diff --git a/mr_db.py b/mr_db.py
index c83b67dfddfbb8b7ddc2eb93d343ee8a9e360082..b10f6fee8cbe0bc7034573c781e162f60d60a9e1 100755
--- a/mr_db.py
+++ b/mr_db.py
@@ -34,6 +34,8 @@ logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 package_directory = os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(__file__))
 conf_file = os.path.join(package_directory, 'server_conf.xml')
 
+process = None
+
 class InputError(Exception):
     """Exception raised for errors in the input.
 
@@ -89,15 +91,20 @@ class DbConnection(object):
     Arguments:
     port: port to connect to
     """
-    def __init__(self, port=9998, data_path=expanduser('~/.mr_db')):
+    def __init__(self, port=9998, root_dir=None):
         addr = ('localhost', port)
         
-        full_path = os.path.abspath("%s/blob" % data_path)
+        if root_dir is None:
+            root_dir = expanduser('~/.mr_db')
+        
+        root_dir = expanduser(root_dir)
+        
+        full_path = os.path.abspath("%s/data/blob" % root_dir)
         if not os.path.exists(full_path):
             os.makedirs(full_path)
             
         self.storage = ClientStorage.ClientStorage(addr,
-                        blob_dir="%s/blob" % data_path,
+                        blob_dir="%s/data/blob" % root_dir,
                         shared_blob_dir=True,
                         client_label='dstat-interface',
                         max_disconnect_poll=4,
@@ -125,6 +132,8 @@ def start_server(root_dir=None, port=9998,
     
     if root_dir is None:
         root_dir = expanduser('~/.mr_db')
+    else:
+        root_dir = expanduser(root_dir)
     data_dir = "%s/data" % root_dir
     log_dir = "%s/logs" % root_dir
     pid_file = "%s/zeo.pid" % root_dir
@@ -172,6 +181,8 @@ def start_server(root_dir=None, port=9998,
     return process
                  
 def stop_server():
+    global process
+    
     if process is not None:
         if process.is_running():
             process.terminate()
@@ -179,6 +190,7 @@ def stop_server():
         if process.is_running():
             process.kill()
             process.wait()
+        process = None
 
 if __name__ == '__main__':
     start_server()    
\ No newline at end of file