diff --git a/agent/gpg-agent.c b/agent/gpg-agent.c
index ef351749f..36c05bcf1 100644
--- a/agent/gpg-agent.c
+++ b/agent/gpg-agent.c
@@ -1708,13 +1708,6 @@ main (int argc, char **argv )
           opt.running_detached = 1;
         }
 
-      if (gnupg_chdir (gnupg_daemon_rootdir ()))
-        {
-          log_error ("chdir to '%s' failed: %s\n",
-                     gnupg_daemon_rootdir (), strerror (errno));
-          exit (1);
-        }
-
       {
         struct sigaction sa;
 
@@ -1725,6 +1718,13 @@ main (int argc, char **argv )
       }
 #endif /*!HAVE_W32_SYSTEM*/
 
+      if (gnupg_chdir (gnupg_daemon_rootdir ()))
+        {
+          log_error ("chdir to '%s' failed: %s\n",
+                     gnupg_daemon_rootdir (), strerror (errno));
+          exit (1);
+        }
+
       log_info ("%s %s started\n", strusage(11), strusage(13) );
       handle_connections (fd, fd_extra, fd_browser, fd_ssh);
       assuan_sock_close (fd);
diff --git a/dirmngr/dirmngr.c b/dirmngr/dirmngr.c
index 436c8080b..5f3a4cd18 100644
--- a/dirmngr/dirmngr.c
+++ b/dirmngr/dirmngr.c
@@ -1351,15 +1351,18 @@ main (int argc, char **argv)
           log_set_prefix (NULL, oldflags | GPGRT_LOG_RUN_DETACHED);
           opt.running_detached = 1;
 
+        }
+#endif
+
+      if (!nodetach )
+        {
           if (gnupg_chdir (gnupg_daemon_rootdir ()))
             {
               log_error ("chdir to '%s' failed: %s\n",
                          gnupg_daemon_rootdir (), strerror (errno));
               dirmngr_exit (1);
             }
-
         }
-#endif
 
       thread_init ();
       cert_cache_init (hkp_cacert_filenames);
diff --git a/scd/scdaemon.c b/scd/scdaemon.c
index bf3f42a0e..60d539ddd 100644
--- a/scd/scdaemon.c
+++ b/scd/scdaemon.c
@@ -908,6 +908,8 @@ main (int argc, char **argv )
         sigaction (SIGPIPE, &sa, NULL);
       }
 
+#endif /*!HAVE_W32_SYSTEM*/
+
       if (gnupg_chdir (gnupg_daemon_rootdir ()))
         {
           log_error ("chdir to '%s' failed: %s\n",
@@ -915,8 +917,6 @@ main (int argc, char **argv )
           exit (1);
         }
 
-#endif /*!HAVE_W32_SYSTEM*/
-
       handle_connections (fd);
 
       close (fd);