diff --git a/automated install/basic-install.sh b/automated install/basic-install.sh
index 5d0f6e23..bc8daa35 100755
--- a/automated install/basic-install.sh	
+++ b/automated install/basic-install.sh	
@@ -1362,7 +1362,8 @@ installConfigs() {
     echo "${DNS_SERVERS}" > "${PI_HOLE_CONFIG_DIR}/dns-servers.conf"
 
     # Install empty file if it does not exist
-    if [[ ! -f "${PI_HOLE_CONFIG_DIR}/pihole-FTL.conf" ]]; then
+    if [[ ! -r "${PI_HOLE_CONFIG_DIR}/pihole-FTL.conf" ]]; then
+        install -d -m 0755 ${PI_HOLE_CONFIG_DIR}
         if ! install -o pihole -g pihole -m 664 /dev/null "${PI_HOLE_CONFIG_DIR}/pihole-FTL.conf" &>/dev/null; then
             printf "  %bError: Unable to initialize configuration file %s/pihole-FTL.conf\\n" "${COL_LIGHT_RED}" "${PI_HOLE_CONFIG_DIR}"
             return 1