6 files changed, 20 insertions, 10 deletions
diff --git a/src/bitcoin-cli.cpp b/src/bitcoin-cli.cpp
index 5f6d69a4f3..cde624ce74 100644
--- a/src/bitcoin-cli.cpp
+++ b/src/bitcoin-cli.cpp
@@ -125,7 +125,7 @@ static int AppInitRPC(int argc, char* argv[])
         }
         return EXIT_SUCCESS;
     }
-    if (!fs::is_directory(GetDataDir(false))) {
+    if (!CheckDataDirOption()) {
         tfm::format(std::cerr, "Error: Specified data directory \"%s\" does not exist.\n", gArgs.GetArg("-datadir", "").c_str());
         return EXIT_FAILURE;
     }
diff --git a/src/bitcoin-wallet.cpp b/src/bitcoin-wallet.cpp
index 203f909cc4..361fedf35a 100644
--- a/src/bitcoin-wallet.cpp
+++ b/src/bitcoin-wallet.cpp
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ static bool WalletAppInit(int argc, char* argv[])
     // check for printtoconsole, allow -debug
     LogInstance().m_print_to_console = gArgs.GetBoolArg("-printtoconsole", gArgs.GetBoolArg("-debug", false));
 
-    if (!fs::is_directory(GetDataDir(false))) {
+    if (!CheckDataDirOption()) {
         tfm::format(std::cerr, "Error: Specified data directory \"%s\" does not exist.\n", gArgs.GetArg("-datadir", "").c_str());
         return false;
     }
diff --git a/src/bitcoind.cpp b/src/bitcoind.cpp
index 8e31f6e32b..cb3c4f70b4 100644
--- a/src/bitcoind.cpp
+++ b/src/bitcoind.cpp
@@ -95,8 +95,7 @@ static bool AppInit(int argc, char* argv[])
 
     try
     {
-        if (!fs::is_directory(GetDataDir(false)))
-        {
+        if (!CheckDataDirOption()) {
             return InitError(strprintf("Specified data directory \"%s\" does not exist.\n", gArgs.GetArg("-datadir", "")));
         }
         if (!gArgs.ReadConfigFiles(error, true)) {
diff --git a/src/qt/bitcoin.cpp b/src/qt/bitcoin.cpp
index 5ce4f3c191..adc19df935 100644
--- a/src/qt/bitcoin.cpp
+++ b/src/qt/bitcoin.cpp
@@ -490,10 +490,9 @@ int GuiMain(int argc, char* argv[])
     if (!Intro::pickDataDirectory(*node))
         return EXIT_SUCCESS;
 
-    /// 6. Determine availability of data and blocks directory and parse bitcoin.conf
+    /// 6. Determine availability of data directory and parse bitcoin.conf
     /// - Do not call GetDataDir(true) before this step finishes
-    if (!fs::is_directory(GetDataDir(false)))
-    {
+    if (!CheckDataDirOption()) {
         node->initError(strprintf("Specified data directory \"%s\" does not exist.\n", gArgs.GetArg("-datadir", "")));
         QMessageBox::critical(nullptr, PACKAGE_NAME,
             QObject::tr("Error: Specified data directory \"%1\" does not exist.").arg(QString::fromStdString(gArgs.GetArg("-datadir", ""))));
diff --git a/src/util/system.cpp b/src/util/system.cpp
index f8bcc45a6a..c925dec253 100644
--- a/src/util/system.cpp
+++ b/src/util/system.cpp
@@ -748,8 +748,9 @@ const fs::path &GetDataDir(bool fNetSpecific)
     // this function
     if (!path.empty()) return path;
 
-    if (gArgs.IsArgSet("-datadir")) {
-        path = fs::system_complete(gArgs.GetArg("-datadir", ""));
+    std::string datadir = gArgs.GetArg("-datadir", "");
+    if (!datadir.empty()) {
+        path = fs::system_complete(datadir);
         if (!fs::is_directory(path)) {
             path = "";
             return path;
@@ -768,6 +769,12 @@ const fs::path &GetDataDir(bool fNetSpecific)
     return path;
 }
 
+bool CheckDataDirOption()
+{
+    std::string datadir = gArgs.GetArg("-datadir", "");
+    return datadir.empty() || fs::is_directory(fs::system_complete(datadir));
+}
+
 void ClearDatadirCache()
 {
     LOCK(csPathCached);
@@ -937,7 +944,7 @@ bool ArgsManager::ReadConfigFiles(std::string& error, bool ignore_invalid_keys)
 
     // If datadir is changed in .conf file:
     ClearDatadirCache();
-    if (!fs::is_directory(GetDataDir(false))) {
+    if (!CheckDataDirOption()) {
         error = strprintf("specified data directory \"%s\" does not exist.", gArgs.GetArg("-datadir", "").c_str());
         return false;
     }
@@ -1205,6 +1212,9 @@ int64_t GetStartupTime()
 
 fs::path AbsPathForConfigVal(const fs::path& path, bool net_specific)
 {
+    if (path.is_absolute()) {
+        return path;
+    }
     return fs::absolute(path, GetDataDir(net_specific));
 }
 
diff --git a/src/util/system.h b/src/util/system.h
index 75e8096826..908a3c407d 100644
--- a/src/util/system.h
+++ b/src/util/system.h
@@ -71,6 +71,8 @@ fs::path GetDefaultDataDir();
 // The blocks directory is always net specific.
 const fs::path &GetBlocksDir();
 const fs::path &GetDataDir(bool fNetSpecific = true);
+// Return true if -datadir option points to a valid directory or is not specified.
+bool CheckDataDirOption();
 /** Tests only */
 void ClearDatadirCache();
 fs::path GetConfigFile(const std::string& confPath);