diff --git a/src/core/log.c b/src/core/log.c
index 9617b0c5..112e46b6 100644
--- a/src/core/log.c
+++ b/src/core/log.c
@@ -348,6 +348,7 @@ LOG_REC *log_create_rec(const char *fname, int level)
 	if (rec == NULL) {
 		rec = g_new0(LOG_REC, 1);
 		rec->fname = g_strdup(fname);
+		rec->real_fname = log_filename(rec);
 		rec->handle = -1;
 	}
 
diff --git a/src/fe-common/core/fe-log.c b/src/fe-common/core/fe-log.c
index 95ab07e4..8250dd90 100644
--- a/src/fe-common/core/fe-log.c
+++ b/src/fe-common/core/fe-log.c
@@ -342,7 +342,7 @@ static void autologs_close_all(void)
 static void autolog_open(void *server, const char *target)
 {
 	LOG_REC *log;
-	char *fname, *dir, *str;
+	char *fname, *dir;
 
 	log = logs_find_item(LOG_ITEM_TARGET, target, server, NULL);
 	if (log != NULL && !log->failed) {
@@ -352,16 +352,13 @@ static void autolog_open(void *server, const char *target)
 
 	fname = parse_special_string(autolog_path, server, NULL, target, NULL);
 	if (log_find(fname) == NULL) {
-		str = convert_home(fname);
-		dir = g_dirname(str);
-		g_free(str);
-
-		mkpath(dir, LOG_DIR_CREATE_MODE);
-		g_free(dir);
-
 		log = log_create_rec(fname, autolog_level);
 		log_item_add(log, LOG_ITEM_TARGET, target, server);
 
+		dir = g_dirname(log->real_fname);
+		mkpath(dir, LOG_DIR_CREATE_MODE);
+		g_free(dir);
+
 		log->temp = TRUE;
 		log_update(log);
 		log_start_logging(log);