diff --git a/cmd/influxd/run/command.go b/cmd/influxd/run/command.go
index 5ef967e389..00c7b0413f 100644
--- a/cmd/influxd/run/command.go
+++ b/cmd/influxd/run/command.go
@@ -98,7 +98,7 @@ func (cmd *Command) Run(args ...string) error {
 	// If we have a node ID, ignore the join argument
 	// We are not using the reference to this node var, just checking
 	// to see if we have a node ID on disk
-	if node, _ := influxdb.LoadNode(config.Meta.Dir, config.Meta.HTTPBindAddress); node == nil || node.ID == 0 {
+	if node, _ := influxdb.LoadNode(config.Meta.Dir, []string{config.Meta.HTTPBindAddress}); node == nil || node.ID == 0 {
 		if options.Join != "" {
 			config.Meta.JoinPeers = strings.Split(options.Join, ",")
 		}
diff --git a/cmd/influxd/run/config.go b/cmd/influxd/run/config.go
index 44ca9f678d..2221192e5d 100644
--- a/cmd/influxd/run/config.go
+++ b/cmd/influxd/run/config.go
@@ -60,8 +60,6 @@ type Config struct {
 	// Server reporting
 	ReportingDisabled bool `toml:"reporting-disabled"`
 
-	Dir string `toml:"dir"`
-
 	// BindAddress is the address that all TCP services use (Raft, Snapshot, Cluster, etc.)
 	BindAddress string `toml:"bind-address"`
 }
diff --git a/cmd/influxd/run/server.go b/cmd/influxd/run/server.go
index f595b6ebbb..4d8a1481db 100644
--- a/cmd/influxd/run/server.go
+++ b/cmd/influxd/run/server.go
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import (
 	"log"
 	"net"
 	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
 	"reflect"
 	"runtime"
 	"runtime/pprof"
@@ -103,20 +104,37 @@ type Server struct {
 
 // NewServer returns a new instance of Server built from a config.
 func NewServer(c *Config, buildInfo *BuildInfo) (*Server, error) {
-	// load the node information. Before 0.10 this was in the meta directory,
-	// so use that if the top level directory isn't specified
-	dir := c.Dir
-	if dir == "" {
-		dir = c.Meta.Dir
+	// We need to ensure that a meta directory always exists even if
+	// we don't start the meta store.  node.json is always stored under
+	// the meta directory.
+	if err := os.MkdirAll(c.Meta.Dir, 0777); err != nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("mkdir all: %s", err)
+	}
+
+	// 0.10-rc1 and prior would sometimes put the node.json at the root
+	// dir which breaks backup/restore and restarting nodes.  This moves
+	// the file from the root so it's always under the meta dir.
+	oldPath := filepath.Join(filepath.Dir(c.Meta.Dir), "node.json")
+	newPath := filepath.Join(c.Meta.Dir, "node.json")
+
+	if _, err := os.Stat(oldPath); err == nil {
+		if err := os.Rename(oldPath, newPath); err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
 	}
 
 	// load the node information
-	node, err := influxdb.LoadNode(dir, c.Meta.HTTPBindAddress)
+	metaAddresses := []string{c.Meta.HTTPBindAddress}
+	if !c.Meta.Enabled {
+		metaAddresses = c.Meta.JoinPeers
+	}
+
+	node, err := influxdb.LoadNode(c.Meta.Dir, metaAddresses)
 	if err != nil {
 		if !os.IsNotExist(err) {
 			return nil, err
 		} else {
-			node = influxdb.NewNode(dir, c.Meta.HTTPBindAddress)
+			node = influxdb.NewNode(c.Meta.Dir, metaAddresses)
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -642,8 +660,9 @@ func (s *Server) initializeMetaClient() error {
 		return err
 	}
 	for _, n := range metaNodes {
-		s.Node.MetaServers = append(s.Node.MetaServers, n.Host)
+		s.Node.AddMetaServers([]string{n.Host})
 	}
+
 	if err := s.Node.Save(); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
diff --git a/etc/config.sample.toml b/etc/config.sample.toml
index 8ffcc14ed6..cc57761251 100644
--- a/etc/config.sample.toml
+++ b/etc/config.sample.toml
@@ -8,9 +8,6 @@
 # Change this option to true to disable reporting.
 reporting-disabled = false
 
-# directory where server ID and cluster metaservers information will be kept
-dir = "/var/lib/influxdb"
-
 # we'll try to get the hostname automatically, but if it the os returns something
 # that isn't resolvable by other servers in the cluster, use this option to
 # manually set the hostname
diff --git a/node.go b/node.go
index b4674e622f..40cc31ae08 100644
--- a/node.go
+++ b/node.go
@@ -22,9 +22,9 @@ type Node struct {
 }
 
 // LoadNode will load the node information from disk if present
-func LoadNode(path, addr string) (*Node, error) {
+func LoadNode(path string, addrs []string) (*Node, error) {
 	// Always check to see if we are upgrading first
-	if err := upgradeNodeFile(path, addr); err != nil {
+	if err := upgradeNodeFile(path, addrs); err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
@@ -46,10 +46,10 @@ func LoadNode(path, addr string) (*Node, error) {
 }
 
 // NewNode will return a new node
-func NewNode(path, addr string) *Node {
+func NewNode(path string, addrs []string) *Node {
 	return &Node{
 		path:        path,
-		MetaServers: []string{addr},
+		MetaServers: addrs,
 	}
 }
 
@@ -71,7 +71,26 @@ func (n *Node) Save() error {
 	return os.Rename(tmpFile, file)
 }
 
-func upgradeNodeFile(path, addr string) error {
+// AddMetaServers adds the addrs to the set of MetaServers known to this node.
+// If an addr already exists, it will not be re-added.
+func (n *Node) AddMetaServers(addrs []string) {
+	unique := map[string]struct{}{}
+	for _, addr := range n.MetaServers {
+		unique[addr] = struct{}{}
+	}
+
+	for _, addr := range addrs {
+		unique[addr] = struct{}{}
+	}
+
+	metaServers := []string{}
+	for addr := range unique {
+		metaServers = append(metaServers, addr)
+	}
+	n.MetaServers = metaServers
+}
+
+func upgradeNodeFile(path string, addrs []string) error {
 	oldFile := filepath.Join(path, oldNodeFile)
 	b, err := ioutil.ReadFile(oldFile)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -100,7 +119,7 @@ func upgradeNodeFile(path, addr string) error {
 
 	n := &Node{
 		path:        path,
-		MetaServers: []string{addr},
+		MetaServers: addrs,
 	}
 	if n.ID, err = strconv.ParseUint(string(b), 10, 64); err != nil {
 		return err
diff --git a/services/meta/config.go b/services/meta/config.go
index 4a5202cd5d..70cad91832 100644
--- a/services/meta/config.go
+++ b/services/meta/config.go
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ func NewConfig() *Config {
 }
 
 func (c *Config) Validate() error {
-	if c.Enabled && c.Dir == "" {
+	if c.Dir == "" {
 		return errors.New("Meta.Dir must be specified")
 	}
 	return nil