diff --git a/cmd/utils/flags.go b/cmd/utils/flags.go
index cb1c58eff..883f32f03 100644
--- a/cmd/utils/flags.go
+++ b/cmd/utils/flags.go
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
 	"math/big"
+	"os"
 	"path"
 	"path/filepath"
 	"strconv"
@@ -570,6 +571,10 @@ func setNodeKey(ctx *cli.Context, cfg *p2p.Config, nodeName, dataDir string) {
 	case file != "" && hex != "":
 		Fatalf("Options %q and %q are mutually exclusive", NodeKeyFileFlag.Name, NodeKeyHexFlag.Name)
 	case file != "":
+		if err := os.MkdirAll(path.Dir(file), 0755); err != nil {
+			panic(err)
+		}
+
 		if key, err = crypto.LoadECDSA(file); err != nil {
 			Fatalf("Option %q: %v", NodeKeyFileFlag.Name, err)
 		}
@@ -746,6 +751,9 @@ func NewP2PConfig(nodiscover bool, datadir, netRestrict, natSetting, nodeName st
 }
 
 func nodeKey(keyfile string) *ecdsa.PrivateKey {
+	if err := os.MkdirAll(path.Dir(keyfile), 0755); err != nil {
+		panic(err)
+	}
 	if key, err := crypto.LoadECDSA(keyfile); err == nil {
 		return key
 	}
diff --git a/ethdb/kv_mdbx.go b/ethdb/kv_mdbx.go
index 7e25a64e6..407d5ec2c 100644
--- a/ethdb/kv_mdbx.go
+++ b/ethdb/kv_mdbx.go
@@ -27,7 +27,6 @@ const expectMdbxVersionMinor = 10
 
 type MdbxOpts struct {
 	inMem      bool
-	exclusive  bool
 	label      Label // marker to distinct db instances - one process may open many databases. for example to collect metrics of only 1 database
 	flags      uint
 	path       string
@@ -63,7 +62,7 @@ func (opts MdbxOpts) InMem() MdbxOpts {
 }
 
 func (opts MdbxOpts) Exclusive() MdbxOpts {
-	opts.exclusive = true
+	opts.flags = opts.flags | mdbx.Exclusive
 	return opts
 }