diff --git a/src/suricata.c b/src/suricata.c
index 2736348325..29baa98c08 100644
--- a/src/suricata.c
+++ b/src/suricata.c
@@ -388,6 +388,12 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
                 fprintf(stderr, "ERROR: Failed to set log directory.\n");
                 exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
             }
+            if (stat(optarg, &buf) != 0) {
+                SCLogError(SC_ERR_LOGDIR_CMDLINE, "The logging directory \"%s\" "
+                        "upplied at the commandline (-l %s) doesn't "
+                        "exist. Shutting down the engine.", optarg, optarg);
+                exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
+            }
             break;
         case 'q':
             mode = MODE_NFQ;
@@ -453,9 +459,9 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
     if (ConfGet("default-log-dir", &log_dir) != 1)
         log_dir = DEFAULT_LOG_DIR;
     if (stat(log_dir, &buf) != 0) {
-        SCLogError(SC_ERR_STAT_ERROR, "The logging directory \"%s\" picked from "
-                   "suricata.yaml(default-log-dir), doesn't exist.  Shutting "
-                   "down the engine", log_dir);
+        SCLogError(SC_ERR_LOGDIR_CONFIG, "The logging directory \"%s\" "
+                    "supplied by %s (default-log-dir) doesn't exist. "
+                    "Shutting down the engine", log_dir, conf_filename);
         exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
     }
 
diff --git a/src/util-error.c b/src/util-error.c
index bcd134517c..df6371511b 100644
--- a/src/util-error.c
+++ b/src/util-error.c
@@ -72,6 +72,8 @@ const char * SCErrorToString(SCError err)
         CASE_CODE (SC_ERR_OFFSET_MISSING_CONTENT);
         CASE_CODE (SC_ERR_NO_URICONTENT_NEGATION);
         CASE_CODE (SC_ERR_FOPEN_ERROR);
+        CASE_CODE (SC_ERR_LOGDIR_CONFIG);
+        CASE_CODE (SC_ERR_LOGDIR_CMDLINE);
         default:
             return "UNKNOWN_ERROR";
     }
diff --git a/src/util-error.h b/src/util-error.h
index e8458740ce..e64e67c662 100644
--- a/src/util-error.h
+++ b/src/util-error.h
@@ -85,6 +85,8 @@ typedef enum {
     SC_ERR_FOPEN_ERROR,
     SC_ERR_HASH_TABLE_INIT_FAILED,
     SC_ERR_STAT_ERROR,
+    SC_ERR_LOGDIR_CONFIG,
+    SC_ERR_LOGDIR_CMDLINE,
 } SCError;
 
 const char *SCErrorToString(SCError);