diff --git a/src/actions.c b/src/actions.c
index f534f7ff..e17e70b2 100644
--- a/src/actions.c
+++ b/src/actions.c
@@ -2100,13 +2100,13 @@ void get_sch_from_sym(char *filename, xSymbol *sym, int inst, int fallback)
   }
   if(sch) my_free(_ALLOC_ID_, &sch);
 
-  if(web_url && filename[0]) {
+  if(web_url && filename[0] && xschem_web_dirname[0]) {
     char sympath[PATH_MAX];
 
     /* build local cached filename of web_url */
-    my_snprintf(sympath, S(sympath), "%s/xschem_web/%s",  tclgetvar("XSCHEM_TMP_DIR"), get_cell_w_ext(filename, 0));
+    my_snprintf(sympath, S(sympath), "%s/%s",  xschem_web_dirname, get_cell_w_ext(filename, 0));
     if(stat(sympath, &buf)) { /* not found, download */
-      /* download item into ${XSCHEM_TMP_DIR}/xschem_web */
+      /* download item into ${XSCHEM_TMP_DIR}/xschem_web_xxxxx */
       tclvareval("try_download_url {", xctx->current_dirname, "} {", filename, "}", NULL);
     }
     if(stat(sympath, &buf)) { /* not found !!! build abs_sym_path to look into local fs and hope fror the best */
diff --git a/src/globals.c b/src/globals.c
index 17a7e036..21ed5e75 100644
--- a/src/globals.c
+++ b/src/globals.c
@@ -177,6 +177,7 @@ char user_conf_dir[PATH_MAX];
 char sel_file[PATH_MAX]="";
 char clip_file[PATH_MAX]="";
 char pwd_dir[PATH_MAX];  /* obtained via getcwd() */
+char xschem_web_dirname[PATH_MAX]=""; /* cache dir for remote URLs */
 int tcp_port = 0;
 int text_svg=1; /* use <text> svg element for text instead of xschem's internal vector font */
 int text_ps=1;  /* use ps font for text instead of xschem's internal vector font */
diff --git a/src/save.c b/src/save.c
index 0ccfea66..f3eb145f 100644
--- a/src/save.c
+++ b/src/save.c
@@ -3151,11 +3151,11 @@ int load_schematic(int load_symbols, const char *fname, int reset_undo, int aler
     my_strncpy(name, fname, S(name));
     dbg(1, "load_schematic(): fname=%s\n", fname);
     /* remote web object specified */
-    if(is_from_web(fname)) {
+    if(is_from_web(fname) && xschem_web_dirname[0]) {
       /* download into ${XSCHEM_TMP_DIR}/xschem_web */
       tclvareval("download_url {", fname, "}", NULL);
       /* build local file name of downloaded object */
-      my_snprintf(name, S(name), "%s/xschem_web/%s",  tclgetvar("XSCHEM_TMP_DIR"), get_cell_w_ext(fname, 0));
+      my_snprintf(name, S(name), "%s/%s",  xschem_web_dirname, get_cell_w_ext(fname, 0));
       /* build current_dirname by stripping off last filename from url */
       my_snprintf(msg, S(msg), "get_directory {%s}", fname);
       my_strncpy(xctx->current_dirname,  tcleval(msg), S(xctx->current_dirname));
@@ -3165,10 +3165,10 @@ int load_schematic(int load_symbols, const char *fname, int reset_undo, int aler
       my_strncpy(xctx->current_name, rel_sym_path(name), S(xctx->current_name));
 
     /* local filename specified but coming (push, pop) from web object ... */
-    } else if(is_from_web(xctx->current_dirname)) {
+    } else if(is_from_web(xctx->current_dirname) && xschem_web_dirname[0]) {
       /* ... but not local file from web download --> reset current_dirname */
       char sympath[PATH_MAX];
-      my_snprintf(sympath, S(sympath), "%s/xschem_web",  tclgetvar("XSCHEM_TMP_DIR"));
+      my_snprintf(sympath, S(sympath), "%s",  xschem_web_dirname);
       /* fname does not begin with $XSCHEM_TMP_DIR/xschem_web and fname does not exist */
 
       if(strstr(fname, sympath) != fname /* && stat(fname, &buf)*/) { 
@@ -3831,16 +3831,12 @@ void sort_symbol_pins(xRect *pin_array, int npins, const char *name)
 }
 
 /* return 1 if http or https url
- * return 2 if cached /tmp/xschem_web/... file/directory
  * return 0 otherwise
  */
 int is_from_web(const char *f)
 {
-  static char tmp[PATH_MAX] = "";
   int res = 0;
-  if(!tmp[0]) my_snprintf(tmp, S(tmp), "%s/xschem_web", tclgetvar("XSCHEM_TMP_DIR"));
   if(strstr(f, "http://") == f || strstr(f, "https://") == f) res = 1;
-  /* if(strstr(f, tmp) == f) res = 2; */
   dbg(1, "is_from_web(%s) = %d\n", f, res);
   return res;
 }
@@ -3935,9 +3931,9 @@ int load_sym_def(const char *name, FILE *embed_fd)
     if((lcc[level].fd=fopen(sympath,fopen_read_mode))==NULL) {
       /* not found: try web URL */
       if(is_from_web(xctx->current_dirname)) {
-        my_snprintf(sympath, S(sympath), "%s/xschem_web/%s", tclgetvar("XSCHEM_TMP_DIR"), get_cell_w_ext(name, 0));
+        my_snprintf(sympath, S(sympath), "%s/%s", xschem_web_dirname, get_cell_w_ext(name, 0));
         if((lcc[level].fd=fopen(sympath,fopen_read_mode))==NULL) {
-          /* not already cached in .../xschem_web/ so download */
+          /* not already cached in .../xschem_web_xxxxx/ so download */
           tclvareval("try_download_url {", xctx->current_dirname, "} {", name, "}", NULL);
         }
         lcc[level].fd=fopen(sympath,fopen_read_mode);
@@ -4892,8 +4888,7 @@ void descend_symbol(void)
     /* ... we are in a schematic downloaded from web ... */
     if(web_url) {
       /* symbols have already been downloaded while loading parent schematic: set local file path */
-      my_mstrcat(_ALLOC_ID_, &sympath, tclgetvar("XSCHEM_TMP_DIR"),
-                 "/xschem_web/", get_cell_w_ext(tcl_hook2(name), 0), NULL);
+      my_mstrcat(_ALLOC_ID_, &sympath, xschem_web_dirname, "/", get_cell_w_ext(tcl_hook2(name), 0), NULL);
       my_strdup(_ALLOC_ID_, &current_dirname_save, xctx->current_dirname); /* save http url */
     }
     if(!sympath || stat(sympath, &buf)) { /* not found */
diff --git a/src/scheduler.c b/src/scheduler.c
index 86365c51..8a3b0bae 100644
--- a/src/scheduler.c
+++ b/src/scheduler.c
@@ -1585,7 +1585,9 @@ int xschem(ClientData clientdata, Tcl_Interp *interp, int argc, const char * arg
           }
           break;
           case 'x':
-          if(!strcmp(argv[2], "xorigin")) { /* x coordinate of origin */
+          if(!strcmp(argv[2], "xschem_web_dirname")) {
+            Tcl_SetResult(interp, xschem_web_dirname, TCL_STATIC);
+          } else if(!strcmp(argv[2], "xorigin")) { /* x coordinate of origin */
             char s[128];
             if(!xctx) {Tcl_SetResult(interp, not_avail, TCL_STATIC); return TCL_ERROR;}
             my_snprintf(s, S(s), "%.16g", xctx->xorigin);
diff --git a/src/xinit.c b/src/xinit.c
index e0ccdb99..e3b327fd 100644
--- a/src/xinit.c
+++ b/src/xinit.c
@@ -965,6 +965,7 @@ static void xwin_exit(void)
  tcleval("if {[info exists xschem_server_getdata(server)]} { close $xschem_server_getdata(server) }");
  tcleval("if {[info exists bespice_server_getdata(server)]} { close $bespice_server_getdata(server) }");
  if(!cli_opt_detach) printf("\n");
+ if(xschem_web_dirname[0]) tclvareval("file delete -force ", xschem_web_dirname, NULL);
  init_done=0; /* 20150409 to avoid multiple calls */
 }
 
@@ -2274,6 +2275,7 @@ void tclmainloop(void)
 
 int Tcl_AppInit(Tcl_Interp *inter)
 {
+ const char *tmp_ptr;
  char name[PATH_MAX]; /* overflow safe 20161122 */
  char tmp[2*PATH_MAX+100]; /* 20161122 overflow safe */
 #ifndef __unix__
@@ -2456,7 +2458,7 @@ int Tcl_AppInit(Tcl_Interp *inter)
     Tcl_Exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
    }
  
-}
+ }
 
  /* Execute tcl script given on command line with --preinit, before sourcing xschemrc */
  if(cli_opt_preinit_command) {
@@ -2612,7 +2614,6 @@ int Tcl_AppInit(Tcl_Interp *inter)
  my_strdup(_ALLOC_ID_, &xschem_executable, get_file_path(xschem_executable));
  dbg(1, "Tcl_AppInit(): resolved xschem_executable=%s\n", xschem_executable);
 
-
  /* get xschem globals from tcl variables set in xschemrc/xschem.tcl */
  cairo_font_line_spacing = tclgetdoublevar("cairo_font_line_spacing");
 
@@ -2638,6 +2639,15 @@ int Tcl_AppInit(Tcl_Interp *inter)
  /*  [m]allocate dynamic memory */
  /*                             */
  alloc_xschem_data("", ".drw");
+
+ /* create /tmp/xschem_web_xxx directory for remote objects */
+ tmp_ptr = create_tmpdir("xschem_web_");
+ if(!tmp_ptr) {
+   dbg(0, "xinit(): problems creating /tmp/xschem_web_xxxx dir\n");
+ } else {
+   my_strncpy(xschem_web_dirname, tmp_ptr, S(xschem_web_dirname));
+ }
+
  /* initialize current schematic name to empty string to avoid gazillion checks in the code for NULL */
  my_strdup2(_ALLOC_ID_, &xctx->sch[xctx->currsch], "");
 
diff --git a/src/xschem.h b/src/xschem.h
index 780efda7..a4db4a3b 100644
--- a/src/xschem.h
+++ b/src/xschem.h
@@ -1197,6 +1197,7 @@ extern char user_conf_dir[PATH_MAX]; /* usually ~/.xschem */
 extern char sel_file[PATH_MAX];
 extern char clip_file[PATH_MAX];
 extern char pwd_dir[PATH_MAX]; /* obtained via getcwd() */
+extern char xschem_web_dirname[PATH_MAX];
 extern int tcp_port;
 extern int text_svg;
 extern int text_ps;
diff --git a/src/xschem.tcl b/src/xschem.tcl
index 458b017f..3d42e936 100644
--- a/src/xschem.tcl
+++ b/src/xschem.tcl
@@ -5821,20 +5821,21 @@ proc fix_symbols {n} {
 proc download_url {url} {
   global XSCHEM_TMP_DIR download_url_helper OS has_x
   # puts "download_url: $url"
-  if {![file exists ${XSCHEM_TMP_DIR}/xschem_web]} { 
-    if {[catch {file mkdir "${XSCHEM_TMP_DIR}/xschem_web"} err]} {
-      puts $err
-      if {[info exists has_x]} {
-        tk_messageBox -message "$err" -icon error -parent [xschem get topwindow] -type ok
-      } 
-    }
-
+  # puts "xschem_web_dirname: $xschem_web_dirname"
+  set xschem_web_dirname [xschem get xschem_web_dirname]
+  if {![file exists $xschem_web_dirname]} { 
+    set msg {xschem_web_xxxxx directory was not created. Remote url download will not work}
+    puts stderr $msg
+    if {[info exists has_x]} {
+      alert_ $msg {} 0 0
+    }  
+    return 1 ;# fail
   }
   if {$OS eq "Windows"} {
-    set cmd "cmd /c \"cd ${XSCHEM_TMP_DIR}/xschem_web & $download_url_helper $url\""
+    set cmd "cmd /c \"cd ${xschem_web_dirname} & $download_url_helper $url\""
     set r [catch {eval exec $cmd } res]
   } else {
-    set r [catch {exec sh -c "cd ${XSCHEM_TMP_DIR}/xschem_web; $download_url_helper $url"} res]
+    set r [catch {exec sh -c "cd ${xschem_web_dirname}; $download_url_helper $url"} res]
   }
   # puts "download_url: url=$url, exit code=$r, res=$res"
   return $r
@@ -6000,7 +6001,7 @@ proc swap_compare_schematics {} {
     set current  [xschem get schname]
     # Use "file tail" to handle equality of
     # https://raw.githubusercon...tb_reram.sch and /tmp/xschem_web/tb_reram.sch
-    if {( [regexp "^${XSCHEM_TMP_DIR}/xschem_web/" $current] && [file tail $current] eq [file tail $sch2] ) || 
+    if {( [regexp "^${XSCHEM_TMP_DIR}/xschem_web_" $current] && [file tail $current] eq [file tail $sch2] ) || 
         ( $current eq $sch2 )} { ;# user did not cancel loading
       puts "swapping..."
       if {$compare_sch} {
@@ -8291,12 +8292,6 @@ if {$OS == "Windows"} {
   set_ne XSCHEM_TMP_DIR {/tmp}
 }
 
-# Remove temporary location for web objects
-if {[file exists ${XSCHEM_TMP_DIR}/xschem_web] } {
-  # -force deletes also if not empty
-  file delete -force ${XSCHEM_TMP_DIR}/xschem_web
-}
-
 # used in C code
 set_ne xschem_libs {}
 set_ne noprint_libs {}