diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 1a65db0..fa7651c 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -14,6 +14,11 @@ and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0
 ### Changed
 
 - Multiple command options can be combined
+- History uses `XDG_STATE_HOME` directory by default:
+  This constitutes a slight break in behavior if you relied a lot on your pick history in the
+  default location. To retain your old history file, simply move it from the old cache directory
+  (`~/.cache/bemoji-history.txt` by default) to the new one (`~/.local/state/bemoji-history.txt`
+  by default).
 
 <!-- ### Deprecated -->
 
diff --git a/bemoji b/bemoji
index 41dc8bc..2f01647 100755
--- a/bemoji
+++ b/bemoji
@@ -7,8 +7,8 @@ bm_db_location=${BEMOJI_DB_LOCATION:-"${XDG_DATA_HOME:-$HOME/.local/share}/bemoj
 # BEMOJI_CUSTOM_LIST=/my/location/emojis.txt
 # Setting custom recent emoji cache:
 # BEMOJI_CACHE_LOCATION=/path/to/my/recents/directory
-bm_cache_dir="${BEMOJI_CACHE_LOCATION:-${XDG_CACHE_HOME:-$HOME/.cache}}"
-bm_history_file="${bm_cache_dir}/bemoji-history.txt"
+bm_state_dir="${BEMOJI_CACHE_LOCATION:-${XDG_STATE_HOME:-$HOME/.local/state}}"
+bm_history_file="${bm_state_dir}/bemoji-history.txt"
 
 # Command to run after user chooses an emoji
 bm_default_cmd="$BEMOJI_DEFAULT_CMD"
@@ -135,8 +135,8 @@ get_most_recent() {
 
 add_to_recent() {
     if [ -z "$1" ]; then return; fi
-    if [ ! -d "$bm_cache_dir" ]; then
-        mkdir -p "$bm_cache_dir"
+    if [ ! -d "$bm_state_dir" ]; then
+        mkdir -p "$bm_state_dir"
     fi
     echo "$1" >>"$bm_history_file"
 }
diff --git a/test/bemoji_directories.bats b/test/bemoji_directories.bats
index 28068e1..5438536 100644
--- a/test/bemoji_directories.bats
+++ b/test/bemoji_directories.bats
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ database=$BATS_TEST_TMPDIR/xdb-db/bemoji
 
 @test "sets XDG directory for history by default" {
     unset BEMOJI_CACHE_LOCATION
-    export XDG_CACHE_HOME="$BATS_TEST_TMPDIR/xdb-cache"
+    export XDG_STATE_HOME="$BATS_TEST_TMPDIR/xdb-cache"
     run bemoji -v
     assert_output --regexp "
 history=$BATS_TEST_TMPDIR/xdb-cache/bemoji-history.txt$"
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ database=$HOME/.local/share/bemoji
     unset BEMOJI_CACHE_LOCATION
     run bemoji -v
     assert_output --regexp "
-history=$HOME/.cache/bemoji-history.txt$"
+history=$HOME/.local/state/bemoji-history.txt$"
 }
 
 @test "BEMOJI_DB_LOCATION sets correct db directory" {