diff --git a/cmd/singlemount-runner/main.go b/cmd/singlemount-runner/main.go
index 4ea0096a..afc05aac 100644
--- a/cmd/singlemount-runner/main.go
+++ b/cmd/singlemount-runner/main.go
@@ -47,17 +47,21 @@ func main() {
 		os.Exit(0)
 	}
 
-	// Initialize and run automount-runner.
+	// Initialize and run singlemount-runner.
 
 	log.Infof("singlemount-runner for CVMFS CSI plugin version %s", cvmfsversion.FullVersion())
 	log.Infof("Command line arguments %v", os.Args)
 
+	if err := singlemount.CreateSingleMountsDir(); err != nil {
+		log.Fatalf("Failed to create metadata directory in %s: %v", singlemount.SinglemountsDir, err)
+	}
+
 	opts := singlemount.Opts{
 		Endpoint: *endpoint,
 	}
 
 	if err := singlemount.RunBlocking(opts); err != nil {
-		log.Fatalf("Failed to run automount-runner: %v", err)
+		log.Fatalf("Failed to run singlemount-runner: %v", err)
 	}
 
 	os.Exit(0)
diff --git a/internal/cvmfs/singlemount/sharedmount.go b/internal/cvmfs/singlemount/sharedmount.go
index f76cc217..69501763 100644
--- a/internal/cvmfs/singlemount/sharedmount.go
+++ b/internal/cvmfs/singlemount/sharedmount.go
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ const (
 	//       bind.json
 	//       config
 	//       mount.json
-	singlemountsDir = "/var/lib/cvmfs.csi.cern.ch/single"
+	SinglemountsDir = "/var/lib/cvmfs.csi.cern.ch/single"
 
 	// Contains mapping between all mountpoint -> mount ID that are currently
 	// in use. We need to keep track of these, because CSI's NodeUnstageVolume
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ type (
 )
 
 func fmtMountSingleBasePath(mountID string) string {
-	return path.Join(singlemountsDir, mountID)
+	return path.Join(SinglemountsDir, mountID)
 }
 
 func fmtMountpointPath(mountID string) string {
@@ -100,13 +100,14 @@ func fmtConfigPath(mountID string) string {
 }
 
 func fmtMountpointsMetadataPath() string {
-	return path.Join(singlemountsDir, mountpointsFilename)
+	return path.Join(SinglemountsDir, mountpointsFilename)
 }
 
-func init() {
-	if err := os.MkdirAll(singlemountsDir, 0775); err != nil {
-		panic(err)
-	}
+// Creates the metadata directory for singlemount-runner.
+// Must be called before RunBlocking().
+// TOOD: make the path configurable and expose via the chart.
+func CreateSingleMountsDir() error {
+	return os.MkdirAll(SinglemountsDir, 0775)
 }
 
 // Makes sure that directory <mountsDir>/<MountSingleRequest.MountId> exists.