diff --git a/beets/ui/migrate.py b/beets/ui/migrate.py
index 4be5332a6..fea9c13b1 100644
--- a/beets/ui/migrate.py
+++ b/beets/ui/migrate.py
@@ -331,7 +331,7 @@ def migrate_state(replace=False):
     """Copy the beets runtime state file from the old path (i.e.,
     ~/.beetsstate) to the new path (i.e., ~/.config/beets/state.pickle).
     """
-    srcfn = os.path.expanduser('~/.beetsstate')
+    srcfn = os.path.expanduser(os.path.join('~', '.beetsstate'))
     if not os.path.exists(srcfn):
         return
 
diff --git a/docs/changelog.rst b/docs/changelog.rst
index b3c0e5521..5565eefc3 100644
--- a/docs/changelog.rst
+++ b/docs/changelog.rst
@@ -30,6 +30,8 @@ Other new stuff:
     bad: "low" or "none" recommendations or when choosing a candidate
     other than the first.
 
+* Fix an error when migrating the ``.beetsstate`` file on Windows.
+
 1.1b1 (January 29, 2013)
 ------------------------