diff --git a/src/main.c b/src/main.c
index 1c18306b9e..e6b48c13ca 100644
--- a/src/main.c
+++ b/src/main.c
@@ -279,6 +279,8 @@ main (int argc, char *argv[])
 
 	nm_main_utils_ensure_root ();
 
+	nm_main_utils_ensure_not_running_pidfile (global_opt.pidfile);
+
 	if (!nm_logging_setup (global_opt.opt_log_level,
 	                       global_opt.opt_log_domains,
 	                       &bad_domains,
@@ -326,8 +328,6 @@ main (int argc, char *argv[])
 
 	nm_main_utils_ensure_rundir ();
 
-	nm_main_utils_ensure_not_running_pidfile (global_opt.pidfile);
-
 	/* 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 1d842358c4..7d90bff812 100644
--- a/src/nm-iface-helper.c
+++ b/src/nm-iface-helper.c
@@ -381,6 +381,14 @@ main (int argc, char *argv[])
 		exit (1);
 	}
 
+	ifindex = if_nametoindex (global_opt.ifname);
+	if (ifindex <= 0) {
+		fprintf (stderr, _("Failed to find interface index for %s (%s)\n"), global_opt.ifname, strerror (errno));
+		exit (1);
+	}
+	pidfile = g_strdup_printf (NMIH_PID_FILE_FMT, ifindex);
+	nm_main_utils_ensure_not_running_pidfile (pidfile);
+
 	if (!nm_logging_setup (global_opt.opt_log_level,
 	                       global_opt.opt_log_domains,
 	                       &bad_domains,
@@ -398,14 +406,6 @@ main (int argc, char *argv[])
 
 	nm_main_utils_ensure_rundir ();
 
-	ifindex = if_nametoindex (global_opt.ifname);
-	if (ifindex <= 0) {
-		fprintf (stderr, _("Failed to find interface index for %s (%s)\n"), global_opt.ifname, strerror (errno));
-		exit (1);
-	}
-	pidfile = g_strdup_printf (NMIH_PID_FILE_FMT, ifindex);
-	nm_main_utils_ensure_not_running_pidfile (pidfile);
-
 	if (global_opt.become_daemon && !global_opt.debug) {
 		if (daemon (0, 0) < 0) {
 			int saved_errno;