diff --git a/selfdrive/manager/manager.py b/selfdrive/manager/manager.py
index 8244ef4..b1901dc 100755
--- a/selfdrive/manager/manager.py
+++ b/selfdrive/manager/manager.py
@@ -366,10 +366,6 @@ def manager_thread(frogpilot_functions) -> None:
   cloudlog.info("manager start")
   cloudlog.info({"environ": os.environ})
 
-  timestamp = datetime.datetime.now().strftime("%Y-%m-%d-%H-%M-%S")
-  log_dir = f"/data/log2/{timestamp}"
-  os.makedirs(log_dir, exist_ok=True)
-
   params = Params()
   params_memory = Params("/dev/shm/params")
 
@@ -384,7 +380,7 @@ def manager_thread(frogpilot_functions) -> None:
   pm = messaging.PubMaster(['managerState'])
 
   write_onroad_params(False, params)
-  ensure_running(managed_processes.values(), False, params=params, CP=sm['carParams'], not_run=ignore, log_dir=log_dir)
+  ensure_running(managed_processes.values(), False, params=params, CP=sm['carParams'], not_run=ignore)
 
   started_prev = False
 
diff --git a/selfdrive/manager/process.py b/selfdrive/manager/process.py
index ba51c6f..8dcc1c6 100755
--- a/selfdrive/manager/process.py
+++ b/selfdrive/manager/process.py
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ import importlib
 import os
 import signal
 import struct
+import datetime
 import time
 import subprocess
 from collections.abc import Callable, ValuesView
@@ -20,7 +21,9 @@ from openpilot.common.swaglog import cloudlog
 WATCHDOG_FN = "/dev/shm/wd_"
 ENABLE_WATCHDOG = os.getenv("NO_WATCHDOG") is None
 
-_log_dir = None
+timestamp = datetime.datetime.now().strftime("%Y-%m-%d-%H-%M-%S")
+log_dir = f"/data/log2/{timestamp}"
+os.makedirs(log_dir, exist_ok=True)
 
 def launcher(proc: str, name: str, log_path: str) -> None:
   try:
@@ -286,9 +289,7 @@ class DaemonProcess(ManagerProcess):
 
 
 def ensure_running(procs: ValuesView[ManagerProcess], started: bool, params=None, CP: car.CarParams=None,
-                   not_run: list[str] | None=None,  log_dir: str = None) -> list[ManagerProcess]:
-  global _log_dir
-  _log_dir = log_dir
+                   not_run: list[str] | None=None) -> list[ManagerProcess]:
 
   if not_run is None:
     not_run = []