diff --git a/src/config.c b/src/config.c
index 4324af3d3..29de26c5b 100644
--- a/src/config.c
+++ b/src/config.c
@@ -487,9 +487,9 @@ void loadServerConfigFromString(char *config) {
             }
         } else if (!strcasecmp(argv[0],"dir") && argc == 2) {
             if (chdir(argv[1]) == -1) {
-                serverLog(LL_WARNING,"Can't chdir to '%s': %s",
-                    argv[1], strerror(errno));
-                exit(1);
+                err = sdscatprintf(sdsempty(), "Can't chdir to '%s': %s",
+                                   argv[1], strerror(errno));
+                goto loaderr;
             }
         } else if (!strcasecmp(argv[0],"logfile") && argc == 2) {
             FILE *logfp;