diff --git a/bin/run-node b/bin/run-node
index fe247a2..95d2cf1 100755
--- a/bin/run-node
+++ b/bin/run-node
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ case ${CARDANO_NETWORK} in
 		# empty topology
 		echo '{"Producers": []}' > ${CARDANO_TOPOLOGY}
 		# network start times
-		sed -i "s/\"startTime\": [0-9]*/\"startTime\" $(date +%s)/" \
+		sed -i "s/\"startTime\": [0-9]*/\"startTime\": $(date +%s)/" \
 			${CARDANO_CONFIG_BASE}/${CARDANO_NETWORK}/byron-genesis.json
 		sed -i "s/\"systemStart\": \".*\"/\"systemStart\": \"$(date -u +%FT%TZ)\"/" \
 			${CARDANO_CONFIG_BASE}/${CARDANO_NETWORK}/shelley-genesis.json
@@ -138,6 +138,8 @@ if ! test -e ${CARDANO_DATABASE_PATH}/protocolMagicId; then
 		if [[ $(cd ${CARDANO_DATABASE_PATH}; pwd -P) != $(pwd -P)/db ]]; then
 			mv -f db/* ${CARDANO_DATABASE_PATH}/
 		fi
+	else
+		mkdir -p ${CARDANO_DATABASE_PATH}
 	fi
 elif [[ ${RESTORE_SNAPSHOT} == true ]]; then
 	echo "Detected populated ${CARDANO_DATABASE_PATH}... skipping restore"