACKUP_DIR_DESC"
-			default="./backups"
+			default="[DEFAULT_DIR]"
 			addfieldprefix="Joomla\Component\MokoSuiteBackup\Administrator\Field"
 		/>
 		<field
diff --git a/source/packages/com_mokosuitebackup/sql/install.mysql.sql b/source/packages/com_mokosuitebackup/sql/install.mysql.sql
index 9cff99b..a3ae77d 100644
--- a/source/packages/com_mokosuitebackup/sql/install.mysql.sql
+++ b/source/packages/com_mokosuitebackup/sql/install.mysql.sql
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS `#__mokosuitebackup_profiles` (
 	`archive_format`    VARCHAR(10) NOT NULL DEFAULT 'zip',
 	`compression_level` TINYINT(1) UNSIGNED NOT NULL DEFAULT 5 COMMENT '0=none, 9=max',
 	`split_size`        INT(11) UNSIGNED NOT NULL DEFAULT 0 COMMENT '0=no split, otherwise MB per part',
-	`backup_dir`        VARCHAR(512) NOT NULL DEFAULT './backups',
+	`backup_dir`        VARCHAR(512) NOT NULL DEFAULT '[DEFAULT_DIR]',
 	`archive_name_format` VARCHAR(512) NOT NULL DEFAULT '[host]_[datetime]_profile[profile_id]' COMMENT 'Filename format with placeholders',
 	`exclude_dirs`      TEXT NOT NULL COMMENT 'Newline-separated directory paths to exclude',
 	`exclude_files`     TEXT NOT NULL COMMENT 'Newline-separated filename patterns to exclude',
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ INSERT IGNORE INTO `#__mokosuitebackup_profiles` (
 	`published`, `ordering`, `created`, `modified`
 ) VALUES (
 	1, 'Default Backup Profile', 'Full site backup with default settings', 'full',
-	'zip', 5, 0, './backups',
+	'zip', 5, 0, '[DEFAULT_DIR]',
 	'administrator/components/com_mokosuitebackup/backups\ntmp\ncache\nlogs\nadministrator/logs',
 	'.gitignore\n.htaccess.bak',
 	'#__session',
diff --git a/source/packages/com_mokosuitebackup/src/Utility/BackupDirectory.php b/source/packages/com_mokosuitebackup/src/Utility/BackupDirectory.php
index e731130..70bfe37 100644
--- a/source/packages/com_mokosuitebackup/src/Utility/BackupDirectory.php
+++ b/source/packages/com_mokosuitebackup/src/Utility/BackupDirectory.php
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ HTACCESS;
 	 */
 	public static function getDefaultAbsolute(): string
 	{
-		return JPATH_ADMINISTRATOR . '/components/com_mokosuitebackup/backups';
+		return JPATH_ROOT . '/backups';
 	}
 
 	/**
@@ -125,19 +125,19 @@ HTACCESS;
 	 */
 	public static function portablize(string $dir): string
 	{
-		// Replace the old literal default with the relative default
-		$oldDefault = 'administrator/components/com_mokosuitebackup/backups';
-		$oldDefaultAlt = 'administrator/components/com_mokojoombackup/backups';
+		// Known defaults all map back to [DEFAULT_DIR]
+		$knownDefaults = [
+			self::PLACEHOLDER,
+			self::DEFAULT_RELATIVE,
+			'./backups',
+			'backups',
+			'administrator/components/com_mokosuitebackup/backups',
+			'administrator/components/com_mokojoombackup/backups',
+			self::getDefaultAbsolute(),
+		];
 
-		if ($dir === $oldDefault || $dir === $oldDefaultAlt || $dir === self::PLACEHOLDER) {
-			return self::DEFAULT_RELATIVE;
-		}
-
-		// Replace absolute default path with relative default
-		$absDefault = self::getDefaultAbsolute();
-
-		if ($dir === $absDefault) {
-			return self::DEFAULT_RELATIVE;
+		if (\in_array($dir, $knownDefaults, true)) {
+			return self::PLACEHOLDER;
 		}
 
 		// Replace absolute HOME prefix with [HOME]
diff --git a/source/script.php b/source/script.php
index 0599b0b..e5a044c 100644
--- a/source/script.php
+++ b/source/script.php
@@ -233,11 +233,12 @@ class Pkg_MokoSuiteBackupInstallerScript
 	{
 		try {
 			$db    = Factory::getDbo();
-			// Check for profiles using the old in-webroot default
+			// Check for profiles using old literal defaults — migrate to [DEFAULT_DIR]
 			$oldDefaults = [
 				'administrator/components/com_mokosuitebackup/backups',
 				'administrator/components/com_mokojoombackup/backups',
-				'[DEFAULT_DIR]',
+				'./backups',
+				'backups',
 			];
 			$query = $db->getQuery(true)
 				->select('COUNT(*)')
@@ -250,10 +251,10 @@ class Pkg_MokoSuiteBackupInstallerScript
 			$db->setQuery($query);
 
 			if ((int) $db->loadResult() > 0) {
-				// Auto-migrate old defaults to the new ./backups convention
+				// Auto-migrate old defaults to [DEFAULT_DIR] placeholder
 				$update = $db->getQuery(true)
 					->update($db->quoteName('#__mokosuitebackup_profiles'))
-					->set($db->quoteName('backup_dir') . ' = ' . $db->quote('./backups'))
+					->set($db->quoteName('backup_dir') . ' = ' . $db->quote('[DEFAULT_DIR]'))
 					->where('(' . $db->quoteName('backup_dir') . ' IN ('
 						. implode(',', array_map([$db, 'quote'], $oldDefaults))
 						. ') OR ' . $db->quoteName('backup_dir') . ' = ' . $db->quote('')