diff --git a/src/cmd/src/error.rs b/src/cmd/src/error.rs
index df8468f92b85..d8b748029213 100644
--- a/src/cmd/src/error.rs
+++ b/src/cmd/src/error.rs
@@ -180,6 +180,12 @@ pub enum Error {
         error: serde_json::error::Error,
         location: Location,
     },
+    #[snafu(display("Failed to create directory {}", dir))]
+    CreateDir {
+        dir: String,
+        #[snafu(source)]
+        error: std::io::Error,
+    },
 }
 
 pub type Result<T> = std::result::Result<T, Error>;
@@ -202,6 +208,7 @@ impl ErrorExt for Error {
             | Error::LoadLayeredConfig { .. }
             | Error::IllegalConfig { .. }
             | Error::InvalidReplCommand { .. }
+            | Error::CreateDir { .. }
             | Error::ConnectEtcd { .. } => StatusCode::InvalidArguments,
 
             Error::ReplCreation { .. } | Error::Readline { .. } => StatusCode::Internal,
diff --git a/src/cmd/src/standalone.rs b/src/cmd/src/standalone.rs
index a1f9695dd368..c5c703059025 100644
--- a/src/cmd/src/standalone.rs
+++ b/src/cmd/src/standalone.rs
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@
 // limitations under the License.
 
 use std::sync::Arc;
+use std::{fs, path};
 
 use catalog::kvbackend::KvBackendCatalogManager;
 use catalog::CatalogManagerRef;
@@ -41,8 +42,8 @@ use servers::Mode;
 use snafu::ResultExt;
 
 use crate::error::{
-    IllegalConfigSnafu, InitMetadataSnafu, Result, ShutdownDatanodeSnafu, ShutdownFrontendSnafu,
-    StartDatanodeSnafu, StartFrontendSnafu,
+    CreateDirSnafu, IllegalConfigSnafu, InitMetadataSnafu, Result, ShutdownDatanodeSnafu,
+    ShutdownFrontendSnafu, StartDatanodeSnafu, StartFrontendSnafu,
 };
 use crate::options::{MixOptions, Options, TopLevelOptions};
 
@@ -310,6 +311,11 @@ impl StartCommand {
             fe_opts, dn_opts
         );
 
+        // Ensure the data_home directory exists.
+        fs::create_dir_all(path::Path::new(&opts.data_home)).context(CreateDirSnafu {
+            dir: &opts.data_home,
+        })?;
+
         let metadata_dir = metadata_store_dir(&opts.data_home);
         let (kv_store, procedure_manager) = FeInstance::try_build_standalone_components(
             metadata_dir,