diff --git a/beacon_chain/beacon_chain_db.nim b/beacon_chain/beacon_chain_db.nim
index 6a9d3f547..6866f17bc 100644
--- a/beacon_chain/beacon_chain_db.nim
+++ b/beacon_chain/beacon_chain_db.nim
@@ -406,8 +406,10 @@ proc new*(T: type BeaconChainDB,
       SqStoreRef.init("", "test", readOnly = readOnly, inMemory = true).expect(
         "working database (out of memory?)")
     else:
-      let s = secureCreatePath(dir)
-      doAssert s.isOk # TODO(zah) Handle this in a better way
+      if (let res = secureCreatePath(dir); res.isErr):
+        fatal "Failed to create create database directory",
+          path = dir, err = ioErrorMsg(res.error)
+        quit 1
 
       SqStoreRef.init(
         dir, "nbc", readOnly = readOnly, manualCheckpoint = true).expectDb()
diff --git a/beacon_chain/conf.nim b/beacon_chain/conf.nim
index 7950c8463..7ce246e32 100644
--- a/beacon_chain/conf.nim
+++ b/beacon_chain/conf.nim
@@ -894,15 +894,15 @@ func dumpDirOutgoing*(config: AnyConf): string =
 
 proc createDumpDirs*(config: BeaconNodeConf) =
   if config.dumpEnabled:
-    let resInv = secureCreatePath(config.dumpDirInvalid)
-    if resInv.isErr():
-      warn "Could not create dump directory", path = config.dumpDirInvalid
-    let resInc = secureCreatePath(config.dumpDirIncoming)
-    if resInc.isErr():
-      warn "Could not create dump directory", path = config.dumpDirIncoming
-    let resOut = secureCreatePath(config.dumpDirOutgoing)
-    if resOut.isErr():
-      warn "Could not create dump directory", path = config.dumpDirOutgoing
+    if (let res = secureCreatePath(config.dumpDirInvalid); res.isErr):
+      warn "Could not create dump directory",
+        path = config.dumpDirInvalid, err = ioErrorMsg(res.error)
+    if (let res = secureCreatePath(config.dumpDirIncoming); res.isErr):
+      warn "Could not create dump directory",
+        path = config.dumpDirIncoming, err = ioErrorMsg(res.error)
+    if (let res = secureCreatePath(config.dumpDirOutgoing); res.isErr):
+      warn "Could not create dump directory",
+        path = config.dumpDirOutgoing, err = ioErrorMsg(res.error)
 
 func parseCmdArg*(T: type GraffitiBytes, input: TaintedString): T
                  {.raises: [ValueError, Defect].} =
diff --git a/beacon_chain/deposits.nim b/beacon_chain/deposits.nim
index 86f3624c4..a25f48aa9 100644
--- a/beacon_chain/deposits.nim
+++ b/beacon_chain/deposits.nim
@@ -374,14 +374,14 @@ proc doDeposits*(config: BeaconNodeConf, rng: var BrHmacDrbgContext) {.
         swap(seed, walletRes.get.seed)
         walletPath = walletRes.get.walletPath
 
-    let vres = secureCreatePath(config.outValidatorsDir)
-    if vres.isErr():
-      fatal "Could not create directory", path = config.outValidatorsDir
+    if (let res = secureCreatePath(config.outValidatorsDir); res.isErr):
+      fatal "Could not create directory",
+        path = config.outValidatorsDir, err = ioErrorMsg(res.error)
       quit QuitFailure
 
-    let sres = secureCreatePath(config.outSecretsDir)
-    if sres.isErr():
-      fatal "Could not create directory", path = config.outSecretsDir
+    if (let res = secureCreatePath(config.outSecretsDir); res.isErr):
+      fatal "Could not create directory",
+        path = config.outSecretsDir, err = ioErrorMsg(res.error)
       quit QuitFailure
 
     let deposits = generateDeposits(
diff --git a/beacon_chain/eth1/deposit_contract.nim b/beacon_chain/eth1/deposit_contract.nim
index 908e249b5..bbd57d93b 100644
--- a/beacon_chain/eth1/deposit_contract.nim
+++ b/beacon_chain/eth1/deposit_contract.nim
@@ -198,15 +198,13 @@ proc main() {.async.} =
       seed = getSeed(mnemonic, KeyStorePass.init "")
       cfg = getRuntimeConfig(conf.eth2Network)
 
-    let vres = secureCreatePath(string conf.outValidatorsDir)
-    if vres.isErr():
+    if (let res = secureCreatePath(string conf.outValidatorsDir); res.isErr):
       warn "Could not create validators folder",
-           path = string conf.outValidatorsDir, err = ioErrorMsg(vres.error)
+        path = string conf.outValidatorsDir, err = ioErrorMsg(res.error)
 
-    let sres = secureCreatePath(string conf.outSecretsDir)
-    if sres.isErr():
+    if (let res = secureCreatePath(string conf.outSecretsDir); res.isErr):
       warn "Could not create secrets folder",
-           path = string conf.outSecretsDir, err = ioErrorMsg(sres.error)
+        path = string conf.outSecretsDir, err = ioErrorMsg(res.error)
 
     let deposits = generateDeposits(
       cfg,
diff --git a/beacon_chain/validators/keystore_management.nim b/beacon_chain/validators/keystore_management.nim
index 920a968ec..2514815c7 100644
--- a/beacon_chain/validators/keystore_management.nim
+++ b/beacon_chain/validators/keystore_management.nim
@@ -154,10 +154,9 @@ proc checkAndCreateDataDir*(dataDir: string): bool =
                    new_permissions = requiredPerms.toOct(4)
             return false
     else:
-      let res = secureCreatePath(dataDir)
-      if res.isErr():
-        fatal "Could not create data directory", data_dir = dataDir,
-              errorMsg = ioErrorMsg(res.error), errorCode = $res.error
+      if (let res = secureCreatePath(dataDir); res.isErr):
+        fatal "Could not create data directory",
+          path = dataDir, err = ioErrorMsg(res.error), errorCode = $res.error
         return false
   elif defined(windows):
     let amask = {AccessFlags.Read, AccessFlags.Write, AccessFlags.Execute}
@@ -165,18 +164,17 @@ proc checkAndCreateDataDir*(dataDir: string): bool =
       let cres = checkCurrentUserOnlyACL(dataDir)
       if cres.isErr():
         fatal "Could not check data folder's ACL",
-               data_dir = dataDir, errorCode = $cres.error,
+               path = dataDir, errorCode = $cres.error,
                errorMsg = ioErrorMsg(cres.error)
         return false
       else:
         if cres.get() == false:
-          fatal "Data folder has insecure ACL", data_dir = dataDir
+          fatal "Data folder has insecure ACL", path = dataDir
           return false
     else:
-      let res = secureCreatePath(dataDir)
-      if res.isErr():
-        fatal "Could not create data folder", data_dir = dataDir,
-                errorMsg = ioErrorMsg(res.error), errorCode = $res.error
+      if (let res = secureCreatePath(dataDir); res.isErr):
+        fatal "Could not create data folder",
+          path = dataDir, err = ioErrorMsg(res.error), errorCode = $res.error
         return false
   else:
     fatal "Unsupported operation system"