diff --git a/aiida/backends/general/migrations/utils.py b/aiida/backends/general/migrations/utils.py
index 0c310a6b5f..0bcfe75329 100644
--- a/aiida/backends/general/migrations/utils.py
+++ b/aiida/backends/general/migrations/utils.py
@@ -69,11 +69,11 @@ def get_node_repository_sub_folder(uuid):
     :param uuid: UUID of the node
     :return: absolute path to node repository folder, i.e `/some/path/repository/node/12/ab/c123134-a123/path`
     """
-    from aiida.common.utils import get_repository_folder
+    from aiida.manage.configuration import get_profile
 
     uuid = str(uuid)
 
-    repo_dirpath = get_repository_folder('repository')
+    repo_dirpath = os.path.join(get_profile().repository_path, 'repository')
     node_dirpath = os.path.join(repo_dirpath, 'node', uuid[:2], uuid[2:4], uuid[4:], 'path')
 
     return node_dirpath
diff --git a/aiida/cmdline/commands/cmd_status.py b/aiida/cmdline/commands/cmd_status.py
index d3d33ac865..312e8d2b9b 100644
--- a/aiida/cmdline/commands/cmd_status.py
+++ b/aiida/cmdline/commands/cmd_status.py
@@ -8,10 +8,9 @@
 # For further information please visit http://www.aiida.net               #
 ###########################################################################
 """`verdi status` command."""
-
 import sys
 
-from enum import IntEnum
+import enum
 import click
 
 from aiida.cmdline.commands.cmd_verdi import verdi
@@ -19,7 +18,7 @@
 from ..utils.echo import ExitCode
 
 
-class ServiceStatus(IntEnum):
+class ServiceStatus(enum.IntEnum):
     """Describe status of services for 'verdi status' command."""
     UP = 0  # pylint: disable=invalid-name
     ERROR = 1
@@ -47,7 +46,7 @@ def verdi_status():
     """Print status of AiiDA services."""
     # pylint: disable=broad-except,too-many-statements
     from aiida.cmdline.utils.daemon import get_daemon_status, delete_stale_pid_file
-    from aiida.common.utils import Capturing, get_repository_folder
+    from aiida.common.utils import Capturing
     from aiida.manage.external.rmq import get_rmq_url
     from aiida.manage.manager import get_manager
 
@@ -67,7 +66,7 @@ def verdi_status():
     # getting the repository
     repo_folder = 'undefined'
     try:
-        repo_folder = get_repository_folder()
+        repo_folder = profile.repository_path
     except Exception as exc:
         print_status(ServiceStatus.ERROR, 'repository', 'Error with repo folder', exception=exc)
         exit_code = ExitCode.CRITICAL
diff --git a/aiida/common/folders.py b/aiida/common/folders.py
index 0eae11c5d3..a9ff0e8c6c 100644
--- a/aiida/common/folders.py
+++ b/aiida/common/folders.py
@@ -8,7 +8,6 @@
 # For further information please visit http://www.aiida.net               #
 ###########################################################################
 """Utility functions to operate on filesystem folders."""
-
 import errno
 import fnmatch
 import io
@@ -16,8 +15,8 @@
 import shutil
 import tempfile
 
+from aiida.manage.configuration import get_profile
 from . import timezone
-from .utils import get_repository_folder
 
 # If True, tries to make everything (dirs, files) group-writable.
 # Otherwise, tries to make everything only readable and writable by the user.
@@ -430,7 +429,7 @@ def __init__(self, sandbox_in_repo=True):
         """
         # First check if the sandbox folder already exists
         if sandbox_in_repo:
-            sandbox = get_repository_folder('sandbox')
+            sandbox = os.path.join(get_profile().repository_path, 'sandbox')
             if not os.path.exists(sandbox):
                 os.makedirs(sandbox)
             abspath = tempfile.mkdtemp(dir=sandbox)
@@ -533,7 +532,7 @@ def __init__(self, section, uuid, subfolder=os.curdir):
         # normpath, that may be slow): this is done abywat by the super
         # class.
         entity_dir = os.path.join(
-            get_repository_folder('repository'), str(section),
+            get_profile().repository_path, 'repository', str(section),
             str(uuid)[:2],
             str(uuid)[2:4],
             str(uuid)[4:]
diff --git a/aiida/common/utils.py b/aiida/common/utils.py
index 0500ec08d6..ef9092a4fa 100644
--- a/aiida/common/utils.py
+++ b/aiida/common/utils.py
@@ -28,34 +28,6 @@ def get_new_uuid():
     return str(uuid.uuid4())
 
 
-# To speed up the process (os.path.abspath calls are slow)
-_repository_folder_cache = {}  # pylint: disable=invalid-name
-
-
-def get_repository_folder(subfolder=None):
-    """
-    Return the top folder of the local repository.
-    """
-    try:
-        return _repository_folder_cache[subfolder]
-    except KeyError:
-        from aiida.manage.configuration import get_profile
-        repository_path = get_profile().repository_path
-
-        if not os.path.isdir(repository_path):
-            raise ImportError
-        if subfolder is None:
-            retval = os.path.abspath(repository_path)
-        elif subfolder == 'sandbox':
-            retval = os.path.abspath(os.path.join(repository_path, 'sandbox'))
-        elif subfolder == 'repository':
-            retval = os.path.abspath(os.path.join(repository_path, 'repository'))
-        else:
-            raise ValueError("Invalid 'subfolder' passed to get_repository_folder: {}".format(subfolder))
-        _repository_folder_cache[subfolder] = retval
-        return retval
-
-
 def validate_list_of_string_tuples(val, tuple_length):
     """
     Check that: