diff --git a/HISTORY.rst b/HISTORY.rst
index 6992470d..e463857e 100644
--- a/HISTORY.rst
+++ b/HISTORY.rst
@@ -12,7 +12,8 @@ PlatformIO Core 5
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
 - Improved support for private packages in `PlatformIO Registry <https://registry.platformio.org/>`__
-- Improved checking of available Internet connection for IPv6-only workstations (`pull #4151 <https://github.com/platformio/platformio-core/issues/4151>`_)
+- Improved checking of available Internet connection for IPv6-only workstations (`pull #4151 <https://github.com/platformio/platformio-core/pull/4151>`_)
+- Better detecting of default PlatformIO project directory on Linux OS (`pull #4158 <https://github.com/platformio/platformio-core/pull/4158>`_)
 - Respect disabling debugging server from "platformio.ini" passing an empty value to the `debug_server <https://docs.platformio.org/en/latest/projectconf/section_env_debug.html#debug-server>`__ option
 
 5.2.4 (2021-12-15)
diff --git a/platformio/project/helpers.py b/platformio/project/helpers.py
index 2736cae8..73945185 100644
--- a/platformio/project/helpers.py
+++ b/platformio/project/helpers.py
@@ -14,12 +14,13 @@
 
 import json
 import os
+import subprocess
 from hashlib import sha1
 
 from click.testing import CliRunner
 
 from platformio import __version__, exception, fs
-from platformio.compat import IS_WINDOWS, hashlib_encode_data
+from platformio.compat import IS_MACOS, IS_WINDOWS, hashlib_encode_data
 from platformio.project.config import ProjectConfig
 
 
@@ -75,7 +76,13 @@ def get_default_projects_dir():
         ctypes.windll.shell32.SHGetFolderPathW(None, 5, None, 0, buf)
         docs_dir = buf.value
     except:  # pylint: disable=bare-except
-        pass
+        if not IS_MACOS:
+            try:
+                docs_dir = subprocess.check_output(
+                    ["xdg-user-dir", "DOCUMENTS"]
+                ).decode("utf-8")
+            except FileNotFoundError:  # command not found
+                pass
     return os.path.join(docs_dir, "PlatformIO", "Projects")