diff --git a/src/leveled_penciller.erl b/src/leveled_penciller.erl
index 7f36325..fa98f9b 100644
--- a/src/leveled_penciller.erl
+++ b/src/leveled_penciller.erl
@@ -572,8 +572,11 @@ start_from_file(PCLopts) ->
                         levelzero_index=leveled_pmem:new_index()},
     
     %% Open manifest
-    ManifestPath = InitState#state.root_path ++ "/" ++ ?MANIFEST_FP ++ "/",
+    ManifestPath = filepath(InitState#state.root_path, manifest) ++ "/",
+    SSTPath = filepath(InitState#state.root_path, files) ++ "/",
     ok = filelib:ensure_dir(ManifestPath),
+    ok = filelib:ensure_dir(SSTPath),
+
     {ok, Filenames} = file:list_dir(ManifestPath),
     CurrRegex = "nonzero_(?<MSN>[0-9]+)\\." ++ ?CURRENT_FILEX,
     ValidManSQNs = lists:foldl(fun(FN, Acc) ->
diff --git a/src/leveled_sst.erl b/src/leveled_sst.erl
index ef699d6..602fc2d 100644
--- a/src/leveled_sst.erl
+++ b/src/leveled_sst.erl
@@ -493,12 +493,13 @@ write_file(Filename, SummaryBin, SlotsBin) ->
     SummaryLength = byte_size(SummaryBin),
     SlotsLength = byte_size(SlotsBin),
     {PendingName, FinalName} = generate_filenames(Filename),
-    file:write_file(PendingName,
-                    <<SlotsLength:32/integer,
-                        SummaryLength:32/integer,    
-                        SlotsBin/binary,
-                        SummaryBin/binary>>,
-                    [raw]),
+    DirName = filename:dirname(PendingName),
+    ok = file:write_file(PendingName,
+                            <<SlotsLength:32/integer,
+                                SummaryLength:32/integer,    
+                                SlotsBin/binary,
+                                SummaryBin/binary>>,
+                            [raw]),
     case filelib:is_file(FinalName) of
         true ->
             AltName = filename:join(filename:dirname(FinalName),