diff --git a/build/packages-template/bbb-record-core/after-install.sh b/build/packages-template/bbb-record-core/after-install.sh
index 34fb9bbd5984..777533a8dec9 100755
--- a/build/packages-template/bbb-record-core/after-install.sh
+++ b/build/packages-template/bbb-record-core/after-install.sh
@@ -28,6 +28,14 @@ case "$1" in
     # Run recording link fixup/upgrade script
     # Don't abort on failure; users can manually run it later, too
     if id $BBB_USER > /dev/null 2>&1 ; then
+      # The bigbluebutton user's passwd home (/home/bigbluebutton) is never
+      # created, so services running as this user get HOME pointing at a
+      # missing directory and Bundler warns "`/home/bigbluebutton` is not a
+      # directory". The RAP units set HOME to this directory instead; make sure
+      # it exists and is writable by the user. (#16374)
+      mkdir -p /var/lib/bigbluebutton
+      chown $BBB_USER:$BBB_USER /var/lib/bigbluebutton
+
       mkdir -p /var/bigbluebutton/recording/status
       chown $BBB_USER:$BBB_USER /var/bigbluebutton/recording/status
 
diff --git a/record-and-playback/core/systemd/bbb-rap-caption-inbox.service b/record-and-playback/core/systemd/bbb-rap-caption-inbox.service
index d4c30819e49e..2806b1de2251 100644
--- a/record-and-playback/core/systemd/bbb-rap-caption-inbox.service
+++ b/record-and-playback/core/systemd/bbb-rap-caption-inbox.service
@@ -6,6 +6,9 @@ PartOf=bigbluebutton.target
 Type=simple
 ExecStart=/usr/local/bigbluebutton/core/scripts/rap-caption-inbox.rb
 WorkingDirectory=/usr/local/bigbluebutton/core
+# The bigbluebutton user's passwd home (/home/bigbluebutton) does not exist;
+# point HOME at a real, user-owned directory so Bundler does not warn. (#16374)
+Environment=HOME=/var/lib/bigbluebutton
 User=bigbluebutton
 Slice=bbb_record_core.slice
 Restart=on-failure
diff --git a/record-and-playback/core/systemd/bbb-rap-resque-worker.service b/record-and-playback/core/systemd/bbb-rap-resque-worker.service
index 919242608429..f622935da60a 100644
--- a/record-and-playback/core/systemd/bbb-rap-resque-worker.service
+++ b/record-and-playback/core/systemd/bbb-rap-resque-worker.service
@@ -8,6 +8,9 @@ PartOf=bigbluebutton.target
 Type=simple
 ExecStart=/usr/bin/bundle exec rake -f Rakefile resque:workers
 WorkingDirectory=/usr/local/bigbluebutton/core/scripts
+# The bigbluebutton user's passwd home (/home/bigbluebutton) does not exist;
+# point HOME at a real, user-owned directory so Bundler does not warn. (#16374)
+Environment=HOME=/var/lib/bigbluebutton
 Environment=QUEUE=rap:archive,rap:publish,rap:process,rap:sanity,rap:captions,rap:events
 Environment=COUNT=1
 # Environment=VVERBOSE=1
diff --git a/record-and-playback/core/systemd/bbb-rap-starter.service b/record-and-playback/core/systemd/bbb-rap-starter.service
index 889cf98ffebd..f0c4ace10a1f 100644
--- a/record-and-playback/core/systemd/bbb-rap-starter.service
+++ b/record-and-playback/core/systemd/bbb-rap-starter.service
@@ -8,6 +8,9 @@ PartOf=bigbluebutton.target
 Type=simple
 ExecStart=/usr/local/bigbluebutton/core/scripts/rap-starter.rb
 WorkingDirectory=/usr/local/bigbluebutton/core/scripts
+# The bigbluebutton user's passwd home (/home/bigbluebutton) does not exist;
+# point HOME at a real, user-owned directory so Bundler does not warn. (#16374)
+Environment=HOME=/var/lib/bigbluebutton
 User=bigbluebutton
 Slice=bbb_record_core.slice
 Restart=on-failure