diff --git a/include/gz/common/Filesystem.hh b/include/gz/common/Filesystem.hh
index d1c2ea326..8541d80c5 100644
--- a/include/gz/common/Filesystem.hh
+++ b/include/gz/common/Filesystem.hh
@@ -63,7 +63,13 @@ namespace ignition
     /// \return True if directory creation was successful, false otherwise.
     bool IGNITION_COMMON_VISIBLE createDirectory(const std::string &_path);
 
-    /// \brief Create directories for the given path
+    /// \brief Create directories for the given path errors are printed to the given stream
+    /// \param[in] _path Path to create directories from
+    /// \param[in] _errorOut Stream for error output
+    /// \return true on success
+    bool IGNITION_COMMON_VISIBLE createDirectories(const std::string &_path, std::ostream &_errorOut);
+
+    /// \brief Create directories for the given path errors are printed on ignerr
     /// \param[in] _path Path to create directories from
     /// \return true on success
     bool IGNITION_COMMON_VISIBLE createDirectories(const std::string &_path);
diff --git a/src/Console.cc b/src/Console.cc
index d6604448e..1ed461273 100644
--- a/src/Console.cc
+++ b/src/Console.cc
@@ -261,8 +261,8 @@ void FileLogger::Init(const std::string &_directory,
   {
     if (!env(IGN_HOMEDIR, logPath))
     {
-      ignerr << "Missing HOME environment variable."
-        << "No log file will be generated.";
+      std::cerr << "Missing HOME environment variable."
+                << "No log file will be generated.";
       return;
     }
     logPath = joinPaths(logPath, _directory);
@@ -275,7 +275,12 @@ void FileLogger::Init(const std::string &_directory,
   auto* buf = dynamic_cast<FileLogger::Buffer*>(this->rdbuf());
 
   // Create the directory if it doesn't exist.
-  createDirectories(logPath);
+  if(!createDirectories(logPath, std::cerr))
+  {
+      std::cerr << "Failed to generate log directories."
+                << "No log file will be generated.";
+      return;
+  }
 
   logPath = joinPaths(logPath, _filename);
 
diff --git a/src/Filesystem.cc b/src/Filesystem.cc
index b363ad91e..6cf911b7b 100644
--- a/src/Filesystem.cc
+++ b/src/Filesystem.cc
@@ -465,6 +465,12 @@ bool common::copyDirectory(const std::string &_existingDirname,
 
 /////////////////////////////////////////////////
 bool common::createDirectories(const std::string &_path)
+{
+  return createDirectories(_path, ignerr);
+}
+
+/////////////////////////////////////////////////
+bool common::createDirectories(const std::string &_path, std::ostream &_errorOut)
 {
   size_t index = 0;
   while (index < _path.size())
@@ -482,8 +488,8 @@ bool common::createDirectories(const std::string &_path)
       if (mkdir(dir.c_str(), S_IRWXU | S_IRWXG | S_IROTH | S_IXOTH) != 0)
       {
 #endif
-        ignerr << "Failed to create directory [" + dir + "]: "
-               << std::strerror(errno) << std::endl;
+        _errorOut << "Failed to create directory [" + dir + "]: "
+                  << std::strerror(errno) << std::endl;
         return false;
       }
     }