diff --git a/coreapi/friend.c b/coreapi/friend.c
index 8a7e5172f..823b7fce8 100644
--- a/coreapi/friend.c
+++ b/coreapi/friend.c
@@ -1047,7 +1047,7 @@ void linphone_core_remove_friend_from_db(LinphoneCore *lc, LinphoneFriend *lf) {
 	}
 }
 
-MSList* linphone_core_fetch_friends_from_db(LinphoneCore *lc) {
+const MSList* linphone_core_fetch_friends_from_db(LinphoneCore *lc) {
 	char *buf;
 	uint64_t begin,end;
 	MSList *result = NULL;
@@ -1079,7 +1079,7 @@ void linphone_core_store_friend_in_db(LinphoneCore *lc, LinphoneFriend *lf) {
 void linphone_core_remove_friend_from_db(LinphoneCore *lc, LinphoneFriend *lf) {
 }
 
-MSList* linphone_core_fetch_friends_from_db(LinphoneCore *lc) {
+const MSList* linphone_core_fetch_friends_from_db(LinphoneCore *lc) {
 	return NULL;
 }
 
diff --git a/coreapi/linphonecore.c b/coreapi/linphonecore.c
index 7538ca56a..633c5c41f 100644
--- a/coreapi/linphonecore.c
+++ b/coreapi/linphonecore.c
@@ -1366,7 +1366,7 @@ static void ui_config_read(LinphoneCore *lc)
 {
 	LinphoneFriend *lf = NULL;
 #ifdef FRIENDS_SQL_STORAGE_ENABLED
-	MSList *friends = linphone_core_fetch_friends_from_db(lc);
+	const MSList *friends = linphone_core_fetch_friends_from_db(lc);
 	while (friends && friends->data) {
 		lf = friends->data;
 		friends = ms_list_next(friends);
diff --git a/coreapi/private.h b/coreapi/private.h
index 22c83669d..009adb05b 100644
--- a/coreapi/private.h
+++ b/coreapi/private.h
@@ -399,7 +399,7 @@ void linphone_core_friends_storage_init(LinphoneCore *lc);
 void linphone_core_friends_storage_close(LinphoneCore *lc);
 void linphone_core_store_friend_in_db(LinphoneCore *lc, LinphoneFriend *lf);
 void linphone_core_remove_friend_from_db(LinphoneCore *lc, LinphoneFriend *lf);
-MSList* linphone_core_fetch_friends_from_db(LinphoneCore *lc);
+const MSList* linphone_core_fetch_friends_from_db(LinphoneCore *lc);
 
 int parse_hostname_to_addr(const char *server, struct sockaddr_storage *ss, socklen_t *socklen, int default_port);
 
diff --git a/gtk/friendlist.c b/gtk/friendlist.c
index 271d220e4..998a0d379 100644
--- a/gtk/friendlist.c
+++ b/gtk/friendlist.c
@@ -991,3 +991,30 @@ gboolean linphone_gtk_friend_list_motion_event_handler(GtkTreeView *friendlist,
 	return FALSE;
 }
 
+#define CONFIG_FILE ".linphone-friends.db"
+
+char *linphone_gtk_friends_storage_get_db_file(const char *filename){
+	const int path_max=1024;
+	char *db_file=NULL;
+
+	db_file=(char *)g_malloc(path_max*sizeof(char));
+	if (filename==NULL) filename=CONFIG_FILE;
+	/*try accessing a local file first if exists*/
+	if (access(CONFIG_FILE,F_OK)==0){
+		snprintf(db_file,path_max,"%s",filename);
+	}else{
+#ifdef WIN32
+		const char *appdata=getenv("APPDATA");
+		if (appdata){
+			snprintf(db_file,path_max,"%s\\%s",appdata,LINPHONE_CONFIG_DIR);
+			CreateDirectory(db_file,NULL);
+			snprintf(db_file,path_max,"%s\\%s\\%s",appdata,LINPHONE_CONFIG_DIR,filename);
+		}
+#else
+		const char *home=getenv("HOME");
+		if (home==NULL) home=".";
+		snprintf(db_file,path_max,"%s/%s",home,filename);
+#endif
+	}
+	return db_file;
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/gtk/linphone.h b/gtk/linphone.h
index f337770fb..ec7311cc9 100644
--- a/gtk/linphone.h
+++ b/gtk/linphone.h
@@ -116,6 +116,7 @@ LINPHONE_PUBLIC GtkWidget *linphone_gtk_make_tab_header(const gchar *label, cons
 
 char *linphone_gtk_message_storage_get_db_file(const char *filename);
 char *linphone_gtk_call_logs_storage_get_db_file(const char *filename);
+char *linphone_gtk_friends_storage_get_db_file(const char* filename);
 LINPHONE_PUBLIC void linphone_gtk_close_assistant(void);
 
 LINPHONE_PUBLIC LinphoneCore *linphone_gtk_get_core(void);
diff --git a/gtk/main.c b/gtk/main.c
index ff71732c0..fb227f92e 100644
--- a/gtk/main.c
+++ b/gtk/main.c
@@ -252,7 +252,8 @@ gboolean linphone_gtk_get_audio_assistant_option(void){
 }
 
 static void linphone_gtk_init_liblinphone(const char *config_file,
-		const char *factory_config_file, const char *chat_messages_db_file, const char *call_logs_db_file) {
+		const char *factory_config_file, const char *chat_messages_db_file, 
+		const char *call_logs_db_file, const char *friends_db_file) {
 	LinphoneCoreVTable vtable={0};
 	gchar *secrets_file=linphone_gtk_get_config_file(SECRETS_FILE);
 	gchar *user_certificates_dir=linphone_gtk_get_config_file(CERTIFICATES_PATH);
@@ -299,6 +300,7 @@ static void linphone_gtk_init_liblinphone(const char *config_file,
 	}
 	if (chat_messages_db_file) linphone_core_set_chat_database_path(the_core,chat_messages_db_file);
 	if (call_logs_db_file) linphone_core_set_call_logs_database_path(the_core, call_logs_db_file);
+	if (friends_db_file) linphone_core_set_friends_database_path(the_core, friends_db_file);
 }
 
 LinphoneCore *linphone_gtk_get_core(void){
@@ -2074,7 +2076,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[]){
 	const char *icon_name=LINPHONE_ICON_NAME;
 	const char *app_name="Linphone";
 	LpConfig *factory;
-	char *chat_messages_db_file, *call_logs_db_file;
+	char *chat_messages_db_file, *call_logs_db_file, *friends_db_file;
 	GError *error=NULL;
 	const char *tmp;
 
@@ -2212,9 +2214,11 @@ core_start:
 
 	chat_messages_db_file=linphone_gtk_message_storage_get_db_file(NULL);
 	call_logs_db_file = linphone_gtk_call_logs_storage_get_db_file(NULL);
-	linphone_gtk_init_liblinphone(config_file, factory_config_file, chat_messages_db_file, call_logs_db_file);
+	friends_db_file = linphone_gtk_friends_storage_get_db_file(NULL);
+	linphone_gtk_init_liblinphone(config_file, factory_config_file, chat_messages_db_file, call_logs_db_file, friends_db_file);
 	g_free(chat_messages_db_file);
 	g_free(call_logs_db_file);
+	g_free(friends_db_file);
 
 #ifdef CALL_LOGS_STORAGE_ENABLED
 	linphone_gtk_call_log_update(the_ui);