diff --git a/pkg/agent/config/config.go b/pkg/agent/config/config.go
index 04a720bc..01e415fe 100644
--- a/pkg/agent/config/config.go
+++ b/pkg/agent/config/config.go
@@ -378,7 +378,7 @@ func get(ctx context.Context, envInfo *cmds.Agent, proxy proxy.Proxy) (*config.N
 	if envInfo.Rootless {
 		nodePasswordRoot = filepath.Join(envInfo.DataDir, "agent")
 	}
-	nodeConfigPath := filepath.Join(nodePasswordRoot, "etc", "rancher", "node")
+	nodeConfigPath := filepath.Join(nodePasswordRoot, "etc", "k8e", "node")
 	if err := os.MkdirAll(nodeConfigPath, 0755); err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
diff --git a/pkg/cli/cmds/agent.go b/pkg/cli/cmds/agent.go
index 563ccc9e..5edce355 100644
--- a/pkg/cli/cmds/agent.go
+++ b/pkg/cli/cmds/agent.go
@@ -140,7 +140,7 @@ var (
 		Name:        "private-registry",
 		Usage:       "(agent/runtime) Private registry configuration file",
 		Destination: &AgentConfig.PrivateRegistry,
-		Value:       "/etc/rancher/" + version.Program + "/registries.yaml",
+		Value:       "/etc/" + version.Program + "/registries.yaml",
 	}
 	AirgapExtraRegistryFlag = &cli.StringSliceFlag{
 		Name:   "airgap-extra-registry",
diff --git a/pkg/cli/cmds/server.go b/pkg/cli/cmds/server.go
index c91b6665..1e0a4c4b 100644
--- a/pkg/cli/cmds/server.go
+++ b/pkg/cli/cmds/server.go
@@ -110,7 +110,7 @@ var (
 	ServerConfig Server
 	DataDirFlag  = &cli.StringFlag{
 		Name:        "data-dir,d",
-		Usage:       "(data) Folder to hold state default /var/lib/" + version.Program + " or ${HOME}/.rancher/" + version.Program + " if not root",
+		Usage:       "(data) Folder to hold state default /var/lib/" + version.Program + " or ${HOME}/." + version.Program + " if not root",
 		Destination: &ServerConfig.DataDir,
 		EnvVar:      version.ProgramUpper + "_DATA_DIR",
 	}
diff --git a/pkg/rootless/mounts.go b/pkg/rootless/mounts.go
index bf4c6b85..485ddcaa 100644
--- a/pkg/rootless/mounts.go
+++ b/pkg/rootless/mounts.go
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ func setupMounts(stateDir string) error {
 		{"/var/log", filepath.Join(stateDir, "logs")},
 		{"/var/lib/cni", filepath.Join(stateDir, "cni")},
 		{"/var/lib/kubelet", filepath.Join(stateDir, "kubelet")},
-		{"/etc/rancher", filepath.Join(stateDir, "etc", "rancher")},
+		{"/etc/k8e", filepath.Join(stateDir, "etc", "k8e")},
 		{"/run/k8e/containerd", filepath.Join(runDir, "k8e", "containerd")},
 	}
 
diff --git a/pkg/server/router.go b/pkg/server/router.go
index 6ae93120..58017cc2 100644
--- a/pkg/server/router.go
+++ b/pkg/server/router.go
@@ -447,7 +447,7 @@ func verifyLocalPassword(ctx context.Context, config *Config, mu *sync.Mutex, de
 	if config.ControlConfig.Rootless {
 		nodePasswordRoot = filepath.Join(path.Dir(config.ControlConfig.DataDir), "agent")
 	}
-	nodeConfigPath := filepath.Join(nodePasswordRoot, "etc", "rancher", "node")
+	nodeConfigPath := filepath.Join(nodePasswordRoot, "etc", "k8e", "node")
 	nodePasswordFile := filepath.Join(nodeConfigPath, "password")
 
 	passBytes, err := os.ReadFile(nodePasswordFile)