diff --git a/client/client.go b/client/client.go
index 0b4912583..148cee4c7 100644
--- a/client/client.go
+++ b/client/client.go
@@ -156,15 +156,15 @@ func (c *Client) init() error {
 		if err := os.MkdirAll(c.config.AllocDir, 0700); err != nil {
 			return fmt.Errorf("failed creating alloc dir: %s", err)
 		}
+	} else {
+		// Othewise make a temp directory to use.
+		p, err := ioutil.TempDir("", "NomadClient")
+		if err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("failed creating temporary directory for the AllocDir: %v", err)
+		}
+		c.config.AllocDir = p
 	}
 
-	// Othewise make a temp directory to use.
-	p, err := ioutil.TempDir("", "NomadClient")
-	if err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("failed creating temporary directory for the AllocDir: %v", err)
-	}
-	c.config.AllocDir = p
-
 	c.logger.Printf("[INFO] client: using alloc directory %v", c.config.AllocDir)
 	return nil
 }
diff --git a/client/client_test.go b/client/client_test.go
index 2218700f2..27f26e1c2 100644
--- a/client/client_test.go
+++ b/client/client_test.go
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package client
 import (
 	"fmt"
 	"io/ioutil"
+	"log"
 	"net"
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
@@ -393,6 +394,7 @@ func TestClient_Init(t *testing.T) {
 		config: &config.Config{
 			AllocDir: allocDir,
 		},
+		logger: log.New(os.Stderr, "", log.LstdFlags),
 	}
 	if err := client.init(); err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("err: %s", err)