diff --git a/src/taoensso/timbre.clj b/src/taoensso/timbre.clj
index f1e24ae..7cd7114 100644
--- a/src/taoensso/timbre.clj
+++ b/src/taoensso/timbre.clj
@@ -3,9 +3,9 @@
   (:require [clojure.string     :as str]
             [io.aviso.exception :as aviso-ex]
             [taoensso.encore    :as enc])
-  (:import  java.io.File
-            [java.util Date Locale]
-            [java.text SimpleDateFormat]))
+  (:import  [java.util Date Locale]
+            [java.text SimpleDateFormat]
+            [java.io File]))
 
 ;;;; Encore version check
 
@@ -97,6 +97,27 @@
                                                  (:current-level config)
                                                  @level-atom))))
 
+;;;;
+
+(def ^:private get-hostname
+  (enc/memoize* 60000
+    (fn []
+      (->
+       (future ; Android doesn't like this on the main thread
+         (try (.. java.net.InetAddress getLocalHost getHostName)
+              (catch java.net.UnknownHostException _
+                "UnknownHost")))
+       (deref 5000 "UnknownHost")))))
+
+(def ^:private ensure-spit-dir-exists!
+  (enc/memoize* 60000
+    (fn [fname]
+      (when-not (str/blank? fname)
+        (let [file (File. ^String fname)
+              dir  (.getParentFile (.getCanonicalFile file))]
+          (when-not (.exists dir)
+            (.mkdirs dir)))))))
+
 ;;;; Default configuration and appenders
 
 (defn default-fmt-output-fn
@@ -187,7 +208,8 @@
      :min-level nil :enabled? false :async? false :rate-limit nil
      :fn (fn [{:keys [ap-config output]}] ; Can use any appender args
            (when-let [filename (:spit-filename ap-config)]
-             (try (spit filename (str output "\n") :append true)
+             (try (ensure-spit-dir-exists! filename)
+                  (spit filename (str output "\n") :append true)
                   (catch java.io.IOException _))))}}})
 
 (enc/defonce* config (atom example-config))
@@ -260,31 +282,11 @@
             (fn [apfn-args] ; Runtime:
               (send-off agent (fn [_] (apfn apfn-args)))))))))))
 
-(def ^:private get-hostname
-  (enc/memoize* 60000
-    (fn []
-      (->
-       (future ; Android doesn't like this on the main thread
-         (try (.. java.net.InetAddress getLocalHost getHostName)
-              (catch java.net.UnknownHostException _
-                "UnknownHost")))
-       (deref 5000 "UnknownHost")))))
-
-(defn- exists?
-  [path]
-  (when-not (str/blank? path) (.exists (File. ^String path))))
-
-(defn- mkdirs "Creates all parent directories for the passed file."
-  [^File f]
-  (.mkdirs (.getParentFile (.getCanonicalFile f))))
-
 (defn- wrap-appender-juxt
   "Wraps compile-time appender juxt with additional runtime capabilities
   (incl. middleware) controlled by compile-time config. Like `wrap-appender-fn`
   but operates on the entire juxt at once."
   [config juxtfn]
-  (when-let [spit-file (get-in config [:shared-appender-config :spit-filename])]
-    (when-not (exists? spit-file) (mkdirs (File. spit-file))))
   (->> ; Wrapping applies per juxt, bottom-to-top
    juxtfn