diff --git a/cmd/ethereum/repl/repl.go b/cmd/ethereum/repl/repl.go
index ec1aa69180..05ea71e793 100644
--- a/cmd/ethereum/repl/repl.go
+++ b/cmd/ethereum/repl/repl.go
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ type JSRepl struct {
 }
 
 func NewJSRepl(ethereum *eth.Ethereum) *JSRepl {
-	hist, err := os.OpenFile(path.Join(ethutil.Config.ExecPath, "history"), os.O_RDWR|os.O_CREATE, os.ModePerm)
+	hist, err := os.OpenFile(path.Join(ethereum.DataDir, "history"), os.O_RDWR|os.O_CREATE, os.ModePerm)
 	if err != nil {
 		panic(err)
 	}
diff --git a/cmd/mist/bindings.go b/cmd/mist/bindings.go
index 9623538a39..f21aa31353 100644
--- a/cmd/mist/bindings.go
+++ b/cmd/mist/bindings.go
@@ -79,14 +79,14 @@ func (self *Gui) AddPlugin(pluginPath string) {
 	self.plugins[pluginPath] = plugin{Name: pluginPath, Path: pluginPath}
 
 	json, _ := json.MarshalIndent(self.plugins, "", "    ")
-	ethutil.WriteFile(ethutil.Config.ExecPath+"/plugins.json", json)
+	ethutil.WriteFile(self.eth.DataDir+"/plugins.json", json)
 }
 
 func (self *Gui) RemovePlugin(pluginPath string) {
 	delete(self.plugins, pluginPath)
 
 	json, _ := json.MarshalIndent(self.plugins, "", "    ")
-	ethutil.WriteFile(ethutil.Config.ExecPath+"/plugins.json", json)
+	ethutil.WriteFile(self.eth.DataDir+"/plugins.json", json)
 }
 
 // this extra function needed to give int typecast value to gui widget
diff --git a/cmd/mist/gui.go b/cmd/mist/gui.go
index cbd8daf2fc..5f444dd956 100644
--- a/cmd/mist/gui.go
+++ b/cmd/mist/gui.go
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@ func NewWindow(ethereum *eth.Ethereum, config *ethutil.ConfigManager, session st
 		plugins:       make(map[string]plugin),
 		serviceEvents: make(chan ServEv, 1),
 	}
-	data, _ := ethutil.ReadAllFile(path.Join(ethutil.Config.ExecPath, "plugins.json"))
+	data, _ := ethutil.ReadAllFile(path.Join(ethereum.DataDir, "plugins.json"))
 	json.Unmarshal([]byte(data), &gui.plugins)
 
 	return gui
diff --git a/eth/backend.go b/eth/backend.go
index 88708b997c..7351b4168a 100644
--- a/eth/backend.go
+++ b/eth/backend.go
@@ -132,13 +132,15 @@ type Ethereum struct {
 
 	logger logger.LogSystem
 
-	Mining bool
+	Mining  bool
+	DataDir string
 }
 
 func New(config *Config) (*Ethereum, error) {
 	// Boostrap database
 	ethlogger := logger.New(config.DataDir, config.LogFile, config.LogLevel, config.LogFormat)
-	db, err := ethdb.NewLDBDatabase("blockchain")
+
+	db, err := ethdb.NewLDBDatabase(path.Join(config.DataDir, "blockchain"))
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
@@ -175,6 +177,7 @@ func New(config *Config) (*Ethereum, error) {
 		blacklist:    p2p.NewBlacklist(),
 		eventMux:     &event.TypeMux{},
 		logger:       ethlogger,
+		DataDir:      config.DataDir,
 	}
 
 	eth.chainManager = core.NewChainManager(db, eth.EventMux())
diff --git a/ethdb/database.go b/ethdb/database.go
index f020af8f26..4e3d01da07 100644
--- a/ethdb/database.go
+++ b/ethdb/database.go
@@ -1,11 +1,10 @@
 package ethdb
 
 import (
-	"path"
 	"fmt"
 
-	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/ethutil"
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/compression/rle"
+	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/ethutil"
 	"github.com/syndtr/goleveldb/leveldb"
 	"github.com/syndtr/goleveldb/leveldb/iterator"
 )
@@ -15,17 +14,13 @@ type LDBDatabase struct {
 	comp bool
 }
 
-func NewLDBDatabase(name string) (*LDBDatabase, error) {
-	dbPath := path.Join(ethutil.Config.ExecPath, name)
-
+func NewLDBDatabase(file string) (*LDBDatabase, error) {
 	// Open the db
-	db, err := leveldb.OpenFile(dbPath, nil)
+	db, err := leveldb.OpenFile(file, nil)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
-
 	database := &LDBDatabase{db: db, comp: true}
-
 	return database, nil
 }
 
diff --git a/ethutil/config.go b/ethutil/config.go
index fc8fb4e3f8..c45c310ce6 100644
--- a/ethutil/config.go
+++ b/ethutil/config.go
@@ -20,30 +20,27 @@ type ConfigManager struct {
 	conf *globalconf.GlobalConf
 }
 
-var Config *ConfigManager
-
 // Read config
 //
 // Initialize Config from Config File
 func ReadConfig(ConfigFile string, Datadir string, EnvPrefix string) *ConfigManager {
-	if Config == nil {
-		// create ConfigFile if does not exist, otherwise globalconf panic when trying to persist flags
-		if !FileExist(ConfigFile) {
-			fmt.Printf("config file '%s' doesn't exist, creating it\n", ConfigFile)
-			os.Create(ConfigFile)
-		}
-		g, err := globalconf.NewWithOptions(&globalconf.Options{
-			Filename:  ConfigFile,
-			EnvPrefix: EnvPrefix,
-		})
-		if err != nil {
-			fmt.Println(err)
-		} else {
-			g.ParseAll()
-		}
-		Config = &ConfigManager{ExecPath: Datadir, Debug: true, conf: g, Paranoia: true}
+	if !FileExist(ConfigFile) {
+		// create ConfigFile if it does not exist, otherwise
+		// globalconf will panic when trying to persist flags.
+		fmt.Printf("config file '%s' doesn't exist, creating it\n", ConfigFile)
+		os.Create(ConfigFile)
 	}
-	return Config
+	g, err := globalconf.NewWithOptions(&globalconf.Options{
+		Filename:  ConfigFile,
+		EnvPrefix: EnvPrefix,
+	})
+	if err != nil {
+		fmt.Println(err)
+	} else {
+		g.ParseAll()
+	}
+	cfg := &ConfigManager{ExecPath: Datadir, Debug: true, conf: g, Paranoia: true}
+	return cfg
 }
 
 // provides persistence for flags
diff --git a/vm/vm.go b/vm/vm.go
index bce8088efb..165bb0329f 100644
--- a/vm/vm.go
+++ b/vm/vm.go
@@ -30,10 +30,7 @@ type Vm struct {
 
 func New(env Environment) *Vm {
 	lt := LogTyPretty
-	if ethutil.Config.Diff {
-		lt = LogTyDiff
-	}
-
+	// lt = LogTyDiff
 	return &Vm{debug: true, env: env, logTy: lt, Recoverable: true}
 }