diff --git a/src/or/config.c b/src/or/config.c
index dc2a1ec2b0..6ce47263bd 100644
--- a/src/or/config.c
+++ b/src/or/config.c
@@ -945,10 +945,13 @@ const char *get_data_directory(or_options_t *options) {
   const char *d;
   if (options->DataDirectory)
     d = options->DataDirectory;
-  else
+  else if (server_mode())
     d = "~/.tor";
+  else
+    d = NULL; /* XXX008 don't create datadir until we have something
+                 we'll be putting in it */
 
-  if (strncmp(d,"~/",2)==0) {
+  if (d && strncmp(d,"~/",2)==0) {
     char *fn = expand_filename(d);
     tor_free(options->DataDirectory);
     options->DataDirectory = fn;
diff --git a/src/or/dirserv.c b/src/or/dirserv.c
index cbdfb6b0a7..5351c74931 100644
--- a/src/or/dirserv.c
+++ b/src/or/dirserv.c
@@ -673,9 +673,11 @@ size_t dirserv_get_directory(const char **directory)
       exit(0);
     }
     free(new_directory);
-    sprintf(filename,"%s/cached-directory", get_data_directory(&options));
-    if(write_str_to_file(filename,the_directory) < 0) {
-      log_fn(LOG_WARN, "Couldn't write cached directory to disk. Ignoring.");
+    if(get_data_directory(&options)) {
+      sprintf(filename,"%s/cached-directory", get_data_directory(&options));
+      if(write_str_to_file(filename,the_directory) < 0) {
+        log_fn(LOG_WARN, "Couldn't write cached directory to disk. Ignoring.");
+      }
     }
   } else {
     log(LOG_INFO,"Directory still clean, reusing.");
diff --git a/src/or/main.c b/src/or/main.c
index 640edffe75..054097b7fb 100644
--- a/src/or/main.c
+++ b/src/or/main.c
@@ -667,7 +667,8 @@ static int init_from_config(int argc, char **argv) {
   }
 
   /* Ensure data directory is private; create if possible. */
-  if (check_private_dir(get_data_directory(&options), 1) != 0) {
+  if (get_data_directory(&options) &&
+      check_private_dir(get_data_directory(&options), 1) != 0) {
     log_fn(LOG_ERR, "Couldn't access/create private data directory %s",
            get_data_directory(&options));
     return -1;