diff --git a/server/helpers/core-utils.ts b/server/helpers/core-utils.ts
index 4981bb4ec..77547c528 100644
--- a/server/helpers/core-utils.ts
+++ b/server/helpers/core-utils.ts
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ import * as createTorrent from 'create-torrent'
 import { pseudoRandomBytes } from 'crypto'
 import { readdir, readFile, rename, stat, Stats, unlink, writeFile } from 'fs'
 import * as mkdirp from 'mkdirp'
-import { join } from 'path'
+import { isAbsolute, join } from 'path'
 import * as pem from 'pem'
 import * as rimraf from 'rimraf'
 import { URL } from 'url'
@@ -70,6 +70,12 @@ function pageToStartAndCount (page: number, itemsPerPage: number) {
   return { start, count: itemsPerPage }
 }
 
+function buildPath (path: string) {
+  if (isAbsolute(path)) return path
+
+  return join(root(), path)
+}
+
 function promisify0<A> (func: (cb: (err: any, result: A) => void) => void): () => Promise<A> {
   return function promisified (): Promise<A> {
     return new Promise<A>((resolve: (arg: A) => void, reject: (err: any) => void) => {
@@ -136,6 +142,7 @@ export {
   pageToStartAndCount,
   sanitizeUrl,
   sanitizeHost,
+  buildPath,
 
   promisify0,
   promisify1,
diff --git a/server/initializers/constants.ts b/server/initializers/constants.ts
index 2c64efe1f..745e50168 100644
--- a/server/initializers/constants.ts
+++ b/server/initializers/constants.ts
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ import { ActivityPubActorType } from '../../shared/models/activitypub'
 import { FollowState } from '../../shared/models/actors'
 import { VideoPrivacy } from '../../shared/models/videos'
 // Do not use barrels, remain constants as independent as possible
-import { isTestInstance, root, sanitizeHost, sanitizeUrl } from '../helpers/core-utils'
+import { buildPath, isTestInstance, root, sanitizeHost, sanitizeUrl } from '../helpers/core-utils'
 
 // ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
@@ -93,13 +93,13 @@ const CONFIG = {
     PASSWORD: config.get<string>('database.password')
   },
   STORAGE: {
-    AVATARS_DIR: join(root(), config.get<string>('storage.avatars')),
-    LOG_DIR: join(root(), config.get<string>('storage.logs')),
-    VIDEOS_DIR: join(root(), config.get<string>('storage.videos')),
-    THUMBNAILS_DIR: join(root(), config.get<string>('storage.thumbnails')),
-    PREVIEWS_DIR: join(root(), config.get<string>('storage.previews')),
-    TORRENTS_DIR: join(root(), config.get<string>('storage.torrents')),
-    CACHE_DIR: join(root(), config.get<string>('storage.cache'))
+    AVATARS_DIR: buildPath(config.get<string>('storage.avatars')),
+    LOG_DIR: buildPath(config.get<string>('storage.logs')),
+    VIDEOS_DIR: buildPath(config.get<string>('storage.videos')),
+    THUMBNAILS_DIR: buildPath(config.get<string>('storage.thumbnails')),
+    PREVIEWS_DIR: buildPath(config.get<string>('storage.previews')),
+    TORRENTS_DIR: buildPath(config.get<string>('storage.torrents')),
+    CACHE_DIR: buildPath(config.get<string>('storage.cache'))
   },
   WEBSERVER: {
     SCHEME: config.get<boolean>('webserver.https') === true ? 'https' : 'http',