diff --git a/src/private/standarddirs.cpp b/src/private/standarddirs.cpp
--- a/src/private/standarddirs.cpp
+++ b/src/private/standarddirs.cpp
@@ -110,6 +110,8 @@
         fullPath = QStandardPaths::writableLocation(QStandardPaths::GenericConfigLocation) + fullRelPath;
     } else if (qstrncmp(resource, "data", 4) == 0) {
         fullPath = QStandardPaths::writableLocation(QStandardPaths::GenericDataLocation) + fullRelPath;
+    } else if (qstrncmp(resource, "runtime", 7) == 0) {
+        fullPath = QStandardPaths::writableLocation(QStandardPaths::RuntimeLocation) + fullRelPath;
     } else {
         qt_assert_x(__FUNCTION__, "Invalid resource type", __FILE__, __LINE__);
         return {};
diff --git a/src/server/utils.cpp b/src/server/utils.cpp
--- a/src/server/utils.cpp
+++ b/src/server/utils.cpp
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
 
 #include "utils.h"
 #include "akonadiserver_debug.h"
+#include "instance_p.h"
 
 #include <private/standarddirs_p.h>
 
@@ -32,13 +33,13 @@
 #if !defined(Q_OS_WIN)
 #include <cstdlib>
 #include <sys/types.h>
+#include <sys/un.h>
 #include <cerrno>
-#include <pwd.h>
 #include <unistd.h>
 
 static QString akonadiSocketDirectory();
 static bool checkSocketDirectory(const QString &path);
-static bool createSocketDirectory(const QString &link, const QString &tmpl);
+static bool createSocketDirectory(const QString &link, const QString &identifier);
 #endif
 
 #ifdef Q_OS_LINUX
@@ -67,6 +68,11 @@
         if (socketDir.isEmpty()) {   // if that does not work, fall back on default
             socketDir = defaultDirectory;
         }
+
+        if (socketDir.length() > static_cast<int>(sizeof(sockaddr_un::sun_path))) {
+            qCWarning(AKONADISERVER_LOG) << "akonadiSocketDirectory() length is too long to be used by the system, fallbacking to the default directory.";
+            socketDir = defaultDirectory;
+        }
     } else {
         socketDir = serverSettings.value(QStringLiteral("Connection/SocketDirectory"), defaultDirectory).toString();
     }
@@ -101,25 +107,14 @@
         return QString();
     }
 
-    const uid_t uid = getuid();
-    const struct passwd *pw_ent = getpwuid(uid);
-    if (!pw_ent) {
-        qCCritical(AKONADISERVER_LOG) << "Could not get passwd entry for user id" << uid;
-        return QString();
-    }
-
-    const QString link = StandardDirs::saveDir("data") + QLatin1Char('/') + QLatin1String("socket-") + hostname;
-    QString tmpl = QLatin1String("akonadi-") + QString::fromLocal8Bit(pw_ent->pw_name) + QLatin1String(".XXXXXX");
-
-    // Workaround for QLocalServer encoding bug
-    // basically replace non-latin characters
-    tmpl = QString::fromLatin1(tmpl.toLatin1());
+    const QString identifier = Instance::hasIdentifier() ? Instance::identifier() : QLatin1String("default");
+    const QString link = StandardDirs::saveDir("data") + QDir::separator() + QStringLiteral("socket-%1-%2").arg(hostname, identifier);
 
     if (checkSocketDirectory(link)) {
         return QFileInfo(link).symLinkTarget();
     }
 
-    if (createSocketDirectory(link, tmpl)) {
+    if (createSocketDirectory(link, identifier)) {
         return QFileInfo(link).symLinkTarget();
     }
 
@@ -150,19 +145,15 @@
     return true;
 }
 
-static bool createSocketDirectory(const QString &link, const QString &tmpl)
+static bool createSocketDirectory(const QString &link, const QString &identifier)
 {
-    QString directory = QStringLiteral("%1%2%3").arg(QDir::tempPath()).arg(QDir::separator()).arg(tmpl);
+    const QString directory = QStringLiteral("%1%3%2").arg(StandardDirs::saveDir("runtime"), identifier).arg(QDir::separator());
 
-    QByteArray directoryString = directory.toLocal8Bit();
-
-    if (!mkdtemp(directoryString.data())) {
-        qCCritical(AKONADISERVER_LOG) << "Creating socket directory with template" << directoryString << "failed:" << strerror(errno);
+    if (!QDir().mkpath(directory)) {
+        qCCritical(AKONADISERVER_LOG) << "Creating socket directory with name" << directory << "failed:" << strerror(errno);
         return false;
     }
 
-    directory = QString::fromLocal8Bit(directoryString);
-
     QFile::remove(link);
 
     if (!QFile::link(directory, link)) {
@@ -177,6 +168,7 @@
 QString Utils::getDirectoryFileSystem(const QString &directory)
 {
 #ifndef Q_OS_LINUX
+    Q_UNUSED(directory);
     return QString();
 #else
     QString bestMatchPath;