diff --git a/cmd/root.go b/cmd/root.go
index f53a4b97..01c6e2f4 100644
--- a/cmd/root.go
+++ b/cmd/root.go
@@ -149,7 +149,7 @@ func getCustomServeFlags() []string {
 		result = append(result, "--"+configFileFlag)
 		result = append(result, configFile)
 	}
-	if logFilePath != defaultLogFile && len(logFilePath) > 0 && logFilePath != "." {
+	if logFilePath != defaultLogFile && utils.IsFileInputValid(logFilePath) {
 		if !filepath.IsAbs(logFilePath) {
 			logFilePath = filepath.Join(configDir, logFilePath)
 		}
diff --git a/cmd/start_windows.go b/cmd/start_windows.go
index 74d3768e..e68f3599 100644
--- a/cmd/start_windows.go
+++ b/cmd/start_windows.go
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import (
 	"path/filepath"
 
 	"github.com/drakkan/sftpgo/service"
+	"github.com/drakkan/sftpgo/utils"
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
 )
 
@@ -14,7 +15,7 @@ var (
 		Short: "Start SFTPGo Windows Service",
 		Run: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) {
 			configDir = filepath.Clean(configDir)
-			if !filepath.IsAbs(logFilePath) && len(logFilePath) > 0 && logFilePath != "." {
+			if !filepath.IsAbs(logFilePath) && utils.IsFileInputValid(logFilePath) {
 				logFilePath = filepath.Join(configDir, logFilePath)
 			}
 			s := service.Service{
diff --git a/config/config.go b/config/config.go
index d0ab411c..5cbd5a6c 100644
--- a/config/config.go
+++ b/config/config.go
@@ -172,6 +172,12 @@ func LoadConfig(configDir, configName string) error {
 	if strings.TrimSpace(globalConf.SFTPD.Banner) == "" {
 		globalConf.SFTPD.Banner = defaultBanner
 	}
+	if len(globalConf.ProviderConf.UsersBaseDir) > 0 && !utils.IsFileInputValid(globalConf.ProviderConf.UsersBaseDir) {
+		err = fmt.Errorf("invalid users base dir %#v will be ignored", globalConf.ProviderConf.UsersBaseDir)
+		globalConf.ProviderConf.UsersBaseDir = ""
+		logger.Warn(logSender, "", "Configuration error: %v", err)
+		logger.WarnToConsole("Configuration error: %v", err)
+	}
 	if globalConf.SFTPD.UploadMode < 0 || globalConf.SFTPD.UploadMode > 2 {
 		err = fmt.Errorf("invalid upload_mode 0, 1 and 2 are supported, configured: %v reset upload_mode to 0",
 			globalConf.SFTPD.UploadMode)
@@ -198,6 +204,6 @@ func LoadConfig(configDir, configName string) error {
 		logger.Warn(logSender, "", "Configuration error: %v", err)
 		logger.WarnToConsole("Configuration error: %v", err)
 	}
-	logger.Debug(logSender, "", "config file used: '%v', config loaded: %+v", viper.ConfigFileUsed(), getRedactedGlobalConf())
+	logger.Debug(logSender, "", "config file used: '%#v', config loaded: %+v", viper.ConfigFileUsed(), getRedactedGlobalConf())
 	return err
 }
diff --git a/config/config_test.go b/config/config_test.go
index ff154a10..cd4cd420 100644
--- a/config/config_test.go
+++ b/config/config_test.go
@@ -161,6 +161,27 @@ func TestInvalidProxyProtocol(t *testing.T) {
 	os.Remove(configFilePath)
 }
 
+func TestInvalidUsersBaseDir(t *testing.T) {
+	configDir := ".."
+	confName := tempConfigName + ".json"
+	configFilePath := filepath.Join(configDir, confName)
+	config.LoadConfig(configDir, "")
+	providerConf := config.GetProviderConf()
+	providerConf.UsersBaseDir = "."
+	c := make(map[string]dataprovider.Config)
+	c["data_provider"] = providerConf
+	jsonConf, _ := json.Marshal(c)
+	err := ioutil.WriteFile(configFilePath, jsonConf, 0666)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Errorf("error saving temporary configuration")
+	}
+	err = config.LoadConfig(configDir, tempConfigName)
+	if err == nil {
+		t.Errorf("Loading configuration with invalid users base dir must fail")
+	}
+	os.Remove(configFilePath)
+}
+
 func TestSetGetConfig(t *testing.T) {
 	sftpdConf := config.GetSFTPDConfig()
 	sftpdConf.IdleTimeout = 3
diff --git a/dataprovider/bolt.go b/dataprovider/bolt.go
index e70e6fd4..47bd61c5 100644
--- a/dataprovider/bolt.go
+++ b/dataprovider/bolt.go
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ func initializeBoltProvider(basePath string) error {
 	var err error
 	logSender = BoltDataProviderName
 	dbPath := config.Name
-	if dbPath == "." {
+	if !utils.IsFileInputValid(dbPath) {
 		return fmt.Errorf("Invalid database path: %#v", dbPath)
 	}
 	if !filepath.IsAbs(dbPath) {
diff --git a/dataprovider/memory.go b/dataprovider/memory.go
index a517d668..868be5bb 100644
--- a/dataprovider/memory.go
+++ b/dataprovider/memory.go
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ type MemoryProvider struct {
 
 func initializeMemoryProvider(basePath string) error {
 	configFile := ""
-	if len(config.Name) > 0 && config.Name != "." {
+	if utils.IsFileInputValid(config.Name) {
 		configFile = config.Name
 		if !filepath.IsAbs(configFile) {
 			configFile = filepath.Join(basePath, configFile)
diff --git a/dataprovider/sqlite.go b/dataprovider/sqlite.go
index 8d8043fb..82b94260 100644
--- a/dataprovider/sqlite.go
+++ b/dataprovider/sqlite.go
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import (
 	"strings"
 
 	"github.com/drakkan/sftpgo/logger"
+	"github.com/drakkan/sftpgo/utils"
 )
 
 const (
@@ -32,7 +33,7 @@ func initializeSQLiteProvider(basePath string) error {
 	logSender = SQLiteDataProviderName
 	if len(config.ConnectionString) == 0 {
 		dbPath := config.Name
-		if dbPath == "." {
+		if !utils.IsFileInputValid(dbPath) {
 			return fmt.Errorf("Invalid database path: %#v", dbPath)
 		}
 		if !filepath.IsAbs(dbPath) {
diff --git a/go.mod b/go.mod
index 2759255c..f1b2caaf 100644
--- a/go.mod
+++ b/go.mod
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@ module github.com/drakkan/sftpgo
 go 1.13
 
 require (
-	cloud.google.com/go v0.53.0 // indirect
 	cloud.google.com/go/storage v1.6.0
 	github.com/alexedwards/argon2id v0.0.0-20190612080829-01a59b2b8802
 	github.com/aws/aws-sdk-go v1.29.14
diff --git a/httpd/httpd.go b/httpd/httpd.go
index 1d863d53..d2326369 100644
--- a/httpd/httpd.go
+++ b/httpd/httpd.go
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/drakkan/sftpgo/dataprovider"
 	"github.com/drakkan/sftpgo/logger"
+	"github.com/drakkan/sftpgo/utils"
 	"github.com/go-chi/chi"
 )
 
@@ -90,6 +91,10 @@ func (c Conf) Initialize(configDir string) error {
 	backupsPath = getConfigPath(c.BackupsPath, configDir)
 	staticFilesPath := getConfigPath(c.StaticFilesPath, configDir)
 	templatesPath := getConfigPath(c.TemplatesPath, configDir)
+	if len(backupsPath) == 0 || len(staticFilesPath) == 0 || len(templatesPath) == 0 {
+		return fmt.Errorf("Required directory is invalid, backup path %#v, static file path: %#v template path: %#v",
+			backupsPath, staticFilesPath, templatesPath)
+	}
 	authUserFile := getConfigPath(c.AuthUserFile, configDir)
 	httpAuth, err = newBasicAuthProvider(authUserFile)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -129,7 +134,10 @@ func ReloadTLSCertificate() {
 }
 
 func getConfigPath(name, configDir string) string {
-	if len(name) > 0 && !filepath.IsAbs(name) && name != "." {
+	if !utils.IsFileInputValid(name) {
+		return ""
+	}
+	if len(name) > 0 && !filepath.IsAbs(name) {
 		return filepath.Join(configDir, name)
 	}
 	return name
diff --git a/httpd/httpd_test.go b/httpd/httpd_test.go
index cd5a82db..8c1c2670 100644
--- a/httpd/httpd_test.go
+++ b/httpd/httpd_test.go
@@ -169,6 +169,13 @@ func TestInitialization(t *testing.T) {
 	if err == nil {
 		t.Error("Inizialize must fail")
 	}
+	httpdConf.CertificateFile = ""
+	httpdConf.CertificateKeyFile = ""
+	httpdConf.TemplatesPath = "."
+	err = httpdConf.Initialize(configDir)
+	if err == nil {
+		t.Error("Inizialize must fail")
+	}
 }
 
 func TestBasicUserHandling(t *testing.T) {
diff --git a/logger/logger.go b/logger/logger.go
index 03af6ec7..cab07185 100644
--- a/logger/logger.go
+++ b/logger/logger.go
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ func GetLogger() *zerolog.Logger {
 // InitLogger configures the logger using the given parameters
 func InitLogger(logFilePath string, logMaxSize int, logMaxBackups int, logMaxAge int, logCompress bool, level zerolog.Level) {
 	zerolog.TimeFieldFormat = dateFormat
-	if len(logFilePath) > 0 && filepath.Clean(logFilePath) != "." {
+	if isLogFilePathValid(logFilePath) {
 		logger = zerolog.New(&lumberjack.Logger{
 			Filename:   logFilePath,
 			MaxSize:    logMaxSize,
@@ -183,3 +183,11 @@ func ConnectionFailedLog(user, ip, loginType, errorString string) {
 		Str("error", errorString).
 		Msg("")
 }
+
+func isLogFilePathValid(logFilePath string) bool {
+	cleanInput := filepath.Clean(logFilePath)
+	if cleanInput == "." || cleanInput == ".." {
+		return false
+	}
+	return true
+}
diff --git a/service/service.go b/service/service.go
index 8ee3a0e2..8e2676bc 100644
--- a/service/service.go
+++ b/service/service.go
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ func (s *Service) Start() error {
 	if !s.LogVerbose {
 		logLevel = zerolog.InfoLevel
 	}
-	if !filepath.IsAbs(s.LogFilePath) && len(s.LogFilePath) > 0 && s.LogFilePath != "." {
+	if !filepath.IsAbs(s.LogFilePath) && utils.IsFileInputValid(s.LogFilePath) {
 		s.LogFilePath = filepath.Join(s.ConfigDir, s.LogFilePath)
 	}
 	logger.InitLogger(s.LogFilePath, s.LogMaxSize, s.LogMaxBackups, s.LogMaxAge, s.LogCompress, logLevel)
diff --git a/utils/utils.go b/utils/utils.go
index 90620abc..4b7c547d 100644
--- a/utils/utils.go
+++ b/utils/utils.go
@@ -288,3 +288,14 @@ func LoadTemplate(t *template.Template, err error) *template.Template {
 	}
 	return t
 }
+
+// IsFileInputValid returns true this is a valid file name.
+// This method must be used before joining a file name, generally provided as
+// user input, with a directory
+func IsFileInputValid(fileInput string) bool {
+	cleanInput := filepath.Clean(fileInput)
+	if cleanInput == "." || cleanInput == ".." {
+		return false
+	}
+	return true
+}