diff --git a/man/runsv.8 b/man/runsv.8
index 7c5abfc..53f1b1b 100644
--- a/man/runsv.8
+++ b/man/runsv.8
@@ -157,9 +157,9 @@ This command is ignored if it is given to
 .IR service /log/supervise/control.
 .P
 Example: to send a TERM signal to the socklog-unix service, either do
-  # sv term /service/socklog-unix
+  # sv term /var/service/socklog-unix
  or
-  # printf t >/service/socklog-unix/supervise/control
+  # printf t >/var/service/socklog-unix/supervise/control
 .P
 .BR printf (1)
 usually blocks if no
diff --git a/man/runsvchdir.8 b/man/runsvchdir.8
index f7f94dc..793d653 100644
--- a/man/runsvchdir.8
+++ b/man/runsvchdir.8
@@ -27,13 +27,13 @@ with a symlink pointing to
 .IR dir .
 .P
 Normally 
-.I /service
+.I /var/service
 is a symlink to
 .IR current ,
 and
 .BR runsvdir (8)
 is running
-.IR /service/ .
+.IR /var/service/ .
 .SH EXIT CODES
 .B runsvchdir
 prints an error message and exits 111 on error.
diff --git a/man/sv.8 b/man/sv.8
index 7ed9852..58f1c07 100644
--- a/man/sv.8
+++ b/man/sv.8
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ If
 .I service
 doesn't start with a dot or slash and doesn't end with a slash, it is
 searched in the default services directory
-.IR /service/ ,
+.IR /var/service/ ,
 otherwise relative to the current directory.
 .P
 .I command
@@ -232,7 +232,7 @@ This option implies
 .TP
 .B SVDIR
 The environment variable $SVDIR overrides the default services directory
-.IR /service/ .
+.IR /var/service/ .
 .TP
 .B SVWAIT
 The environment variable $SVWAIT overrides the default 7 seconds to wait
diff --git a/src/sv.c b/src/sv.c
index 0125795..7c6f6ed 100644
--- a/src/sv.c
+++ b/src/sv.c
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@
 char *progname;
 char *action;
 char *acts;
-char *varservice ="/service/";
+char *varservice ="/var/service/";
 char **service;
 char **servicex;
 unsigned int services;