diff --git a/crates/bashkit/src/fs/memory.rs b/crates/bashkit/src/fs/memory.rs
index c93e8a029..c650e762e 100644
--- a/crates/bashkit/src/fs/memory.rs
+++ b/crates/bashkit/src/fs/memory.rs
@@ -905,6 +905,54 @@ impl InMemoryFs {
         );
     }
 
+    /// Add a directory, creating parent directories as needed (synchronous,
+    /// for initial setup).
+    ///
+    /// Like [`add_file`](Self::add_file), this is intended for pre-populating
+    /// the filesystem during construction (e.g. provisioning a user's `$HOME`).
+    /// For runtime operations use the async [`FileSystem::mkdir`] method.
+    /// Existing directories are left untouched (idempotent).
+    ///
+    /// # Arguments
+    ///
+    /// * `path` - Absolute path of the directory to create
+    /// * `mode` - Unix permission mode (e.g., `0o755`)
+    ///
+    /// # Example
+    ///
+    /// ```rust
+    /// use bashkit::InMemoryFs;
+    ///
+    /// let fs = InMemoryFs::new();
+    /// fs.add_dir("/home/agent", 0o755);
+    /// ```
+    pub fn add_dir(&self, path: impl AsRef<Path>, mode: u32) {
+        let path = Self::normalize_path(path.as_ref());
+
+        if self.limits.validate_path(&path).is_err() {
+            return;
+        }
+
+        let mut entries = self.entries.write().unwrap();
+
+        // Create the directory and every ancestor that does not already exist.
+        let mut current = PathBuf::from("/");
+        for component in path.components().skip(1) {
+            current.push(component);
+            entries
+                .entry(current.clone())
+                .or_insert_with(|| FsEntry::Directory {
+                    metadata: Metadata {
+                        file_type: FileType::Directory,
+                        size: 0,
+                        mode,
+                        modified: SystemTime::now(),
+                        created: SystemTime::now(),
+                    },
+                });
+        }
+    }
+
     /// Add a lazy file whose content is loaded on first read.
     ///
     /// The `loader` closure is called at most once when the file is first read.
diff --git a/crates/bashkit/src/lib.rs b/crates/bashkit/src/lib.rs
index 917bfc177..cfd07aafe 100644
--- a/crates/bashkit/src/lib.rs
+++ b/crates/bashkit/src/lib.rs
@@ -681,7 +681,13 @@ impl Default for Bash {
 impl Bash {
     /// Create a new Bash instance with default settings.
     pub fn new() -> Self {
-        let base_fs: Arc<dyn FileSystem> = Arc::new(InMemoryFs::new());
+        // Provision the default user's home directory so `$HOME` / `~` is a
+        // real, writable directory. HOME defaults to `/home/<DEFAULT_USERNAME>`
+        // (see Interpreter), which InMemoryFs::new does not create on its own.
+        // See issue #2128. (BashBuilder::build does the same for custom users.)
+        let base_inmem = InMemoryFs::new();
+        base_inmem.add_dir(format!("/home/{}", builtins::DEFAULT_USERNAME), 0o755);
+        let base_fs: Arc<dyn FileSystem> = Arc::new(base_inmem);
         let mountable = Arc::new(MountableFs::new(base_fs));
         let fs: Arc<dyn FileSystem> = Arc::clone(&mountable) as Arc<dyn FileSystem>;
         let interpreter = Interpreter::new(Arc::clone(&fs));
@@ -2656,8 +2662,24 @@ impl BashBuilder {
     pub fn build(self) -> Bash {
         let base_fs: Arc<dyn FileSystem> = if self.shell_profile.is_logic_only() {
             Arc::new(fs::DisabledFs)
+        } else if let Some(fs) = self.fs {
+            fs
         } else {
-            self.fs.unwrap_or_else(|| Arc::new(InMemoryFs::new()))
+            // No custom filesystem was supplied: provision the default
+            // in-memory VFS with a home directory for the configured user so
+            // that `$HOME` / `~` is a real, writable directory. HOME defaults
+            // to `/home/<username>` (see Interpreter::with_config), and
+            // InMemoryFs::new only ever creates `/home/user` — so a non-default
+            // `username("eval")` would leave HOME=/home/eval pointing at a
+            // nonexistent directory and writes to `~` fail with "parent
+            // directory not found". See issue #2128.
+            let fs = InMemoryFs::new();
+            let username = self
+                .username
+                .as_deref()
+                .unwrap_or(builtins::DEFAULT_USERNAME);
+            fs.add_dir(format!("/home/{username}"), 0o755);
+            Arc::new(fs)
         };
 
         // Layer 1: Apply real filesystem mounts (if any)
@@ -4690,6 +4712,45 @@ fn
         assert_eq!(result.stdout, "charlie\n");
     }
 
+    #[tokio::test]
+    async fn test_custom_username_provisions_home_dir() {
+        // Regression for #2128: a configured username must make $HOME a real,
+        // writable directory. Previously HOME=/home/eval pointed at a
+        // nonexistent directory and writes to ~ failed with
+        // "parent directory not found".
+        let mut bash = Bash::builder().username("eval").build();
+        let result = bash
+            .exec("echo hi > /home/eval/x.sh && cat /home/eval/x.sh")
+            .await
+            .unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(result.exit_code, 0, "stderr: {}", result.stderr);
+        assert_eq!(result.stdout, "hi\n");
+    }
+
+    #[tokio::test]
+    async fn test_custom_username_home_tilde_write() {
+        // `~` / `$HOME` must resolve to the provisioned, writable home dir.
+        let mut bash = Bash::builder().username("agent").build();
+        let result = bash
+            .exec("echo $HOME; echo data > ~/file.txt && cat ~/file.txt")
+            .await
+            .unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(result.exit_code, 0, "stderr: {}", result.stderr);
+        assert_eq!(result.stdout, "/home/agent\ndata\n");
+    }
+
+    #[tokio::test]
+    async fn test_default_username_provisions_home_dir() {
+        // The default user's $HOME must also exist and be writable.
+        let mut bash = Bash::new();
+        let result = bash
+            .exec("echo data > $HOME/f && cat $HOME/f")
+            .await
+            .unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(result.exit_code, 0, "stderr: {}", result.stderr);
+        assert_eq!(result.stdout, "data\n");
+    }
+
     #[tokio::test]
     async fn test_default_ppid_is_sandboxed() {
         let mut bash = Bash::new();