diff --git a/dist/systemd/barrierc@.service.in b/dist/systemd/barrierc@.service.in
index 9bde2d12..60dfcc9c 100644
--- a/dist/systemd/barrierc@.service.in
+++ b/dist/systemd/barrierc@.service.in
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ Environment=XDG_DATA_HOME=/var/lib/barrier/barrier@%i
 # TrustedServers.txt Directory
 Environment=FP_DIR=/var/lib/barrier/barrier@%i/barrier/SSL/Fingerprints
 # Ensure the Fingerprints directory exists
-ExecStartPre=+/usr/bin/mkdir -p "${FP_DIR}"
+StateDirectory=barrier/barrier@%i/barrier/SSL/Fingerprints
 
 # This uses openssl commands and grep to get the server's key and 
 # store it in the TrustedServers.txt file. OpenSSL is a requirement
diff --git a/dist/systemd/barriers.service.in b/dist/systemd/barriers.service.in
index 168c1964..67f3f85b 100644
--- a/dist/systemd/barriers.service.in
+++ b/dist/systemd/barriers.service.in
@@ -26,9 +26,8 @@ Environment=DISPLAY=:0
 Environment=XDG_DATA_HOME=/var/lib/barrier/barrier:24800
 # SSL data directory
 Environment=CERT_DIR=/var/lib/barrier/barrier:24800/barrier/SSL
-
-# Create the certificate directory
-ExecStartPre=+/usr/bin/mkdir -p ${CERT_DIR}
+# Ensure the SSL directory exists
+StateDirectory=barrier/barrier:24800/barrier/SSL
 # Create the Barrier.pem certificate if it doesn't exist
 ExecStartPre=/usr/bin/sh -c "[ -f ${CERT_DIR}/Barrier.pem ] || openssl req -x509 -nodes -days 365 -subj '/CN=Barrier' -newkey rsa:2048 -text -keyout ${CERT_DIR}/Barrier.pem -out ${CERT_DIR}/Barrier.pem"
 
diff --git a/dist/systemd/barriers@.service.in b/dist/systemd/barriers@.service.in
index 8be2e8bf..f9545a16 100644
--- a/dist/systemd/barriers@.service.in
+++ b/dist/systemd/barriers@.service.in
@@ -38,9 +38,8 @@ Environment=DISPLAY=:0
 Environment=XDG_DATA_HOME=/var/lib/barrier/barrier%i
 # SSL data directory
 Environment=CERT_DIR=/var/lib/barrier/barrier%i/barrier/SSL
-
-# Create the certificate directory
-ExecStartPre=+/usr/bin/mkdir -p ${CERT_DIR}
+# Ensure the SSL directory exists 
+StateDirectory=barrier/barrier%i/barrier/SSL
 # Create the Barrier.pem certificate if it doesn't exist
 ExecStartPre=/usr/bin/sh -c "[ -f ${CERT_DIR}/Barrier.pem ] || openssl req -x509 -nodes -days 365 -subj '/CN=Barrier' -newkey rsa:2048 -text -keyout ${CERT_DIR}/Barrier.pem -out ${CERT_DIR}/Barrier.pem"