diff --git a/backup/backup.py b/backup/backup.py
index 0ba5f6b..f722602 100755
--- a/backup/backup.py
+++ b/backup/backup.py
@@ -230,22 +230,22 @@ def on_init(options: Mapping[str, str], plugin: Plugin, **kwargs):
     destination = options['backup-destination']
 
     # Ensure that we don't inadventently switch the destination
-    if os.path.exists("backup.lock"):
-        d = json.load(open("backup.lock", 'r'))
-        if destination is None or destination == 'null':
-            destination = d['backend_url']
-        elif destination != d['backend_url']:
-            abort(
-                "The destination specified as option does not match the one "
-                "specified in backup.lock. Please check your settings"
-            )
+    if not os.path.exists("backup.lock"):
+        print("Files in the current directory {}".format(", ".join(os.listdir("."))))
+        return abort("Could not find backup.lock in the lightning-dir, have you initialized using the backup-cli utility?")
+
+    d = json.load(open("backup.lock", 'r'))
+    if destination is None or destination == 'null':
+        destination = d['backend_url']
+    elif destination != d['backend_url']:
+        abort(
+            "The destination specified as option does not match the one "
+            "specified in backup.lock. Please check your settings"
+        )
 
     if not plugin.db_path.startswith('sqlite3'):
         abort("The backup plugin only works with the sqlite3 database.")
 
-    if destination == 'null':
-        abort("You must specify a backup destination, possibly on a secondary disk.")
-
     # Let's initialize the backed. First we need to figure out which backend to use.
     backend_cl = resolve_backend_class(destination)
     if backend_cl is None:
diff --git a/backup/test_backup.py b/backup/test_backup.py
index 52ca17d..e9bb2e6 100644
--- a/backup/test_backup.py
+++ b/backup/test_backup.py
@@ -2,8 +2,7 @@ from flaky import flaky
 from pyln.client import RpcError
 from pyln.testing.fixtures import *
 import os
-import time
-import shutil
+import pytest
 import subprocess
 
 
@@ -13,14 +12,22 @@ cli_path = os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__), "backup-cli")
 
 
 def test_start(node_factory, directory):
-    bdest = os.path.join(directory, 'backup.dbak')
+    bdest = os.path.join(directory, 'lightning-1', 'backup.dbak')
     opts = {
         'plugin': plugin_path,
         'backup-destination': 'file://' + bdest,
         }
 
     subprocess.check_call([cli_path, "init", directory, directory])
-    l1 = node_factory.get_node(options=opts)
+    bpath = os.path.join(directory, 'lightning-1', 'regtest')
+    bdest = os.path.join(bpath, 'backup.dbak')
+    os.makedirs(bpath)
+    subprocess.check_call([cli_path, "init", bpath, bpath])
+    opts = {
+        'plugin': plugin_path,
+        'backup-destination': 'file://' + bdest,
+        }
+    l1 = node_factory.get_node(options=opts, cleandir=False)
 
     l1.daemon.wait_for_log(r'backup.py')
 
@@ -40,13 +47,15 @@ def test_tx_abort(node_factory, directory):
     inbetween the hook call and the DB transaction.
 
     """
-    bdest = os.path.join(directory, 'backup.dbak')
+    bpath = os.path.join(directory, 'lightning-1', 'regtest')
+    bdest = os.path.join(bpath, 'backup.dbak')
+    os.makedirs(bpath)
+    subprocess.check_call([cli_path, "init", bpath, bpath])
     opts = {
         'plugin': plugin_path,
         'backup-destination': 'file://' + bdest,
         }
-    subprocess.check_call([cli_path, "init", directory, directory])
-    l1 = node_factory.get_node(options=opts)
+    l1 = node_factory.get_node(options=opts, cleandir=False)
     l1.stop()
 
     print(l1.db.query("SELECT * FROM vars;"))
@@ -68,12 +77,15 @@ def test_failing_restore(nf, directory):
     in the database back to n-2, which is non-recoverable.
 
     """
+    bpath = os.path.join(directory, 'lightning-1', 'regtest')
+    bdest = os.path.join(bpath, 'backup.dbak')
+    os.makedirs(bpath)
+    subprocess.check_call([cli_path, "init", bpath, bpath])
     opts = {
         'plugin': plugin_path,
-        'backup-destination': 'file://' + os.path.join(directory, 'backup.dbak')
+        'backup-destination': 'file://' + bdest,
         }
-    subprocess.check_call([cli_path, "init", directory, directory])
-    l1 = node_factory.get_node(options=opts)
+    l1 = node_factory.get_node(options=opts, cleandir=False)
     l1.stop()
 
     # Now fudge the data_version:
@@ -90,13 +102,15 @@ def test_intermittent_backup(node_factory, directory):
     """Simulate intermittent use of the backup, or an old file backup.
 
     """
-
+    bpath = os.path.join(directory, 'lightning-1', 'regtest')
+    bdest = os.path.join(bpath, 'backup.dbak')
+    os.makedirs(bpath)
+    subprocess.check_call([cli_path, "init", bpath, bpath])
     opts = {
         'plugin': plugin_path,
-        'backup-destination': 'file://' + os.path.join(directory, 'backup.dbak')
+        'backup-destination': 'file://' + bdest,
         }
-    subprocess.check_call([cli_path, "init", directory, directory])
-    l1 = node_factory.get_node(options=opts)
+    l1 = node_factory.get_node(options=opts, cleandir=False)
 
     # Now start without the plugin. This should work fine.
     del l1.daemon.opts['plugin']