diff --git a/config/environments/production.rb b/config/environments/production.rb
index c5cbfcf64c..4d01f6fab8 100644
--- a/config/environments/production.rb
+++ b/config/environments/production.rb
@@ -70,10 +70,10 @@ Rails.application.configure do
 
   config.action_mailer.delivery_method = :sendmail
   # Defaults to:
-  # # config.action_mailer.sendmail_settings = {
-  # #   location: '/usr/sbin/sendmail',
-  # #   arguments: '-i -t'
-  # # }
+  config.action_mailer.sendmail_settings = {
+    location: '/usr/sbin/sendmail',
+    arguments: '-i -t'
+  }
   config.action_mailer.perform_deliveries = true
   config.action_mailer.raise_delivery_errors = true
 
diff --git a/config/gitlab.yml.example b/config/gitlab.yml.example
index bd696a7f2c..44e3863736 100644
--- a/config/gitlab.yml.example
+++ b/config/gitlab.yml.example
@@ -590,7 +590,7 @@ production: &base
   # CAUTION!
   # Use the default values unless you really know what you are doing
   git:
-    bin_path: /usr/bin/git
+    bin_path: git
 
   ## Webpack settings
   # If enabled, this will tell rails to serve frontend assets from the webpack-dev-server running
diff --git a/config/initializers/1_settings.rb b/config/initializers/1_settings.rb
index 0bea8a4f4b..290248547b 100644
--- a/config/initializers/1_settings.rb
+++ b/config/initializers/1_settings.rb
@@ -255,7 +255,7 @@ Settings.gitlab['user']       ||= 'git'
 Settings.gitlab['user_home']  ||= begin
   Etc.getpwnam(Settings.gitlab['user']).dir
 rescue ArgumentError # no user configured
-  '/home/' + Settings.gitlab['user']
+  '/homeless-shelter'
 end
 Settings.gitlab['time_zone'] ||= nil
 Settings.gitlab['signup_enabled'] ||= true if Settings.gitlab['signup_enabled'].nil?
@@ -507,7 +507,7 @@ Settings.backup['upload']['storage_class'] ||= nil
 # Git
 #
 Settings['git'] ||= Settingslogic.new({})
-Settings.git['bin_path'] ||= '/usr/bin/git'
+Settings.git['bin_path'] ||= 'git'
 
 # Important: keep the satellites.path setting until GitLab 9.0 at
 # least. This setting is fed to 'rm -rf' in
diff --git a/lib/api/api.rb b/lib/api/api.rb
index e953f3d2ec..3a8d9f076b 100644
--- a/lib/api/api.rb
+++ b/lib/api/api.rb
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ module API
   class API < Grape::API
     include APIGuard
 
-    LOG_FILENAME = Rails.root.join("log", "api_json.log")
+    LOG_FILENAME = File.join(ENV["GITLAB_LOG_PATH"], "api_json.log")
 
     NO_SLASH_URL_PART_REGEX = %r{[^/]+}
     PROJECT_ENDPOINT_REQUIREMENTS = { id: NO_SLASH_URL_PART_REGEX }.freeze
diff --git a/lib/gitlab/logger.rb b/lib/gitlab/logger.rb
index a42e312b5d..ccaab9229e 100644
--- a/lib/gitlab/logger.rb
+++ b/lib/gitlab/logger.rb
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ module Gitlab
     end
 
     def self.full_log_path
-      Rails.root.join("log", file_name)
+        File.join(ENV["GITLAB_LOG_PATH"], file_name)
     end
 
     def self.cache_key
diff --git a/lib/gitlab/uploads_transfer.rb b/lib/gitlab/uploads_transfer.rb
index 7d7400bdab..cb25211d44 100644
--- a/lib/gitlab/uploads_transfer.rb
+++ b/lib/gitlab/uploads_transfer.rb
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 module Gitlab
   class UploadsTransfer < ProjectTransfer
     def root_dir
-      FileUploader.root
+      ENV['GITLAB_UPLOADS_PATH'] || FileUploader.root
     end
   end
 end
diff --git a/lib/system_check/app/log_writable_check.rb b/lib/system_check/app/log_writable_check.rb
index 3e0c436d6e..28cefc5514 100644
--- a/lib/system_check/app/log_writable_check.rb
+++ b/lib/system_check/app/log_writable_check.rb
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ module SystemCheck
       private
 
       def log_path
-        Rails.root.join('log')
+        ENV["GITLAB_LOG_PATH"]
       end
     end
   end
diff --git a/lib/system_check/app/uploads_directory_exists_check.rb b/lib/system_check/app/uploads_directory_exists_check.rb
index 7026d0ba07..c56e1f7ed9 100644
--- a/lib/system_check/app/uploads_directory_exists_check.rb
+++ b/lib/system_check/app/uploads_directory_exists_check.rb
@@ -4,12 +4,13 @@ module SystemCheck
       set_name 'Uploads directory exists?'
 
       def check?
-        File.directory?(Rails.root.join('public/uploads'))
+        File.directory?(ENV['GITLAB_UPLOADS_PATH'] || Rails.root.join('public/uploads'))
       end
 
       def show_error
+        uploads_dir = ENV['GITLAB_UPLOADS_PATH'] || Rails.root.join('public/uploads')
         try_fixing_it(
-          "sudo -u #{gitlab_user} mkdir #{Rails.root}/public/uploads"
+            "sudo -u #{gitlab_user} mkdir #{uploads_dir}"
         )
         for_more_information(
           see_installation_guide_section 'GitLab'
diff --git a/lib/system_check/app/uploads_path_permission_check.rb b/lib/system_check/app/uploads_path_permission_check.rb
index 7df6c06025..bb447c16b2 100644
--- a/lib/system_check/app/uploads_path_permission_check.rb
+++ b/lib/system_check/app/uploads_path_permission_check.rb
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ module SystemCheck
       private
 
       def rails_uploads_path
-        Rails.root.join('public/uploads')
+        ENV['GITLAB_UPLOADS_PATH'] || Rails.root.join('public/uploads')
       end
 
       def uploads_fullpath
diff --git a/lib/system_check/app/uploads_path_tmp_permission_check.rb b/lib/system_check/app/uploads_path_tmp_permission_check.rb
index b276a81eac..070e3ebd81 100644
--- a/lib/system_check/app/uploads_path_tmp_permission_check.rb
+++ b/lib/system_check/app/uploads_path_tmp_permission_check.rb
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ module SystemCheck
       end
 
       def uploads_fullpath
-        File.realpath(Rails.root.join('public/uploads'))
+        File.realpath(ENV['GITLAB_UPLOADS_PATH'] || Rails.root.join('public/uploads'))
       end
     end
   end
--- a/lib/gitlab/authorized_keys.rb
+++ b/lib/gitlab/authorized_keys.rb
@@ -157,7 +157,7 @@
         raise KeyError, "Invalid ID: #{id.inspect}"
       end
 
-      "#{File.join(Gitlab.config.gitlab_shell.path, 'bin', 'gitlab-shell')} #{id}"
+      "#{File.join('/run/current-system/sw/bin', 'gitlab-shell')} #{id}"
     end
 
     def strip(key)