diff --git a/core/src/bank_forks.rs b/core/src/bank_forks.rs
index 23c8127c1c..b84dd81fab 100644
--- a/core/src/bank_forks.rs
+++ b/core/src/bank_forks.rs
@@ -357,7 +357,6 @@ impl BankForks {
         snapshot_config: &SnapshotConfig,
         snapshot_tar: P,
     ) -> Result<Self> {
-        fs::create_dir_all(&snapshot_config.snapshot_path)?;
         // Untar the snapshot into a temp directory under `snapshot_config.snapshot_path()`
         let unpack_dir = tempfile::tempdir_in(snapshot_config.snapshot_path())?;
         untar_snapshot_in(&snapshot_tar, &unpack_dir)?;
diff --git a/core/src/validator.rs b/core/src/validator.rs
index 84db83ed4c..f42bf4f581 100644
--- a/core/src/validator.rs
+++ b/core/src/validator.rs
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ use solana_sdk::poh_config::PohConfig;
 use solana_sdk::pubkey::Pubkey;
 use solana_sdk::signature::{Keypair, KeypairUtil};
 use solana_sdk::timing::{timestamp, DEFAULT_SLOTS_PER_TURN};
+use std::fs;
 use std::net::{IpAddr, Ipv4Addr, SocketAddr};
 use std::path::{Path, PathBuf};
 use std::sync::atomic::{AtomicBool, Ordering};
@@ -317,6 +318,11 @@ fn get_bank_forks(
         if snapshot_config.is_some() {
             let snapshot_config = snapshot_config.as_ref().unwrap();
 
+            // Blow away any remnants in the snapshots directory
+            let _ = fs::remove_dir_all(snapshot_config.snapshot_path());
+            fs::create_dir_all(&snapshot_config.snapshot_path())
+                .expect("Couldn't create snapshot directory");
+
             // Get the path to the tar
             let tar = snapshot_utils::get_snapshot_tar_path(
                 &snapshot_config.snapshot_package_output_path(),
diff --git a/multinode-demo/bootstrap-leader.sh b/multinode-demo/bootstrap-leader.sh
index db315c718b..51e00b2fe6 100755
--- a/multinode-demo/bootstrap-leader.sh
+++ b/multinode-demo/bootstrap-leader.sh
@@ -64,7 +64,6 @@ args+=(
   --identity "$identity_keypair"
   --ledger "$ledger_dir"
   --rpc-port 8899
-  --snapshot-path "$SOLANA_CONFIG_DIR"/bootstrap-leader/snapshots
   --snapshot-interval-slots 100
   --storage-keypair "$storage_keypair"
   --voting-keypair "$vote_keypair"
diff --git a/multinode-demo/validator.sh b/multinode-demo/validator.sh
index 4f93772612..311e1208b0 100755
--- a/multinode-demo/validator.sh
+++ b/multinode-demo/validator.sh
@@ -195,7 +195,6 @@ default_arg --voting-keypair "$voting_keypair_path"
 default_arg --storage-keypair "$storage_keypair_path"
 default_arg --ledger "$ledger_dir"
 default_arg --accounts "$accounts_dir"
-#default_arg --snapshot-path "$snapshot_dir"
 #default_arg --snapshot-interval-slots 100
 
 if [[ -n $SOLANA_CUDA ]]; then
diff --git a/validator/src/main.rs b/validator/src/main.rs
index 09ca077e3c..e2e28cef2e 100644
--- a/validator/src/main.rs
+++ b/validator/src/main.rs
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ use solana::socketaddr;
 use solana::validator::{Validator, ValidatorConfig};
 use solana_netutil::parse_port_range;
 use solana_sdk::signature::{read_keypair, Keypair, KeypairUtil};
+use std::fs;
 use std::fs::File;
 use std::net::SocketAddr;
 use std::path::PathBuf;
@@ -156,20 +157,11 @@ fn main() {
                 .validator(port_range_validator)
                 .help("Range to use for dynamically assigned ports"),
         )
-        .arg(
-            clap::Arg::with_name("snapshot_path")
-                .long("snapshot-path")
-                .value_name("SNAPSHOT_PATHS")
-                .takes_value(true)
-                .requires("snapshot_interval_slots")
-                .help("Snapshot path"),
-        )
         .arg(
             clap::Arg::with_name("snapshot_interval_slots")
                 .long("snapshot-interval-slots")
                 .value_name("SNAPSHOT_INTERVAL_SLOTS")
                 .takes_value(true)
-                .requires("snapshot_path")
                 .help("Number of slots between generating snapshots"),
         )
         .arg(
@@ -246,16 +238,22 @@ fn main() {
     if let Some(paths) = matches.value_of("accounts") {
         validator_config.account_paths = Some(paths.to_string());
     }
-    if let Some(snapshot_path) = matches.value_of("snapshot_path").map(PathBuf::from) {
-        let snapshot_interval = matches.value_of("snapshot_interval_slots").unwrap();
-        validator_config.snapshot_config = Some(SnapshotConfig::new(
-            snapshot_path,
-            ledger_path.clone(),
-            snapshot_interval.parse::<usize>().unwrap(),
-        ));
-    } else {
-        validator_config.snapshot_config = None;
-    }
+
+    validator_config.snapshot_config = matches.value_of("snapshot_interval_slots").map(|s| {
+        let snapshots_dir = ledger_path.clone().join("snapshot");
+        let snapshots_bank_state_dir = snapshots_dir.join("bank_states");
+        let snapshots_tar_dir = snapshots_dir.join("tar");
+        fs::create_dir_all(&snapshots_dir).expect("Failed to create snapshots directory");
+        fs::create_dir_all(&snapshots_bank_state_dir)
+            .expect("Failed to create snapshots bank state directory");
+        fs::create_dir_all(&snapshots_tar_dir).expect("Failed  to create snapshots tar directory");
+        SnapshotConfig::new(
+            snapshots_bank_state_dir,
+            snapshots_tar_dir,
+            s.parse::<usize>().unwrap(),
+        )
+    });
+
     if matches.is_present("limit_ledger_size") {
         validator_config.max_ledger_slots = Some(DEFAULT_MAX_LEDGER_SLOTS);
     }