diff --git a/logger.c b/logger.c
index 37d0d631..bcf7c682 100644
--- a/logger.c
+++ b/logger.c
@@ -397,6 +397,9 @@ static int LoggerMakeDir(char *path)
       return 0;                 /* mkdir failed */
     snprintf(buffer, sizeof buffer, "%s", path);
     lpath = strlen(buffer);
+    /* Discard any trailing slash characters */
+    while (lpath > 0 && buffer[lpath - 1] == '/')
+      buffer[--lpath] = '\0';
     do {
       slash = strrchr(buffer, '/');
       if (!slash)
diff --git a/logsetup.c b/logsetup.c
index a8394b97..aceb023e 100644
--- a/logsetup.c
+++ b/logsetup.c
@@ -118,6 +118,11 @@ static int LogSetup(SConnection * pCon, SicsInterp * pSics, void *pData,
     LoggerChange(logger, period, name);
   } else {
     logger = LoggerMake(name, period, !numeric);
+    /* If that failed, we cannot continue - it crashes in the callback */
+    if (logger == NULL) {
+      SCPrintf(pCon, eError, "ERROR: logger %s not created", argv[1]);
+      return 0;
+    }
     LoggerSetNumeric(logger, numeric);
     SetHdbProperty(node, "logger_name", name);
     cb = MakeHipadabaCallback(LoggerUpdateCallback, logger,