diff --git a/manager/start.go b/manager/start.go
index 2a86132..fab1d6d 100644
--- a/manager/start.go
+++ b/manager/start.go
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package manager
 import (
 	"fmt"
 	"io/ioutil"
+	"os"
 	"os/exec"
 	"path/filepath"
 	"strings"
@@ -121,7 +122,12 @@ func getSystemSrvs() ([]string, error) {
 }
 
 func getUserSrvs(home string) ([]string, error) {
-	return getSrvs(filepath.Join(home, srvUserPath))
+	confDir := filepath.Join(home, srvUserPath)
+	err := os.MkdirAll(confDir, 0755)
+	if nil != err {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	return getSrvs(confDir)
 }
 
 // "come.example.foo.plist" matches "foo"
diff --git a/manager/start_stop_test.go b/manager/start_stop_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c16b819
--- /dev/null
+++ b/manager/start_stop_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+package manager
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"io/ioutil"
+	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
+	"testing"
+)
+
+func TestEmptyUserServicePath(t *testing.T) {
+	srvs, err := getUserSrvs("/tmp/fakeuser")
+	if nil != err {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if len(srvs) > 0 {
+		t.Fatal(fmt.Errorf("sanity fail: shouldn't get services from empty directory"))
+	}
+
+	dirs, err := ioutil.ReadDir(filepath.Join("/tmp/fakeuser", srvUserPath))
+	if nil != err {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if len(dirs) > 0 {
+		t.Fatal(fmt.Errorf("sanity fail: shouldn't get listing from empty directory"))
+	}
+
+	err = os.RemoveAll("/tmp/fakeuser")
+	if nil != err {
+		panic("couldn't remove /tmp/fakeuser")
+	}
+}