diff --git a/src/cryptonote_core/blockchain_storage.cpp b/src/cryptonote_core/blockchain_storage.cpp
index f569e506..5fb23fa6 100644
--- a/src/cryptonote_core/blockchain_storage.cpp
+++ b/src/cryptonote_core/blockchain_storage.cpp
@@ -207,6 +207,11 @@ uint64_t blockchain_storage::get_current_blockchain_height() {
 
 bool blockchain_storage::init(const std::string& config_folder) {
   CRITICAL_REGION_LOCAL(m_blockchain_lock);
+  if (!tools::create_directories_if_necessary(config_folder)) {
+    LOG_ERROR("Failed to create data directory: " << m_config_folder);
+    return false;
+  }
+
   m_config_folder = config_folder;
   LOG_PRINT_L0("Loading blockchain...");
   if (!m_blocks.open(appendPath(config_folder, "blocks.dat"), appendPath(config_folder, "blockindexes.dat"), 1024)) {
diff --git a/src/version.h.in b/src/version.h.in
index e412253e..05270416 100644
--- a/src/version.h.in
+++ b/src/version.h.in
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
 #define BUILD_COMMIT_ID "@VERSION@"
 #define PROJECT_VERSION "0.8.10"
-#define PROJECT_VERSION_BUILD_NO "65"
+#define PROJECT_VERSION_BUILD_NO "71"
 #define PROJECT_VERSION_LONG PROJECT_VERSION "." PROJECT_VERSION_BUILD_NO "(" BUILD_COMMIT_ID ")"