diff --git a/src/AppConsole.vala b/src/AppConsole.vala
index a4554b77..1975a40b 100644
--- a/src/AppConsole.vala
+++ b/src/AppConsole.vala
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ public class AppConsole : GLib.Object {
 		}
 
 		LOG_ENABLE = false;
-		init_tmp(AppShortName);
+		init_tmp();
 		LOG_ENABLE = true;
 		
 		check_if_admin();
diff --git a/src/AppGtk.vala b/src/AppGtk.vala
index c5414d44..a6f5a0f7 100644
--- a/src/AppGtk.vala
+++ b/src/AppGtk.vala
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ public class AppGtk : GLib.Object {
 
 		GTK_INITIALIZED = true;
 
-		init_tmp(AppShortName);
+		init_tmp();
 
 		check_if_admin();
 
diff --git a/src/Utility/TeeJee.Process.vala b/src/Utility/TeeJee.Process.vala
index 1f55311b..94e32bf3 100644
--- a/src/Utility/TeeJee.Process.vala
+++ b/src/Utility/TeeJee.Process.vala
@@ -34,23 +34,34 @@ namespace TeeJee.ProcessHelper{
 
 	// execute process ---------------------------------
 	
-    public static void init_tmp(string subdir_name){
-		string std_out, std_err;
+    public static void init_tmp(){
 
-		TEMP_DIR = Environment.get_tmp_dir() + "/" + random_string();
-		dir_create(TEMP_DIR);
-		chmod(TEMP_DIR, "0750");
-		
-		exec_script_sync("echo 'ok'",out std_out,out std_err, true);
-		
-		if ((std_out == null) || (std_out.strip() != "ok")){
-			
-			TEMP_DIR = Environment.get_home_dir() + "/.temp/" + random_string();
+		// a list of folders where temp files could be stored
+		string[] tempPlaces = {
+			Environment.get_tmp_dir(), // system temp dir
+			"/var/tmp", // another system temp dir, if the first one failed, this one is likely to fail too
+			Environment.get_home_dir() + "/.temp", // user temp dir
+			"/dev/shm", // shared memory
+		};
+
+		foreach (string tempPlace in tempPlaces) {
+			string std_out, std_err;
+
+			TEMP_DIR = tempPlace + "/timeshift-" + random_string();
 			dir_create(TEMP_DIR);
 			chmod(TEMP_DIR, "0750");
+			exec_script_sync("echo 'ok'",out std_out,out std_err, true);
+
+			if ((std_out == null) || (std_out.strip() != "ok")){
+				// this dir does not work for some reason - probably no disk space
+				dir_delete(TEMP_DIR);
+			} else {
+				// script worked - we have found a tempdir to use
+				return;
+			}
 		}
 
-		//log_debug("TEMP_DIR=" + TEMP_DIR);
+		stderr.printf("No usable temp directory was found!\n");
 	}
 
 	public int exec_sync (string cmd, out string? std_out = null, out string? std_err = null){
@@ -81,7 +92,12 @@ namespace TeeJee.ProcessHelper{
 		 * std_out, std_err can be null. Output will be written to terminal if null.
 		 * */
 
-		string sh_file = save_bash_script_temp(script, null, true, supress_errors);
+		string? sh_file = save_bash_script_temp(script, null, true, supress_errors);
+		if (sh_file == null) {
+			// saving the script failed
+			return -1;
+		}
+
 		string sh_file_admin = "";
 		
 		if (run_as_admin){
@@ -204,7 +220,6 @@ namespace TeeJee.ProcessHelper{
 		script.append ("\n");
 		script.append ("%s\n".printf(commands));
 		script.append ("\n\nexitCode=$?\n");
-		script.append ("echo ${exitCode} > ${exitCode}\n");
 		script.append ("echo ${exitCode} > status\n");
 
 		if ((sh_path == null) || (sh_path.length == 0)){