diff --git a/base_layer/core/tests/helpers/nodes.rs b/base_layer/core/tests/helpers/nodes.rs
index 3e5b40befa..9a27b0a26a 100644
--- a/base_layer/core/tests/helpers/nodes.rs
+++ b/base_layer/core/tests/helpers/nodes.rs
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@
 
 use futures::Sink;
 use rand::{distributions::Alphanumeric, rngs::OsRng, Rng};
-use std::{error::Error, iter, sync::Arc, time::Duration};
+use std::{error::Error, iter, path::Path, sync::Arc, time::Duration};
 use tari_comms::{
     peer_manager::{NodeIdentity, PeerFeatures},
     transports::MemoryTransport,
@@ -275,14 +275,14 @@ pub fn create_network_with_2_base_nodes(
 }
 
 // Creates a network with two Base Nodes where each node in the network knows the other nodes in the network.
-pub fn create_network_with_2_base_nodes_with_config(
+pub fn create_network_with_2_base_nodes_with_config<P: AsRef<Path>>(
     runtime: &mut Runtime,
     base_node_service_config: BaseNodeServiceConfig,
     mmr_cache_config: MmrCacheConfig,
     mempool_service_config: MempoolServiceConfig,
     liveness_service_config: LivenessConfig,
     consensus_manager: ConsensusManager,
-    data_path: &str,
+    data_path: P,
 ) -> (NodeInterfaces, NodeInterfaces, ConsensusManager)
 {
     let alice_node_identity = random_node_identity();
@@ -290,13 +290,12 @@ pub fn create_network_with_2_base_nodes_with_config(
     let network = Network::LocalNet;
     let (alice_node, consensus_manager) = BaseNodeBuilder::new(network)
         .with_node_identity(alice_node_identity.clone())
-        .with_peers(vec![bob_node_identity.clone()])
         .with_base_node_service_config(base_node_service_config)
         .with_mmr_cache_config(mmr_cache_config)
         .with_mempool_service_config(mempool_service_config)
         .with_liveness_service_config(liveness_service_config.clone())
         .with_consensus_manager(consensus_manager)
-        .start(runtime, data_path);
+        .start(runtime, data_path.as_ref().join("alice").as_os_str().to_str().unwrap());
     let (bob_node, consensus_manager) = BaseNodeBuilder::new(network)
         .with_node_identity(bob_node_identity)
         .with_peers(vec![alice_node_identity])
@@ -305,7 +304,7 @@ pub fn create_network_with_2_base_nodes_with_config(
         .with_mempool_service_config(mempool_service_config)
         .with_liveness_service_config(liveness_service_config.clone())
         .with_consensus_manager(consensus_manager)
-        .start(runtime, data_path);
+        .start(runtime, data_path.as_ref().join("bob").as_os_str().to_str().unwrap());
 
     wait_until_online(runtime, &[&alice_node, &bob_node]);
 
@@ -333,14 +332,14 @@ pub fn create_network_with_3_base_nodes(
 }
 
 // Creates a network with three Base Nodes where each node in the network knows the other nodes in the network.
-pub fn create_network_with_3_base_nodes_with_config(
+pub fn create_network_with_3_base_nodes_with_config<P: AsRef<Path>>(
     runtime: &mut Runtime,
     base_node_service_config: BaseNodeServiceConfig,
     mmr_cache_config: MmrCacheConfig,
     mempool_service_config: MempoolServiceConfig,
     liveness_service_config: LivenessConfig,
     consensus_manager: ConsensusManager,
-    data_path: &str,
+    data_path: P,
 ) -> (NodeInterfaces, NodeInterfaces, NodeInterfaces, ConsensusManager)
 {
     let alice_node_identity = random_node_identity();
@@ -354,34 +353,32 @@ pub fn create_network_with_3_base_nodes_with_config(
         bob_node_identity.node_id().short_str(),
         carol_node_identity.node_id().short_str()
     );
-
-    let (alice_node, consensus_manager) = BaseNodeBuilder::new(network)
-        .with_node_identity(alice_node_identity.clone())
-        .with_peers(vec![bob_node_identity.clone(), carol_node_identity.clone()])
+    let (carol_node, consensus_manager) = BaseNodeBuilder::new(network)
+        .with_node_identity(carol_node_identity.clone())
         .with_base_node_service_config(base_node_service_config)
         .with_mmr_cache_config(mmr_cache_config)
         .with_mempool_service_config(mempool_service_config)
         .with_liveness_service_config(liveness_service_config.clone())
         .with_consensus_manager(consensus_manager)
-        .start(runtime, data_path);
+        .start(runtime, data_path.as_ref().join("carol").as_os_str().to_str().unwrap());
     let (bob_node, consensus_manager) = BaseNodeBuilder::new(network)
         .with_node_identity(bob_node_identity.clone())
-        .with_peers(vec![carol_node_identity.clone(), alice_node_identity.clone()])
+        .with_peers(vec![carol_node_identity.clone()])
         .with_base_node_service_config(base_node_service_config)
         .with_mmr_cache_config(mmr_cache_config)
         .with_mempool_service_config(mempool_service_config)
         .with_liveness_service_config(liveness_service_config.clone())
         .with_consensus_manager(consensus_manager)
-        .start(runtime, data_path);
-    let (carol_node, consensus_manager) = BaseNodeBuilder::new(network)
-        .with_node_identity(carol_node_identity.clone())
-        .with_peers(vec![alice_node_identity.clone(), bob_node_identity.clone()])
+        .start(runtime, data_path.as_ref().join("bob").as_os_str().to_str().unwrap());
+    let (alice_node, consensus_manager) = BaseNodeBuilder::new(network)
+        .with_node_identity(alice_node_identity.clone())
+        .with_peers(vec![bob_node_identity.clone(), carol_node_identity.clone()])
         .with_base_node_service_config(base_node_service_config)
         .with_mmr_cache_config(mmr_cache_config)
         .with_mempool_service_config(mempool_service_config)
         .with_liveness_service_config(liveness_service_config.clone())
         .with_consensus_manager(consensus_manager)
-        .start(runtime, data_path);
+        .start(runtime, data_path.as_ref().join("alice").as_os_str().to_str().unwrap());
 
     wait_until_online(runtime, &[&alice_node, &bob_node, &carol_node]);
 
diff --git a/base_layer/core/tests/mempool.rs b/base_layer/core/tests/mempool.rs
index f98643a203..0c4124036d 100644
--- a/base_layer/core/tests/mempool.rs
+++ b/base_layer/core/tests/mempool.rs
@@ -492,7 +492,7 @@ fn request_response_get_stats() {
         MempoolServiceConfig::default(),
         LivenessConfig::default(),
         consensus_manager,
-        temp_dir.path().to_str().unwrap(),
+        temp_dir.path(),
     );
 
     // Create a tx spending the genesis output. Then create 2 orphan txs
diff --git a/base_layer/core/tests/node_service.rs b/base_layer/core/tests/node_service.rs
index 1b0d95a5c8..f1125e317e 100644
--- a/base_layer/core/tests/node_service.rs
+++ b/base_layer/core/tests/node_service.rs
@@ -408,28 +408,23 @@ fn propagate_and_forward_valid_block() {
         .build();
     let (mut alice_node, rules) = BaseNodeBuilder::new(network)
         .with_node_identity(alice_node_identity.clone())
-        .with_peers(vec![bob_node_identity.clone()])
         .with_consensus_manager(rules)
-        .start(&mut runtime, temp_dir.path().to_str().unwrap());
+        .start(&mut runtime, temp_dir.path().join("alice").to_str().unwrap());
     let (bob_node, rules) = BaseNodeBuilder::new(network)
         .with_node_identity(bob_node_identity.clone())
-        .with_peers(vec![
-            alice_node_identity,
-            carol_node_identity.clone(),
-            dan_node_identity.clone(),
-        ])
+        .with_peers(vec![alice_node_identity])
         .with_consensus_manager(rules)
-        .start(&mut runtime, temp_dir.path().to_str().unwrap());
+        .start(&mut runtime, temp_dir.path().join("bob").to_str().unwrap());
     let (carol_node, rules) = BaseNodeBuilder::new(network)
         .with_node_identity(carol_node_identity.clone())
-        .with_peers(vec![bob_node_identity.clone(), dan_node_identity.clone()])
+        .with_peers(vec![bob_node_identity.clone()])
         .with_consensus_manager(rules)
-        .start(&mut runtime, temp_dir.path().to_str().unwrap());
+        .start(&mut runtime, temp_dir.path().join("carol").to_str().unwrap());
     let (dan_node, rules) = BaseNodeBuilder::new(network)
         .with_node_identity(dan_node_identity)
-        .with_peers(vec![bob_node_identity, carol_node_identity])
+        .with_peers(vec![carol_node_identity, bob_node_identity])
         .with_consensus_manager(rules)
-        .start(&mut runtime, temp_dir.path().to_str().unwrap());
+        .start(&mut runtime, temp_dir.path().join("dan").to_str().unwrap());
 
     wait_until_online(&mut runtime, &[&alice_node, &bob_node, &carol_node, &dan_node]);
 
@@ -513,36 +508,36 @@ fn propagate_and_forward_invalid_block() {
     let stateless_block_validator = StatelessBlockValidator::new(rules.clone(), factories.clone());
     let mock_validator = MockValidator::new(true);
     let mock_accum_difficulty_validator = MockAccumDifficultyValidator {};
-    let (mut alice_node, rules) = BaseNodeBuilder::new(network)
-        .with_node_identity(alice_node_identity.clone())
-        .with_peers(vec![bob_node_identity.clone(), carol_node_identity.clone()])
+
+    let (dan_node, rules) = BaseNodeBuilder::new(network)
+        .with_node_identity(dan_node_identity.clone())
         .with_consensus_manager(rules)
-        .start(&mut runtime, temp_dir.path().to_str().unwrap());
-    let (bob_node, rules) = BaseNodeBuilder::new(network)
-        .with_node_identity(bob_node_identity.clone())
-        .with_peers(vec![alice_node_identity.clone(), dan_node_identity.clone()])
+        .start(&mut runtime, temp_dir.path().join("dan").to_str().unwrap());
+    let (carol_node, rules) = BaseNodeBuilder::new(network)
+        .with_node_identity(carol_node_identity.clone())
+        .with_peers(vec![dan_node_identity.clone()])
         .with_consensus_manager(rules)
         .with_validators(
             mock_validator.clone(),
             stateless_block_validator.clone(),
             mock_accum_difficulty_validator.clone(),
         )
-        .start(&mut runtime, temp_dir.path().to_str().unwrap());
-    let (carol_node, rules) = BaseNodeBuilder::new(network)
-        .with_node_identity(carol_node_identity.clone())
-        .with_peers(vec![alice_node_identity, dan_node_identity.clone()])
+        .start(&mut runtime, temp_dir.path().join("carol").to_str().unwrap());
+    let (bob_node, rules) = BaseNodeBuilder::new(network)
+        .with_node_identity(bob_node_identity.clone())
+        .with_peers(vec![dan_node_identity.clone()])
         .with_consensus_manager(rules)
         .with_validators(
             mock_validator.clone(),
-            stateless_block_validator,
+            stateless_block_validator.clone(),
             mock_accum_difficulty_validator.clone(),
         )
-        .start(&mut runtime, temp_dir.path().to_str().unwrap());
-    let (dan_node, rules) = BaseNodeBuilder::new(network)
-        .with_node_identity(dan_node_identity)
-        .with_peers(vec![bob_node_identity, carol_node_identity])
+        .start(&mut runtime, temp_dir.path().join("bob").to_str().unwrap());
+    let (mut alice_node, rules) = BaseNodeBuilder::new(network)
+        .with_node_identity(alice_node_identity)
+        .with_peers(vec![bob_node_identity.clone(), carol_node_identity.clone()])
         .with_consensus_manager(rules)
-        .start(&mut runtime, temp_dir.path().to_str().unwrap());
+        .start(&mut runtime, temp_dir.path().join("alice").to_str().unwrap());
 
     wait_until_online(&mut runtime, &[&alice_node, &bob_node, &carol_node, &dan_node]);
 
diff --git a/base_layer/p2p/src/initialization.rs b/base_layer/p2p/src/initialization.rs
index a383d66994..8e10017d51 100644
--- a/base_layer/p2p/src/initialization.rs
+++ b/base_layer/p2p/src/initialization.rs
@@ -125,6 +125,7 @@ where
             .take(8)
             .collect::<String>()
     };
+    std::fs::create_dir_all(data_path).unwrap();
     let datastore = LMDBBuilder::new()
         .set_path(data_path)
         .set_environment_size(50)