diff --git a/mate_menu/plugins/places.py b/mate_menu/plugins/places.py

index 3b8190e..4a0da36 100644

--- a/mate_menu/plugins/places.py

+++ b/mate_menu/plugins/places.py

@@ -172,11 +172,7 @@ class pluginclass( object ):

             # Determine where the Desktop folder is (could be localized)

             desktopDir = os.path.join(os.environ["HOME"] + "Desktop")

             try:

-                from configobj import ConfigObj

-                configPath = os.environ.get("XDG_CONFIG_HOME",

-                                            os.path.join( os.environ["HOME"], ".config"))

-                config = ConfigObj(os.path.join(configPath, "user-dirs.dirs"))

-                tmpdesktopDir = os.path.expandvars(config['XDG_DESKTOP_DIR'])

+                tmpdesktopDir = subprocess.check_output(['xdg-user-dir', 'DESKTOP']).decode().rstrip()

                 if os.path.exists(tmpdesktopDir):

                     desktopDir = tmpdesktopDir

             except Exception as detail: