diff --git a/src/backend/postmaster/postmaster.c b/src/backend/postmaster/postmaster.c
index 28b1c83fa3..4231ff22d4 100644
--- a/src/backend/postmaster/postmaster.c
+++ b/src/backend/postmaster/postmaster.c
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@
  *
  *
  * IDENTIFICATION
- *	  $PostgreSQL: pgsql/src/backend/postmaster/postmaster.c,v 1.408 2004/07/11 21:33:59 momjian Exp $
+ *	  $PostgreSQL: pgsql/src/backend/postmaster/postmaster.c,v 1.409 2004/07/11 23:49:45 momjian Exp $
  *
  * NOTES
  *
@@ -372,7 +372,6 @@ PostmasterMain(int argc, char *argv[])
 	InitializeGUCOptions();
 
 	userPGDATA = getenv("PGDATA");		/* default value */
-	canonicalize_path(userPGDATA);
 	
 	opterr = 1;
 
@@ -526,6 +525,12 @@ PostmasterMain(int argc, char *argv[])
 		ExitPostmaster(1);
 	}
 
+	if (userPGDATA)
+	{
+		userPGDATA = strdup(userPGDATA);
+		canonicalize_path(userPGDATA);
+	}
+
 	if (onlyConfigSpecified(userPGDATA))
 	{
 		/*
diff --git a/src/backend/utils/init/miscinit.c b/src/backend/utils/init/miscinit.c
index b0c5ff82e3..fd1eb6d762 100644
--- a/src/backend/utils/init/miscinit.c
+++ b/src/backend/utils/init/miscinit.c
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
  *
  *
  * IDENTIFICATION
- *	  $PostgreSQL: pgsql/src/backend/utils/init/miscinit.c,v 1.127 2004/06/18 06:13:54 tgl Exp $
+ *	  $PostgreSQL: pgsql/src/backend/utils/init/miscinit.c,v 1.128 2004/07/11 23:49:48 momjian Exp $
  *
  *-------------------------------------------------------------------------
  */
@@ -207,10 +207,6 @@ SetDataDir(const char *dir)
 					 errmsg("out of memory")));
 	}
 
-	/*
-	 * Strip any trailing slash.  Not strictly necessary, but avoids
-	 * generating funny-looking paths to individual files.
-	 */
 	canonicalize_path(new);
 
 	if (DataDir)
diff --git a/src/backend/utils/misc/guc.c b/src/backend/utils/misc/guc.c
index 91977650b7..20bcf10820 100644
--- a/src/backend/utils/misc/guc.c
+++ b/src/backend/utils/misc/guc.c
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
  * Written by Peter Eisentraut <peter_e@gmx.net>.
  *
  * IDENTIFICATION
- *	  $PostgreSQL: pgsql/src/backend/utils/misc/guc.c,v 1.216 2004/07/11 21:48:25 momjian Exp $
+ *	  $PostgreSQL: pgsql/src/backend/utils/misc/guc.c,v 1.217 2004/07/11 23:49:51 momjian Exp $
  *
  *--------------------------------------------------------------------
  */
@@ -5441,7 +5441,7 @@ assign_canonical_path(const char *newval, bool doit, GucSource source)
 	if (doit)
 	{
 		/* We have to create a new pointer to force the change */
-		char *canon_val = guc_strdup(FATAL, newval);
+		char *canon_val = guc_strdup(ERROR, newval);
 		canonicalize_path(canon_val);
 		return canon_val;
 	}