diff --git a/certificates.js b/certificates.js
index 93afe34..89f8d76 100644
--- a/certificates.js
+++ b/certificates.js
@@ -19,8 +19,7 @@ var mkdirpAsync = PromiseA.promisify(require('@root/mkdirp'));
 certificates.check = function(opts) {
 	// { certificate.id, subject, ... }
 	var id = (opts.certificate && opts.certificate.id) || opts.subject;
-	//console.log('certificates.check for', opts.certificate, opts.subject);
-	//console.log(opts);
+	//console.log('certificates.check for', opts);
 
 	// For advanced use cases:
 	// This just goes to show that any options set in approveDomains() will be available here
@@ -73,7 +72,7 @@ certificates.check = function(opts) {
 // Use certificate.kid, certificate.id, or subject to find a certificate keypair
 // Return an object with string privateKeyPem and/or object privateKeyJwk (or null, not undefined)
 certificates.checkKeypair = function(opts) {
-	//console.log('certificates.checkKeypair:', opts.certificate, opts.subject);
+	//console.log('certificates.checkKeypair:', opts);
 
 	return readFileAsync(
 		U._tameWild(privkeyPath(store, opts), opts.subject),
@@ -124,7 +123,7 @@ certificates.setKeypair = function(opts) {
 // Use certificate.id (or subject if no ki is present) to save a certificate
 // Return null (not undefined) on success, or throw on error
 certificates.set = function(opts) {
-	//console.log('certificates.set:', opts.subject, opts.pems);
+	//console.log('certificates.set:', opts);
 	var pems = {
 		cert: opts.pems.cert, // string PEM the first half of the concatonated fullchain.pem cert
 		chain: opts.pems.chain, // string PEM the second half (yes, you need this too)
@@ -223,13 +222,12 @@ function privkeyPath(store, opts) {
 }
 
 function certPath(store, opts) {
-	var dir = U._tpl(
-		store,
-		opts,
+	var pathname =
 		opts.certPath ||
-			store.options.certPath ||
-			path.join(liveDir(), 'cert.pem')
-	);
+		store.options.certPath ||
+		path.join(liveDir(), 'cert.pem');
+
+	var dir = U._tpl(store, opts, pathname);
 	return U._tameWild(dir, opts.subject || '');
 }
 
diff --git a/utils.js b/utils.js
index f334c45..6286a98 100644
--- a/utils.js
+++ b/utils.js
@@ -22,7 +22,11 @@ U._tpl = function tpl(store, opts, str) {
 	].forEach(function(group) {
 		group.forEach(function(tmpl) {
 			group.forEach(function(key) {
-				var item = store.options[key] || opts[key] || '';
+				var item = opts[key] || store.options[key];
+				if ('string' !== typeof item) {
+					return;
+				}
+
 				if ('directoryUrl' === key) {
 					item = item.replace(/^https?:\/\//i, '');
 				}
@@ -35,6 +39,7 @@ U._tpl = function tpl(store, opts, str) {
 						// item = item;
 					}
 				}
+
 				if (-1 === str.indexOf(':' + tmpl)) {
 					return;
 				}