diff --git a/hive-c0re/src/build_logs.rs b/hive-c0re/src/build_logs.rs
index ed2c7f6f..79d45c88 100644
--- a/hive-c0re/src/build_logs.rs
+++ b/hive-c0re/src/build_logs.rs
@@ -131,10 +131,10 @@ pub struct BuildLogs {
 }
 
 impl BuildLogs {
-    pub fn open(db_path: &Path) -> Result<Self> {
-        std::fs::create_dir_all(db_path)
-            .with_context(|| format!("create build_logs db parent {}", db_path.display()))?;
-        let path = db_path.join("build_logs.sqlite");
+    pub fn open(db_dir: &Path) -> Result<Self> {
+        std::fs::create_dir_all(db_dir)
+            .with_context(|| format!("create build_logs db parent {}", db_dir.display()))?;
+        let path = db_dir.join("build_logs.sqlite");
         let conn = Connection::open(&path)
             .with_context(|| format!("open build_logs db {}", path.display()))?;
         conn.execute_batch(SCHEMA)
diff --git a/hive-c0re/src/coordinator.rs b/hive-c0re/src/coordinator.rs
index 971cdd85..285edc90 100644
--- a/hive-c0re/src/coordinator.rs
+++ b/hive-c0re/src/coordinator.rs
@@ -220,8 +220,13 @@ impl Coordinator {
         let questions = OperatorQuestions::open(db_path).context("open operator_questions")?;
         let scheduled_prompts = crate::scheduled_prompts::ScheduledPrompts::open(db_path)
             .context("open scheduled_prompts")?;
+        // BuildLogs wants a directory (it picks its own `build_logs.sqlite`
+        // file under it); every other opener here takes the sibling
+        // sqlite-file path itself. Derive the dir from `db_path`'s
+        // parent so the two shapes line up.
+        let build_logs_dir = db_path.parent().unwrap_or_else(|| Path::new("."));
         let build_logs = Arc::new(
-            crate::build_logs::BuildLogs::open(db_path).context("open build_logs")?,
+            crate::build_logs::BuildLogs::open(build_logs_dir).context("open build_logs")?,
         );
         // Install the process-wide handle so `lifecycle::run` /
         // `lifecycle::prebuild_toplevel` can write without us having