diff --git a/src/ripple/core/impl/DatabaseCon.cpp b/src/ripple/core/impl/DatabaseCon.cpp
index d0a388608..4b3797932 100644
--- a/src/ripple/core/impl/DatabaseCon.cpp
+++ b/src/ripple/core/impl/DatabaseCon.cpp
@@ -62,6 +62,11 @@ DatabaseCon::Setup setup_DatabaseCon (Config const& c)
     setup.startUp = c.START_UP;
     setup.standAlone = c.RUN_STANDALONE;
     setup.dataDir = c.legacy ("database_path");
+    if (!setup.standAlone && setup.dataDir.empty())
+    {
+        Throw<std::runtime_error>(
+            "database_path must be set.");
+    }
 
     return setup;
 }
diff --git a/src/ripple/core/impl/SociDB.cpp b/src/ripple/core/impl/SociDB.cpp
index 6a358f317..3d5c2825a 100644
--- a/src/ripple/core/impl/SociDB.cpp
+++ b/src/ripple/core/impl/SociDB.cpp
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ getSociSqliteInit (std::string const& name,
                    std::string const& dir,
                    std::string const& ext)
 {
-    if (dir.empty () || name.empty ())
+    if (name.empty ())
     {
         Throw<std::runtime_error> (
             "Sqlite databases must specify a dir and a name. Name: " +
diff --git a/src/ripple/test/jtx/impl/Env.cpp b/src/ripple/test/jtx/impl/Env.cpp
index f8c6c6c9d..ab39e0f9c 100644
--- a/src/ripple/test/jtx/impl/Env.cpp
+++ b/src/ripple/test/jtx/impl/Env.cpp
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ setupConfigForUnitTests (Config& config)
     config.overwrite (ConfigSection::nodeDatabase (), "path", "main");
 
     config.deprecatedClearSection (ConfigSection::importNodeDatabase ());
-    config.legacy("database_path", "DummyForUnitTests");
+    config.legacy("database_path", "");
 
     config.RUN_STANDALONE = true;
     config["server"].append("port_peer");