diff --git a/src/main.c b/src/main.c
index fb0cc06259..391219e241 100644
--- a/src/main.c
+++ b/src/main.c
@@ -281,6 +281,14 @@ main (int argc, char *argv[])
 
 	nm_main_utils_ensure_not_running_pidfile (global_opt.pidfile);
 
+	/* Ensure state directory exists */
+	if (g_mkdir_with_parents (NMSTATEDIR, 0755) != 0) {
+		fprintf (stderr, "Cannot create '%s': %s", NMSTATEDIR, strerror (errno));
+		exit (1);
+	}
+
+	nm_main_utils_ensure_rundir ();
+
 	if (!nm_logging_setup (global_opt.opt_log_level,
 	                       global_opt.opt_log_domains,
 	                       &bad_domains,
@@ -320,14 +328,6 @@ main (int argc, char *argv[])
 		g_free (path);
 	}
 
-	/* Ensure state directory exists */
-	if (g_mkdir_with_parents (NMSTATEDIR, 0755) != 0) {
-		nm_log_err (LOGD_CORE, "Cannot create '%s': %s", NMSTATEDIR, strerror (errno));
-		exit (1);
-	}
-
-	nm_main_utils_ensure_rundir ();
-
 	/* Read the config file and CLI overrides */
 	config = nm_config_new (&error);
 	if (config == NULL) {
diff --git a/src/nm-iface-helper.c b/src/nm-iface-helper.c
index 7d90bff812..d2ab0a1be0 100644
--- a/src/nm-iface-helper.c
+++ b/src/nm-iface-helper.c
@@ -389,6 +389,8 @@ main (int argc, char *argv[])
 	pidfile = g_strdup_printf (NMIH_PID_FILE_FMT, ifindex);
 	nm_main_utils_ensure_not_running_pidfile (pidfile);
 
+	nm_main_utils_ensure_rundir ();
+
 	if (!nm_logging_setup (global_opt.opt_log_level,
 	                       global_opt.opt_log_domains,
 	                       &bad_domains,
@@ -404,8 +406,6 @@ main (int argc, char *argv[])
 		g_clear_pointer (&bad_domains, g_free);
 	}
 
-	nm_main_utils_ensure_rundir ();
-
 	if (global_opt.become_daemon && !global_opt.debug) {
 		if (daemon (0, 0) < 0) {
 			int saved_errno;