diff --git a/blueprintcompiler/gir.py b/blueprintcompiler/gir.py
index 30a5eaa..549a510 100644
--- a/blueprintcompiler/gir.py
+++ b/blueprintcompiler/gir.py
@@ -25,7 +25,8 @@ from functools import cached_property
 import gi  # type: ignore
 
 gi.require_version("GIRepository", "2.0")
-from gi.repository import GIRepository  # type: ignore
+gi.require_version("GLib", "2.0")
+from gi.repository import GIRepository, GLib  # type: ignore
 
 from . import typelib, xml_reader
 from .errors import CompileError, CompilerBugError
@@ -35,19 +36,60 @@ _namespace_cache: T.Dict[str, "Namespace"] = {}
 _xml_cache = {}
 
 _user_search_paths = []
+_typelib_search_paths_initalized: bool = False
+_typelib_search_paths: list[str] = []
+_gir_search_paths_initalized: bool = False
+_gir_search_paths: list[str] = []
 
 
-def add_typelib_search_path(path: str):
-    _user_search_paths.append(path)
+def add_user_typelib_paths(paths: list):
+    global _user_search_paths
+    _user_search_paths += paths
+
+
+def collect_typelib_search_paths():
+    global _typelib_search_paths_initalized
+    if _typelib_search_paths_initalized:
+        return
+
+    global _typelib_search_paths
+    _typelib_search_paths += [
+        *_user_search_paths,
+        *GIRepository.Repository.get_search_path(),
+        # fallback paths
+        "/usr/local/lib/girepository-1.0",
+        "/usr/local/lib64/girepository-1.0",
+        "/usr/lib/girepository-1.0",
+        "/usr/lib64/girepository-1.0",
+    ]
+    _typelib_search_paths_initalized = True
+
+
+def collect_gir_search_paths():
+    global _gir_search_paths_initalized
+    if _gir_search_paths_initalized:
+        return
+
+    base_paths = [
+        GLib.get_user_data_dir(),
+        *GLib.get_system_data_dirs(),
+        # fallback paths
+        "/usr/local/share/",
+        "/usr/share/",
+    ]
+
+    global _gir_search_paths
+    _gir_search_paths = [os.path.join(path, "gir-1.0") for path in base_paths]
+    _gir_search_paths_initalized = True
 
 
 def get_namespace(namespace: str, version: str) -> "Namespace":
-    search_paths = [*GIRepository.Repository.get_search_path(), *_user_search_paths]
+    collect_typelib_search_paths()
 
     filename = f"{namespace}-{version}.typelib"
 
     if filename not in _namespace_cache:
-        for search_path in search_paths:
+        for search_path in _typelib_search_paths:
             path = os.path.join(search_path, filename)
 
             if os.path.exists(path) and os.path.isfile(path):
@@ -60,7 +102,7 @@ def get_namespace(namespace: str, version: str) -> "Namespace":
         if filename not in _namespace_cache:
             raise CompileError(
                 f"Namespace {namespace}-{version} could not be found",
-                hints=["search path: " + os.pathsep.join(search_paths)],
+                hints=["search path: " + os.pathsep.join(_typelib_search_paths)],
             )
 
     return _namespace_cache[filename]
@@ -73,12 +115,8 @@ def get_available_namespaces() -> T.List[T.Tuple[str, str]]:
     if len(_available_namespaces):
         return _available_namespaces
 
-    search_paths: list[str] = [
-        *GIRepository.Repository.get_search_path(),
-        *_user_search_paths,
-    ]
-
-    for search_path in search_paths:
+    collect_typelib_search_paths()
+    for search_path in _typelib_search_paths:
         try:
             filenames = os.listdir(search_path)
         except FileNotFoundError:
@@ -93,17 +131,12 @@ def get_available_namespaces() -> T.List[T.Tuple[str, str]]:
 
 
 def get_xml(namespace: str, version: str):
-    search_paths = []
-
-    if data_paths := os.environ.get("XDG_DATA_DIRS"):
-        search_paths += [
-            os.path.join(path, "gir-1.0") for path in data_paths.split(os.pathsep)
-        ]
+    collect_gir_search_paths()
 
     filename = f"{namespace}-{version}.gir"
 
     if filename not in _xml_cache:
-        for search_path in search_paths:
+        for search_path in _gir_search_paths:
             path = os.path.join(search_path, filename)
 
             if os.path.exists(path) and os.path.isfile(path):
@@ -113,7 +146,7 @@ def get_xml(namespace: str, version: str):
         if filename not in _xml_cache:
             raise CompileError(
                 f"GObject introspection file '{namespace}-{version}.gir' could not be found",
-                hints=["search path: " + os.pathsep.join(search_paths)],
+                hints=["search path: " + os.pathsep.join(_gir_search_paths)],
             )
 
     return _xml_cache[filename]
diff --git a/blueprintcompiler/main.py b/blueprintcompiler/main.py
index 1c3a1c6..4d787c8 100644
--- a/blueprintcompiler/main.py
+++ b/blueprintcompiler/main.py
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ import typing as T
 from . import formatter, interactive_port, parser, tokenizer
 from .decompiler import decompile_string
 from .errors import CompileError, CompilerBugError, PrintableError, report_bug
-from .gir import add_typelib_search_path
+from .gir import add_user_typelib_paths
 from .lsp import LanguageServer
 from .outputs import XmlOutput
 from .utils import Colors
@@ -145,8 +145,7 @@ class BlueprintApp:
 
     def cmd_compile(self, opts):
         if opts.typelib_path != None:
-            for typelib_path in opts.typelib_path:
-                add_typelib_search_path(typelib_path)
+            add_user_typelib_paths(opts.typelib_path)
 
         data = opts.input.read()
         try:
@@ -166,8 +165,7 @@ class BlueprintApp:
 
     def cmd_batch_compile(self, opts):
         if opts.typelib_path != None:
-            for typelib_path in opts.typelib_path:
-                add_typelib_search_path(typelib_path)
+            add_user_typelib_paths(opts.typelib_path)
 
         for file in opts.inputs:
             data = file.read()