configure --prefix with "~"

nginx 1.3.15, ubuntu 12.04, bash:

$ ./configure --prefix=~/tools/webserver/install ...
$ make && make install

--> a dir named '~' is created within current dir, but `~` should be interpreted as `$HOME` instead, right?

Thanks to the protection from gvfs, `rm -rf ~` did not cause a disaster (it should be `rm -rf \~`)