diff --git a/docker/docker.go b/docker/docker.go
index 62f71d54d0..a0108630bd 100644
--- a/docker/docker.go
+++ b/docker/docker.go
@@ -9,7 +9,6 @@ import (
 	"github.com/dotcloud/docker/utils"
 	"log"
 	"os"
-	"path/filepath"
 	"strings"
 )
 
@@ -71,19 +70,6 @@ func main() {
 			return
 		}
 
-		// Docker makes some assumptions about the "absoluteness" of flRoot
-		// ... so let's make sure it has no symlinks
-		if p, err := filepath.Abs(*flRoot); err != nil {
-			log.Fatalf("Unable to get absolute root (%s): %s", flRoot, err)
-		} else {
-			*flRoot = p
-		}
-		if p, err := filepath.EvalSymlinks(*flRoot); err != nil {
-			log.Fatalf("Unable to canonicalize root (%s): %s", flRoot, err)
-		} else {
-			*flRoot = p
-		}
-
 		eng, err := engine.New(*flRoot)
 		if err != nil {
 			log.Fatal(err)
diff --git a/engine/engine.go b/engine/engine.go
index 5da0a97233..ad830ce2e4 100644
--- a/engine/engine.go
+++ b/engine/engine.go
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import (
 	"io"
 	"log"
 	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
 	"runtime"
 	"strings"
 )
@@ -79,9 +80,24 @@ func New(root string) (*Engine, error) {
 			}
 		}
 	}
+
 	if err := os.MkdirAll(root, 0700); err != nil && !os.IsExist(err) {
 		return nil, err
 	}
+
+	// Docker makes some assumptions about the "absoluteness" of root
+	// ... so let's make sure it has no symlinks
+	if p, err := filepath.Abs(root); err != nil {
+		log.Fatalf("Unable to get absolute root (%s): %s", root, err)
+	} else {
+		root = p
+	}
+	if p, err := filepath.EvalSymlinks(root); err != nil {
+		log.Fatalf("Unable to canonicalize root (%s): %s", root, err)
+	} else {
+		root = p
+	}
+
 	eng := &Engine{
 		root:     root,
 		handlers: make(map[string]Handler),