diff --git a/utils/aa-genprof b/utils/aa-genprof
index 834c2d4c3..f73879d9c 100755
--- a/utils/aa-genprof
+++ b/utils/aa-genprof
@@ -72,20 +72,14 @@ if args.json:
     aaui.set_json_mode()
 
 profiling = args.program
-profiledir = args.dir
 
-apparmor.init_aa()
+apparmor.init_aa(profiledir=args.dir)
 apparmor.set_logfile(args.file)
 
 aa_mountpoint = apparmor.check_for_apparmor()
 if not aa_mountpoint:
     raise apparmor.AppArmorException(_('It seems AppArmor was not started. Please enable AppArmor and try again.'))
 
-if profiledir:
-    apparmor.profile_dir = apparmor.get_full_path(profiledir)
-    if not os.path.isdir(apparmor.profile_dir):
-        raise apparmor.AppArmorException(_("%s is not a directory.") %profiledir)
-
 program = None
 #if os.path.exists(apparmor.which(profiling.strip())):
 if os.path.exists(profiling):
diff --git a/utils/aa-logprof b/utils/aa-logprof
index 0ff376524..53b2c3b6d 100755
--- a/utils/aa-logprof
+++ b/utils/aa-logprof
@@ -13,7 +13,6 @@
 #
 # ----------------------------------------------------------------------
 import argparse
-import os
 
 import apparmor.aa as apparmor
 import apparmor.ui as aaui
@@ -36,21 +35,16 @@ args = parser.parse_args()
 if args.json:
     aaui.set_json_mode()
 
-profiledir = args.dir
 logmark = args.mark or ''
 
-apparmor.init_aa()
+apparmor.init_aa(profiledir=args.dir)
+
 apparmor.set_logfile(args.file)
 
 aa_mountpoint = apparmor.check_for_apparmor()
 if not aa_mountpoint:
     raise apparmor.AppArmorException(_('It seems AppArmor was not started. Please enable AppArmor and try again.'))
 
-if profiledir:
-    apparmor.profile_dir = apparmor.get_full_path(profiledir)
-    if not os.path.isdir(apparmor.profile_dir):
-        raise apparmor.AppArmorException("%s is not a directory."%profiledir)
-
 apparmor.loadincludes()
 
 apparmor.do_logprof_pass(logmark)
diff --git a/utils/aa-mergeprof b/utils/aa-mergeprof
index f07b32149..dfcad091d 100755
--- a/utils/aa-mergeprof
+++ b/utils/aa-mergeprof
@@ -14,7 +14,6 @@
 #
 # ----------------------------------------------------------------------
 import argparse
-import os
 
 import apparmor.aa
 import apparmor.aamode
@@ -23,7 +22,6 @@ import apparmor.severity
 import apparmor.cleanprofile as cleanprofile
 import apparmor.ui as aaui
 
-from apparmor.common import AppArmorException
 from apparmor.regex import re_match_include
 
 
@@ -43,15 +41,10 @@ args = parser.parse_args()
 
 args.other = None
 
-apparmor.aa.init_aa()
+apparmor.aa.init_aa(profiledir=args.dir)
 
 profiles = args.files
 
-profiledir = args.dir
-if profiledir:
-    apparmor.aa.profile_dir = apparmor.aa.get_full_path(profiledir)
-    if not os.path.isdir(apparmor.aa.profile_dir):
-        raise AppArmorException(_("%s is not a directory.") %profiledir)
 
 def reset_aa():
     apparmor.aa.aa = apparmor.aa.hasher()
diff --git a/utils/apparmor/aa.py b/utils/apparmor/aa.py
index 5423497ee..a76072ff8 100644
--- a/utils/apparmor/aa.py
+++ b/utils/apparmor/aa.py
@@ -3233,7 +3233,7 @@ def logger_path():
 
 ######Initialisations######
 
-def init_aa(confdir="/etc/apparmor"):
+def init_aa(confdir="/etc/apparmor", profiledir=None):
     global CONFDIR
     global conf
     global cfg
@@ -3256,7 +3256,11 @@ def init_aa(confdir="/etc/apparmor"):
     if cfg['settings'].get('default_owner_prompt', False):
         cfg['settings']['default_owner_prompt'] = ''
 
-    profile_dir = conf.find_first_dir(cfg['settings'].get('profiledir')) or '/etc/apparmor.d'
+    if profiledir:
+        profile_dir = profiledir
+    else:
+        profile_dir = conf.find_first_dir(cfg['settings'].get('profiledir')) or '/etc/apparmor.d'
+    profile_dir = os.path.abspath(profile_dir)
     if not os.path.isdir(profile_dir):
         raise AppArmorException('Can\'t find AppArmor profiles in %s' % (profile_dir))
 
diff --git a/utils/apparmor/tools.py b/utils/apparmor/tools.py
index 826aee8c0..2d07c3ecb 100644
--- a/utils/apparmor/tools.py
+++ b/utils/apparmor/tools.py
@@ -25,10 +25,9 @@ _ = init_translation()
 
 class aa_tools:
     def __init__(self, tool_name, args):
-        apparmor.init_aa()
+        apparmor.init_aa(profiledir=args.dir)
 
         self.name = tool_name
-        self.profiledir = args.dir
         self.profiling = args.program
         self.check_profile_dir()
         self.silent = None
@@ -43,11 +42,6 @@ class aa_tools:
             self.silent = args.silent
 
     def check_profile_dir(self):
-        if self.profiledir:
-            apparmor.profile_dir = apparmor.get_full_path(self.profiledir)
-            if not os.path.isdir(apparmor.profile_dir):
-                raise apparmor.AppArmorException("%s is not a directory." % self.profiledir)
-
         if not user_perm(apparmor.profile_dir):
             raise apparmor.AppArmorException("Cannot write to profile directory: %s" % (apparmor.profile_dir))