diff --git a/src/coffee-cache.coffee b/src/coffee-cache.coffee
index ecf66dc9e..263cd924c 100644
--- a/src/coffee-cache.coffee
+++ b/src/coffee-cache.coffee
@@ -1,12 +1,14 @@
 crypto = require 'crypto'
 fs = require 'fs'
 path = require 'path'
+os = require 'os'
 
 CoffeeScript = require 'coffee-script'
 CSON = require 'season'
 mkdir = require('mkdirp').sync
 
-cacheDir = path.join(atom.getTempDirPath(), 'atom-compile-cache')
+tmpDir = if process.platform is 'win32' then os.tmpdir() else '/tmp'
+cacheDir = path.join(tmpDir, 'atom-compile-cache')
 coffeeCacheDir = path.join(cacheDir, 'coffee')
 CSON.setCacheDir(path.join(cacheDir, 'cson'))
 
diff --git a/src/less-compile-cache.coffee b/src/less-compile-cache.coffee
index 98c7d45fa..977ede9ff 100644
--- a/src/less-compile-cache.coffee
+++ b/src/less-compile-cache.coffee
@@ -1,12 +1,15 @@
 path = require 'path'
+os = require 'os'
 LessCache = require 'less-cache'
 {Subscriber} = require 'emissary'
 
+tmpDir = if process.platform is 'win32' then os.tmpdir() else '/tmp'
+
 module.exports =
 class LessCompileCache
   Subscriber.includeInto(this)
 
-  @cacheDir: path.join(atom.getTempDirPath(), 'atom-compile-cache', 'less')
+  @cacheDir: path.join(tmpDir, 'atom-compile-cache', 'less')
 
   constructor: ->
     @cache = new LessCache