diff --git a/src/cryfs-cli/Cli.cpp b/src/cryfs-cli/Cli.cpp
index 2e7d9452..29430f75 100644
--- a/src/cryfs-cli/Cli.cpp
+++ b/src/cryfs-cli/Cli.cpp
@@ -115,7 +115,10 @@ namespace cryfs_cli {
     }
 
     fspp::fuse::Fuse* Cli::initFilesystem(const ProgramOptions &options, unique_ptr<string> password) {
+        cpputils::showBacktraceOnCrash();
+        cpputils::set_thread_name("cryfs");
         try {
+	    _sanityChecks(options);
             LocalStateDir localStateDir(options.localStateDir());
             auto blockStore = make_unique_ref<OnDiskBlockStore2>(options.baseDir());
             auto config = _loadOrCreateConfig(options, localStateDir, std::move(password));
@@ -172,24 +175,24 @@ namespace cryfs_cli {
         (*rootDir)->children(); // Load children
     }
 
-    /*int Cli::main(int argc, const char **argv, std::function<void()> onMounted) {
-        cpputils::showBacktraceOnCrash();
-        cpputils::set_thread_name("cryfs");
+	void Cli::_sanityChecks(const ProgramOptions &options) {
+		_checkDirAccessible(bf::absolute(options.baseDir()), "base directory", options.createMissingBasedir(), ErrorCode::InaccessibleBaseDir);
+    }
 
-        try {
-            _showVersion();
-            ProgramOptions options = program_options::Parser(argc, argv).parse(CryCiphers::supportedCipherNames());
-            _sanityChecks(options);
-            _runFilesystem(options);
-        } catch (const CryfsException &e) {
-            if (e.what() != string()) {
-              std::cerr << "Error " << static_cast<int>(e.errorCode()) << ": " << e.what() << std::endl;
+    void Cli::_checkDirAccessible(const bf::path &dir, const std::string &name, bool createMissingDir, ErrorCode errorCode) {
+        if (!bf::exists(dir)) {
+            if (createMissingDir) {
+                LOG(INFO, "Automatically creating {}", name);
+                if (!bf::create_directory(dir)) {
+                    throw CryfsException("Error creating "+name, errorCode);
+                }
+            } else {
+                //std::cerr << "Exit code: " << exitCode(errorCode) << std::endl;
+                throw CryfsException(name + " not found.", errorCode);
             }
-            return exitCode(e.errorCode());
-        } catch (const std::runtime_error &e) {
-            std::cerr << "Error: " << e.what() << std::endl;
-            return exitCode(ErrorCode::UnspecifiedError);
         }
-        return exitCode(ErrorCode::Success);
-    }*/
+        if (!bf::is_directory(dir)) {
+            throw CryfsException(name+" is not a directory.", errorCode);
+        }
+    }
 }
diff --git a/src/cryfs-cli/Cli.h b/src/cryfs-cli/Cli.h
index d565cd74..40236eff 100644
--- a/src/cryfs-cli/Cli.h
+++ b/src/cryfs-cli/Cli.h
@@ -27,8 +27,9 @@ namespace cryfs_cli {
         void _checkConfigIntegrity(const boost::filesystem::path& basedir, const cryfs::LocalStateDir& localStateDir, const cryfs::CryConfigFile& config, bool allowReplacedFilesystem);
         cpputils::either<cryfs::CryConfigFile::LoadError, cryfs::CryConfigLoader::ConfigLoadResult> _loadOrCreateConfigFile(boost::filesystem::path configFilePath, cryfs::LocalStateDir localStateDir, std::unique_ptr<string> password, const boost::optional<std::string> &cipher, const boost::optional<uint32_t> &blocksizeBytes, bool allowFilesystemUpgrade, const boost::optional<bool> &missingBlockIsIntegrityViolation, bool allowReplacedFilesystem);
         boost::filesystem::path _determineConfigFile(const program_options::ProgramOptions &options);
-        void _showVersion();
         void _initLogfile();
+        void _sanityChecks(const program_options::ProgramOptions &options);
+        void _checkDirAccessible(const boost::filesystem::path &dir, const std::string &name, bool createMissingDir, cryfs::ErrorCode errorCode);
         void _sanityCheckFilesystem(cryfs::CryDevice *device);
 
 
diff --git a/src/fspp/fuse/jni.cpp b/src/fspp/fuse/jni.cpp
index a8b33f7c..b810eed7 100644
--- a/src/fspp/fuse/jni.cpp
+++ b/src/fspp/fuse/jni.cpp
@@ -13,21 +13,29 @@ using fspp::fuse::Fuse;
 
 std::set<jlong> validFusePtrs;
 
-extern "C" jlong cryfs_init(JNIEnv* env, jstring jbaseDir, jstring jlocalStateDir, jbyteArray jpassword) {
+extern "C" jlong cryfs_init(JNIEnv* env, jstring jbaseDir, jstring jlocalStateDir, jbyteArray jpassword, jboolean createBaseDir, jstring jcipher) {
 	const char* baseDir = env->GetStringUTFChars(jbaseDir, NULL);
 	const char* localStateDir = env->GetStringUTFChars(jlocalStateDir, NULL);
+	boost::optional<string> cipher = none;
+	if (jcipher != NULL) {
+		const char* cipherName = env->GetStringUTFChars(jcipher, NULL);
+		cipher = boost::optional<string>(cipherName);
+		env->ReleaseStringUTFChars(jcipher, cipherName);
+	}
         auto &keyGenerator = Random::OSRandom();
-	ProgramOptions options = ProgramOptions(baseDir, none, localStateDir, false, false, false, none, none, false, none);
+	ProgramOptions options = ProgramOptions(baseDir, none, localStateDir, false, false, createBaseDir, cipher, none, false, none);
 	char* password = reinterpret_cast<char*>(env->GetByteArrayElements(jpassword, NULL));
 
         Fuse* fuse = Cli(keyGenerator, SCrypt::DefaultSettings).initFilesystem(options, make_unique<string>(password));
 
+	env->ReleaseByteArrayElements(jpassword, reinterpret_cast<jbyte*>(password), 0);
 	env->ReleaseStringUTFChars(jbaseDir, baseDir);
 	env->ReleaseStringUTFChars(jlocalStateDir, localStateDir);
-	env->ReleaseByteArrayElements(jpassword, reinterpret_cast<jbyte*>(password), 0);
 
 	jlong fusePtr = reinterpret_cast<jlong>(fuse);
-	validFusePtrs.insert(fusePtr);
+	if (fusePtr != 0) {
+		validFusePtrs.insert(fusePtr);
+	}
 	return fusePtr;
 }