diff --git a/drush/hosting_site_backup_manager.drush.inc b/drush/hosting_site_backup_manager.drush.inc
index 37eab7a..08ed8aa 100644
--- a/drush/hosting_site_backup_manager.drush.inc
+++ b/drush/hosting_site_backup_manager.drush.inc
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ function drush_hosting_site_backup_manager_provision_export_backup($backup) {
   include_once dirname(__FILE__) . '/../hosting_site_backup_manager.inc';
 
   // Path for exported backups.
-  $backupdir = _hosting_site_backup_manager_get_backup_export_root();
+  $backupdir = drush_get_option('aegir_backup_export_path', '/var/aegir/backup-exports');
   if (!is_dir($backupdir)) {
     provision_file()->create_dir($backupdir, dt('General backup export directory'), 0751);
   }
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ function drush_hosting_site_backup_manager_provision_remove_export_backup($expor
   include_once dirname(__FILE__) . '/../hosting_site_backup_manager.inc';
 
   // Path for exported backups.
-  $backupdir = _hosting_site_backup_manager_get_backup_export_root();
+  $backupdir = drush_get_option('aegir_backup_export_path', '/var/aegir/backup-exports');
 
   if (drush_shell_cd_and_exec($backupdir, 'rm %s', $export)) {
     drush_log(dt('Backup export removed', array()), 'ok');
diff --git a/hosting_site_backup_manager.inc b/hosting_site_backup_manager.inc
deleted file mode 100644
index fdaf318..0000000
--- a/hosting_site_backup_manager.inc
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,14 +0,0 @@
-<?php
-
-/**
- * @file
- * Helper functions.
- */
-
-/**
- * Helper function to get the root directory where backups are exported.
- */
-function _hosting_site_backup_manager_get_backup_export_root() {
-  $root = variable_get('hosting_site_backup_manager_export_root', '/var/aegir/backup-exports');
-  return $root;
-}
diff --git a/hosting_site_backup_manager.module b/hosting_site_backup_manager.module
index ad30577..6989491 100755
--- a/hosting_site_backup_manager.module
+++ b/hosting_site_backup_manager.module
@@ -332,7 +332,7 @@ function hosting_site_backup_manager_download($site, $bid) {
   $source = db_query("SELECT filename FROM {hosting_site_backups} WHERE site = :site AND bid = :bid ORDER BY timestamp DESC", array(':site' => $site->nid, ':bid' => $bid))->fetchObject();
 
   if ($source) {
-    $backup_root = _hosting_site_backup_manager_get_backup_export_root();
+    $backup_root = drush_get_option('aegir_backup_export_path', '/var/aegir/backup-exports');
     $symlink = $backup_root . '/' . basename($source->filename);
 
     if ($fd = @fopen($symlink, 'rb')) {
@@ -521,7 +521,7 @@ function _hosting_site_backup_manager_isfileavailable($site, $bid) {
 
   if ($source) {
     // Get Document Root.
-    $root = _hosting_site_backup_manager_get_backup_export_root();
+    $root = drush_get_option('aegir_backup_export_path', '/var/aegir/backup-exports');
     $file = $root . '/' . basename($source->filename);
 
     if (file_exists($file)) {
@@ -541,7 +541,7 @@ function _hosting_site_backup_manager_isfileavailable($site, $bid) {
  */
 function hosting_site_backup_manager_cron() {
   // Get Document Root.
-  $backup_root = _hosting_site_backup_manager_get_backup_export_root();
+  $backup_root = drush_get_option('aegir_backup_export_path', '/var/aegir/backup-exports');
   $backup_export_expire_timeout = 60 * 10;
   if (!is_dir($backup_root)) {
     return;