diff --git a/common/paths.cpp b/common/paths.cpp
index fee74be29b..bc50550768 100644
--- a/common/paths.cpp
+++ b/common/paths.cpp
@@ -341,7 +341,7 @@ wxString PATHS::GetDocumentationPath()
 bool PATHS::EnsurePathExists( const wxString& aPath )
 {
     wxFileName path( aPath );
-    if( !path.Normalize() )
+    if( !path.MakeAbsolute() )
     {
         return false;
     }
@@ -360,6 +360,7 @@ bool PATHS::EnsurePathExists( const wxString& aPath )
 
 void PATHS::EnsureUserPathsExist()
 {
+    EnsurePathExists( GetUserCachePath() );
     EnsurePathExists( GetUserPluginsPath() );
     EnsurePathExists( GetUserPlugins3DPath() );
     EnsurePathExists( GetUserScriptingPath() );
@@ -428,7 +429,7 @@ wxString PATHS::GetOSXKicadDataDir()
 wxString PATHS::getWindowsKiCadRoot()
 {
     wxFileName root( Pgm().GetExecutablePath() +  wxT( "/../" ) );
-    root.Normalize();
+    root.MakeAbsolute();
 
     return root.GetPathWithSep();
 }
diff --git a/common/pgm_base.cpp b/common/pgm_base.cpp
index 506659d2cf..7170994e96 100644
--- a/common/pgm_base.cpp
+++ b/common/pgm_base.cpp
@@ -367,6 +367,10 @@ void PGM_BASE::sentryPrompt()
 
 bool PGM_BASE::InitPgm( bool aHeadless, bool aSkipPyInit )
 {
+    // Just make sure we init precreate any folders early for later code
+    // In particular, the user cache path is the most likely to be hit by startup code
+    PATHS::EnsureUserPathsExist();
+
 #ifdef KICAD_USE_SENTRY
     sentryInit();
 #endif
diff --git a/common/settings/settings_manager.cpp b/common/settings/settings_manager.cpp
index 4d430a6d83..8ccf4d3770 100644
--- a/common/settings/settings_manager.cpp
+++ b/common/settings/settings_manager.cpp
@@ -55,8 +55,6 @@ SETTINGS_MANAGER::SETTINGS_MANAGER( bool aHeadless ) :
         m_migration_source(),
         m_migrateLibraryTables( true )
 {
-    PATHS::EnsureUserPathsExist();
-
     // Check if the settings directory already exists, and if not, perform a migration if possible
     if( !MigrateIfNeeded() )
     {