diff --git a/src/main-utils.c b/src/main-utils.c
index 90bc7e0cdb..bf8eb4b329 100644
--- a/src/main-utils.c
+++ b/src/main-utils.c
@@ -152,6 +152,16 @@ nm_main_utils_write_pidfile (const char *pidfile)
 	return success;
 }
 
+void
+nm_main_utils_ensure_rundir ()
+{
+	/* Setup runtime directory */
+	if (g_mkdir_with_parents (NMRUNDIR, 0755) != 0) {
+		fprintf (stderr, _("Cannot create '%s': %s"), NMRUNDIR, strerror (errno));
+		exit (1);
+	}
+}
+
 /**
  * nm_main_utils_check_pidfile:
  * @pidfile: the pid file
@@ -173,12 +183,6 @@ nm_main_utils_check_pidfile (const char *pidfile, const char *name)
 	gboolean nm_running = FALSE;
 	const char *process_name;
 
-	/* Setup runtime directory */
-	if (g_mkdir_with_parents (NMRUNDIR, 0755) != 0) {
-		nm_log_err (LOGD_CORE, "Cannot create '%s': %s", NMRUNDIR, strerror (errno));
-		exit (1);
-	}
-
 	if (!g_file_get_contents (pidfile, &contents, &len, NULL))
 		return FALSE;
 
diff --git a/src/main-utils.h b/src/main-utils.h
index e33935562a..18e7e534bd 100644
--- a/src/main-utils.h
+++ b/src/main-utils.h
@@ -25,6 +25,8 @@
 
 gboolean nm_main_utils_setup_signals (GMainLoop *main_loop, gboolean *quit_early_ptr);
 
+void     nm_main_utils_ensure_rundir (void);
+
 gboolean nm_main_utils_write_pidfile (const char *pidfile);
 
 gboolean nm_main_utils_check_pidfile (const char *pidfile, const char *name);
diff --git a/src/main.c b/src/main.c
index 8a776ab0e2..28d8defa64 100644
--- a/src/main.c
+++ b/src/main.c
@@ -310,6 +310,8 @@ main (int argc, char *argv[])
 		exit (1);
 	}
 
+	nm_main_utils_ensure_rundir ();
+
 	/* check pid file */
 	if (nm_main_utils_check_pidfile (global_opt.pidfile, "NetworkManager"))
 		exit (1);
diff --git a/src/nm-iface-helper.c b/src/nm-iface-helper.c
index 599a5c5bc8..0c39d8fa5b 100644
--- a/src/nm-iface-helper.c
+++ b/src/nm-iface-helper.c
@@ -378,6 +378,8 @@ main (int argc, char *argv[])
 		g_clear_pointer (&bad_domains, g_free);
 	}
 
+	nm_main_utils_ensure_rundir ();
+
 	pidfile = g_strdup_printf (NMIH_PID_FILE_FMT, ifindex);
 	g_assert (pidfile);