diff --git a/Configuration.cpp b/Configuration.cpp
index dbbf741ec..03f5b2ac2 100644
--- a/Configuration.cpp
+++ b/Configuration.cpp
@@ -160,8 +160,6 @@
 #include <QFontDialog>
 #include <QSerialPortInfo>
 #include <QScopedPointer>
-#include <QSqlDatabase>
-#include <QSqlError>
 #include <QDebug>
 
 #include "pimpl_impl.hpp"
@@ -949,14 +947,6 @@ Configuration::impl::impl (Configuration * self, QNetworkAccessManager * network
   ui_->setupUi (this);
 
   {
-    // Find a suitable data file location
-    if (!writeable_data_dir_.mkpath ("."))
-      {
-        MessageBox::critical_message (this, tr ("Failed to create data directory"),
-                                      tr ("path: \"%1\"").arg (writeable_data_dir_.absolutePath ()));
-        throw std::runtime_error {"Failed to create data directory"};
-      }
-
     // Make sure the default save directory exists
     QString save_dir {"save"};
     default_save_directory_ = writeable_data_dir_;
@@ -1002,18 +992,6 @@ Configuration::impl::impl (Configuration * self, QNetworkAccessManager * network
   // this must be done after the default paths above are set
   read_settings ();
 
-  // set up SQLite database
-  if (!QSqlDatabase::drivers ().contains ("QSQLITE"))
-    {
-      throw std::runtime_error {"Failed to find SQLite Qt driver"};
-    }
-  auto db = QSqlDatabase::addDatabase ("QSQLITE");
-  db.setDatabaseName (writeable_data_dir_.absoluteFilePath ("db.sqlite"));
-  if (!db.open ())
-    {
-      throw std::runtime_error {("Database Error: " + db.lastError ().text ()).toStdString ()};
-    }
-
   // conditionally load LotW users data
   ui_->LotW_CSV_fetch_push_button->setEnabled (false);
   connect (&lotw_users_, &LotWUsers::load_finished, [this] () {
diff --git a/main.cpp b/main.cpp
index bc337bb7d..784b709cd 100644
--- a/main.cpp
+++ b/main.cpp
@@ -20,6 +20,8 @@
 #include <QSplashScreen>
 #include <QCommandLineParser>
 #include <QCommandLineOption>
+#include <QSqlDatabase>
+#include <QSqlError>
 
 #include "revision_utils.hpp"
 #include "MetaDataRegistry.hpp"
@@ -233,6 +235,27 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
           }
       }
 
+      // create writeable data directory if not already there
+      auto writeable_data_dir = QDir {QStandardPaths::writableLocation (QStandardPaths::DataLocation)};
+      if (!writeable_data_dir.mkpath ("."))
+        {
+          MessageBox::critical_message (nullptr, a.translate ("main", "Failed to create data directory"),
+                                        a.translate ("main", "path: \"%1\"").arg (writeable_data_dir.absolutePath ()));
+          throw std::runtime_error {"Failed to create data directory"};
+        }
+
+      // set up SQLite database
+      if (!QSqlDatabase::drivers ().contains ("QSQLITE"))
+        {
+          throw std::runtime_error {"Failed to find SQLite Qt driver"};
+        }
+      auto db = QSqlDatabase::addDatabase ("QSQLITE");
+      db.setDatabaseName (writeable_data_dir.absoluteFilePath ("db.sqlite"));
+      if (!db.open ())
+        {
+          throw std::runtime_error {("Database Error: " + db.lastError ().text ()).toStdString ()};
+        }
+
       int result;
       do
         {