diff --git a/common/common.go b/common/common.go
index ccffdf8b..1b6fa766 100644
--- a/common/common.go
+++ b/common/common.go
@@ -607,25 +607,33 @@ func GetDefaultDataDir(env string) string {
 	if env == "windows" {
 		return os.Getenv("APPDATA") + GetOSPathSlash() + "GoCryptoTrader"
 	}
-	return path.Join(os.ExpandEnv("$HOME"), ".gocryptotrader")
+	dir, ok := os.LookupEnv("HOME")
+	if !ok {
+		return ""
+	}
+	return path.Join(dir, ".gocryptotrader")
 }
 
-// CheckDir checks to see if a particular directory exists
-// and attempts to create it if desired, if it doesn't exist
-func CheckDir(dir string, create bool) error {
+// CreateDir creates a directory based on the supplied parameter
+func CreateDir(dir string) error {
 	_, err := os.Stat(dir)
 	if !os.IsNotExist(err) {
 		return nil
 	}
 
-	if !create {
-		return fmt.Errorf("directory %s does not exist. Err: %s", dir, err)
-	}
-
 	log.Warnf("Directory %s does not exist.. creating.", dir)
-	err = os.MkdirAll(dir, 0777)
-	if err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("failed to create dir. Err: %s", err)
-	}
-	return nil
+	return os.MkdirAll(dir, 0770)
+}
+
+// ChangePerm lists all the directories and files in an array
+func ChangePerm(directory string) error {
+	return filepath.Walk(directory, func(path string, info os.FileInfo, err error) error {
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+		if info.Mode().Perm() != 0770 {
+			return os.Chmod(path, 0770)
+		}
+		return nil
+	})
 }
diff --git a/common/common_test.go b/common/common_test.go
index 90a796c4..fdde63db 100644
--- a/common/common_test.go
+++ b/common/common_test.go
@@ -3,7 +3,10 @@ package common
 import (
 	"bytes"
 	"net/url"
+	"os"
+	"path"
 	"reflect"
+	"runtime"
 	"strings"
 	"testing"
 	"time"
@@ -950,3 +953,177 @@ func TestTimeFromUnixTimestampFloat(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Error("Test failed. Common TimeFromUnixTimestampFloat. Converted invalid syntax.")
 	}
 }
+
+func TestGetDefaultDataDir(t *testing.T) {
+	switch runtime.GOOS {
+	case "windows":
+		dir, ok := os.LookupEnv("APPDATA")
+		if !ok {
+			t.Fatal("APPDATA is not set")
+		}
+		dir += GetOSPathSlash() + "GoCryptoTrader"
+		actualOutput := GetDefaultDataDir("windows")
+		if actualOutput != dir {
+			t.Fatalf("Unexpected result. Got: %v Expected: %v", actualOutput, dir)
+		}
+	case "linux", "darwin":
+		dir, ok := os.LookupEnv("HOME")
+		if !ok {
+			t.Fatal("HOME is not set")
+		}
+		dir += GetOSPathSlash() + ".gocryptotrader"
+		actualOutput := GetDefaultDataDir(runtime.GOOS)
+		if actualOutput != dir {
+			t.Fatalf("Unexpected result. Got: %v Expected: %v", actualOutput, dir)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+func TestCreateDir(t *testing.T) {
+	switch runtime.GOOS {
+	case "windows":
+		// test for a directory that exists
+		dir, ok := os.LookupEnv("TEMP")
+		if !ok {
+			t.Fatal("LookupEnv failed. TEMP is not set")
+		}
+		err := CreateDir(dir)
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("CreateDir failed. Err: %v", err)
+		}
+
+		// test for creating a directory
+		dir, ok = os.LookupEnv("APPDATA")
+		if !ok {
+			t.Fatal("LookupEnv failed. APPDATA is not set")
+		}
+		dir = dir + GetOSPathSlash() + "GoCryptoTrader\\TestFileASDFG"
+		err = CreateDir(dir)
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("CreateDir failed. Err: %v", err)
+		}
+		err = os.Remove(dir)
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("Failed to remove file. Err: %v", err)
+		}
+
+		// test for looking up an invalid directory
+		err = CreateDir("")
+		if err == nil {
+			t.Fatal("expected err due to invalid path, but got nil")
+		}
+	case "linux":
+		// same tests for linux
+		dir := "/home"
+		err := CreateDir(dir)
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("CreateDir failed. Err: %v", err)
+		}
+		var ok bool
+		dir, ok = os.LookupEnv("HOME")
+		if !ok {
+			t.Fatal("LookupEnv of HOME failed")
+		}
+		dir = path.Join(dir, ".gocryptotrader", "TestFileASFG")
+		err = CreateDir(dir)
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Errorf("CreateDir failed. Err: %s", err)
+		}
+		err = os.Remove(dir)
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("Failed to remove file. Err: %v", err)
+		}
+
+		// test for creating an invalid directory
+		err = CreateDir("")
+		if err == nil {
+			t.Fatal("expected err due to invalid path, but got nil")
+		}
+
+	case "darwin":
+		// same test except for the invalid directory
+		dir := "/home"
+		err := CreateDir(dir)
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("CreateDir failed. Err: %v", err)
+		}
+		var ok bool
+		dir, ok = os.LookupEnv("HOME")
+		if !ok {
+			t.Fatal("LookupEnv of HOME failed")
+		}
+		dir = path.Join(dir, ".gocryptotrader", "TestFileASFG")
+		err = CreateDir(dir)
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("CreateDir failed. Err: %s", err)
+		}
+		err = os.Remove(dir)
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("Failed to remove file. Err: %v", err)
+		}
+
+		err = CreateDir(":")
+		if err == nil {
+			t.Fatal("expected err due to invalid path, but got nil")
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+func TestChangePerm(t *testing.T) {
+	switch runtime.GOOS {
+	case "linux", "darwin":
+		if runtime.GOOS == "linux" {
+			err := ChangePerm("")
+			if err == nil {
+				t.Fatal("expected an error on non-existent path")
+			}
+		} else {
+			err := ChangePerm(":")
+			if err == nil {
+				t.Fatal("expected an error on non-existent path")
+			}
+		}
+		err := os.Mkdir(GetDefaultDataDir(runtime.GOOS)+GetOSPathSlash()+"TestFileASDFGHJ", 0777)
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("Mkdir failed. Err: %v", err)
+		}
+		err = ChangePerm(GetDefaultDataDir(runtime.GOOS))
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatal("ChangePerm was unsuccessful")
+		}
+		var a os.FileInfo
+		a, err = os.Stat(GetDefaultDataDir(runtime.GOOS) + GetOSPathSlash() + "TestFileASDFGHJ")
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("os.Stat failed. Err: %v", err)
+		}
+		if a.Mode().Perm() != 0770 {
+			t.Fatalf("expected file permissions differ. expecting 0770 got %#o", a.Mode().Perm())
+		}
+		err = RemoveFile(GetDefaultDataDir(runtime.GOOS) + GetOSPathSlash() + "TestFileASDFGHJ")
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("RemoveFile failed. Err: %v", err)
+		}
+
+	case "windows":
+		err := ChangePerm("*")
+		if err == nil {
+			t.Fatal("expected an error on non-existent path")
+		}
+		err = os.Mkdir(GetDefaultDataDir(runtime.GOOS)+GetOSPathSlash()+"TestFileASDFGHJ", 0777)
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("Mkdir failed. Err: %v", err)
+		}
+		err = ChangePerm(GetDefaultDataDir(runtime.GOOS))
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("ChangePerm was unsuccessful. Err: %v", err)
+		}
+		_, err = os.Stat(GetDefaultDataDir(runtime.GOOS) + GetOSPathSlash() + "TestFileASDFGHJ")
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("os.Stat failed. Err: %v", err)
+		}
+		err = RemoveFile(GetDefaultDataDir(runtime.GOOS) + GetOSPathSlash() + "TestFileASDFGHJ")
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("RemoveFile failed. Err: %v", err)
+		}
+	}
+}
diff --git a/config/config.go b/config/config.go
index 996a1aed..c32291d1 100644
--- a/config/config.go
+++ b/config/config.go
@@ -1077,7 +1077,7 @@ func (c *Config) CheckLoggerConfig() error {
 
 	if len(c.Logging.File) > 0 {
 		logPath := path.Join(common.GetDefaultDataDir(runtime.GOOS), "logs")
-		err := common.CheckDir(logPath, true)
+		err := common.CreateDir(logPath)
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
@@ -1106,7 +1106,7 @@ func GetFilePath(file string) (string, error) {
 	oldDirs := []string{oldDir + ConfigFile, oldDir + EncryptedConfigFile}
 
 	newDir := common.GetDefaultDataDir(runtime.GOOS) + common.GetOSPathSlash()
-	err = common.CheckDir(newDir, true)
+	err = common.CreateDir(newDir)
 	if err != nil {
 		return "", err
 	}
diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index 6edd9a51..d08c60fb 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ func main() {
 		log.Fatalf("Failed to load config. Err: %s", err)
 	}
 
-	err = common.CheckDir(bot.dataDir, true)
+	err = common.CreateDir(bot.dataDir)
 	if err != nil {
 		log.Fatalf("Failed to open/create data directory: %s. Err: %s", bot.dataDir, err)
 	}
diff --git a/testdata/README.md b/testdata/README.md
index cbaa2c96..67a93b7e 100644
--- a/testdata/README.md
+++ b/testdata/README.md
@@ -42,4 +42,3 @@ When submitting a PR, please abide by our coding guidelines:
 If this framework helped you in any way, or you would like to support the developers working on it, please donate Bitcoin to:
 
 ***1F5zVDgNjorJ51oGebSvNCrSAHpwGkUdDB***
-