diff --git a/pressure-vessel/runtime.c b/pressure-vessel/runtime.c
index 9932d5dae7774198ff3cd3be7968a4c5df567a5f..bb5d72a5916e6d9d5a3c8b999ca137455cfb88de 100644
--- a/pressure-vessel/runtime.c
+++ b/pressure-vessel/runtime.c
@@ -865,13 +865,6 @@ pv_runtime_initable_init (GInitable *initable,
                          self->bubblewrap);
     }
 
-  if (self->variable_dir != NULL
-      && !g_file_test (self->variable_dir, G_FILE_TEST_IS_DIR))
-    {
-      return glnx_throw (error, "\"%s\" is not a directory",
-                         self->variable_dir);
-    }
-
   if (!pv_runtime_init_variable_dir (self, error))
     return FALSE;
 
diff --git a/pressure-vessel/wrap.c b/pressure-vessel/wrap.c
index 6935e678c19ed505cd279dbdb5daa82238283f84..4a48a1fb827c751dc67d235ae714cfe467fcd389 100644
--- a/pressure-vessel/wrap.c
+++ b/pressure-vessel/wrap.c
@@ -1614,14 +1614,6 @@ main (int argc,
         }
     }
 
-  if (opt_variable_dir != NULL
-      && g_mkdir_with_parents (opt_variable_dir, 0700) != 0)
-    {
-      glnx_throw_errno_prefix (error, "Unable to create \"%s\"",
-                               opt_variable_dir);
-      goto out;
-    }
-
   tools_dir = find_executable_dir (error);
 
   if (tools_dir == NULL)