diff --git a/rtengine/init.cc b/rtengine/init.cc
index 7ac4ca35b..41f599b01 100644
--- a/rtengine/init.cc
+++ b/rtengine/init.cc
@@ -51,7 +51,11 @@ int init (const Settings* s, Glib::ustring baseDir, Glib::ustring userSettingsDi
     Color::init ();
     PerceptualToneCurve::init ();
     RawImageSource::init ();
-    LFDatabase::init(s->lensfunDbDirectory);
+    if (s->lensfunDbDirectory.empty() || Glib::path_is_absolute(s->lensfunDbDirectory)) {
+        LFDatabase::init(s->lensfunDbDirectory);
+    } else {
+        LFDatabase::init(Glib::build_filename(baseDir, s->lensfunDbDirectory));
+    }
     delete lcmsMutex;
     lcmsMutex = new MyMutex;
     dfm.init( s->darkFramesPath );
diff --git a/rtgui/main-cli.cc b/rtgui/main-cli.cc
index 74f2e1b65..1cb63ef6d 100644
--- a/rtgui/main-cli.cc
+++ b/rtgui/main-cli.cc
@@ -145,11 +145,7 @@ int main (int argc, char **argv)
         licensePath = Glib::build_filename (exePath, LICENCE_SEARCH_PATH);
     }
 
-    if (Glib::path_is_absolute(LENSFUN_DB_PATH)) {
-        options.rtSettings.lensfunDbDirectory = LENSFUN_DB_PATH;
-    } else {
-        options.rtSettings.lensfunDbDirectory = Glib::build_filename(exePath, LENSFUN_DB_PATH);
-    }
+    options.rtSettings.lensfunDbDirectory = LENSFUN_DB_PATH;
 
 #else
     argv0 = DATA_SEARCH_PATH;
diff --git a/rtgui/main.cc b/rtgui/main.cc
index 9548bb289..6dd9ccf7f 100644
--- a/rtgui/main.cc
+++ b/rtgui/main.cc
@@ -529,11 +529,7 @@ int main (int argc, char **argv)
         licensePath = Glib::build_filename (exePath, LICENCE_SEARCH_PATH);
     }
 
-    if (strlen(LENSFUN_DB_PATH) == 0 || Glib::path_is_absolute (LENSFUN_DB_PATH)) {
-        options.rtSettings.lensfunDbDirectory = LENSFUN_DB_PATH;
-    } else {
-        options.rtSettings.lensfunDbDirectory = Glib::build_filename (exePath, LENSFUN_DB_PATH);
-    }
+    options.rtSettings.lensfunDbDirectory = LENSFUN_DB_PATH;
     
 #else
     argv0 = DATA_SEARCH_PATH;