diff --git a/src/main/java/com/googlesource/gerrit/modules/cache/chroniclemap/ChronicleMapCacheConfig.java b/src/main/java/com/googlesource/gerrit/modules/cache/chroniclemap/ChronicleMapCacheConfig.java
index 782c216..7c593f2 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/googlesource/gerrit/modules/cache/chroniclemap/ChronicleMapCacheConfig.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/googlesource/gerrit/modules/cache/chroniclemap/ChronicleMapCacheConfig.java
@@ -65,7 +65,8 @@
       @Assisted("ConfigKey") String configKey,
       @Assisted("DiskLimit") long diskLimit,
       @Nullable @Assisted("ExpireAfterWrite") Duration expireAfterWrite,
-      @Nullable @Assisted("RefreshAfterWrite") Duration refreshAfterWrite) {
+      @Nullable @Assisted("RefreshAfterWrite") Duration refreshAfterWrite)
+      throws IOException {
     final Path cacheDir = getCacheDir(site, cfg.getString("cache", null, "directory"));
     this.persistedFile =
         cacheDir != null ? cacheDir.resolve(String.format("%s.dat", name)).toFile() : null;
@@ -124,22 +125,16 @@
     return maxBloatFactor;
   }
 
-  private static Path getCacheDir(SitePaths site, String name) {
+  private static Path getCacheDir(SitePaths site, String name) throws IOException {
     if (name == null) {
       return null;
     }
     Path loc = site.resolve(name);
     if (!Files.exists(loc)) {
-      try {
-        Files.createDirectories(loc);
-      } catch (IOException e) {
-        logger.atWarning().log("Can't create disk cache: %s", loc.toAbsolutePath());
-        return null;
-      }
+      Files.createDirectories(loc);
     }
     if (!Files.isWritable(loc)) {
-      logger.atWarning().log("Can't write to disk cache: %s", loc.toAbsolutePath());
-      return null;
+      throw new IOException(String.format("Can't write to disk cache: %s", loc.toAbsolutePath()));
     }
     logger.atFine().log("Enabling disk cache %s", loc.toAbsolutePath());
     return loc;
diff --git a/src/test/java/com/googlesource/gerrit/modules/cache/chroniclemap/ChronicleMapCacheConfigTest.java b/src/test/java/com/googlesource/gerrit/modules/cache/chroniclemap/ChronicleMapCacheConfigTest.java
index 5eaeabb..ee4d7c1 100644
--- a/src/test/java/com/googlesource/gerrit/modules/cache/chroniclemap/ChronicleMapCacheConfigTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/com/googlesource/gerrit/modules/cache/chroniclemap/ChronicleMapCacheConfigTest.java
@@ -14,12 +14,14 @@
 package com.googlesource.gerrit.modules.cache.chroniclemap;
 
 import static com.google.common.truth.Truth.assertThat;
+import static com.google.gerrit.testing.GerritJUnit.assertThrows;
 import static com.googlesource.gerrit.modules.cache.chroniclemap.ChronicleMapCacheConfig.DEFAULT_AVG_KEY_SIZE;
 import static com.googlesource.gerrit.modules.cache.chroniclemap.ChronicleMapCacheConfig.DEFAULT_AVG_VALUE_SIZE;
 import static com.googlesource.gerrit.modules.cache.chroniclemap.ChronicleMapCacheConfig.DEFAULT_MAX_BLOAT_FACTOR;
 import static com.googlesource.gerrit.modules.cache.chroniclemap.ChronicleMapCacheConfig.DEFAULT_MAX_ENTRIES;
 
 import com.google.gerrit.server.config.SitePaths;
+import java.io.IOException;
 import java.nio.file.Files;
 import java.time.Duration;
 import org.eclipse.jgit.lib.StoredConfig;
@@ -70,7 +72,7 @@
   }
 
   @Test
-  public void shouldNotProvidePersistedFileWhenCacheDirIsNotConfigured() {
+  public void shouldNotProvidePersistedFileWhenCacheDirIsNotConfigured() throws Exception {
     assertThat(configUnderTest(gerritConfig).getPersistedFile()).isNull();
   }
 
@@ -84,7 +86,7 @@
   }
 
   @Test
-  public void shouldProvideDefinitionDiskLimitWhenNotConfigured() {
+  public void shouldProvideDefinitionDiskLimitWhenNotConfigured() throws Exception {
     assertThat(configUnderTest(gerritConfig).getDiskLimit()).isEqualTo(definitionDiskLimit);
   }
 
@@ -98,7 +100,7 @@
   }
 
   @Test
-  public void shouldProvideDefaultMaxEntriesWhenNotConfigured() {
+  public void shouldProvideDefaultMaxEntriesWhenNotConfigured() throws Exception {
     assertThat(configUnderTest(gerritConfig).getMaxEntries()).isEqualTo(DEFAULT_MAX_ENTRIES);
   }
 
@@ -112,7 +114,7 @@
   }
 
   @Test
-  public void shouldProvideDefaultAverageKeySizeWhenNotConfigured() {
+  public void shouldProvideDefaultAverageKeySizeWhenNotConfigured() throws Exception {
     assertThat(configUnderTest(gerritConfig).getAverageKeySize()).isEqualTo(DEFAULT_AVG_KEY_SIZE);
   }
 
@@ -126,13 +128,13 @@
   }
 
   @Test
-  public void shouldProvideDefaultAverageValueSizeWhenNotConfigured() {
+  public void shouldProvideDefaultAverageValueSizeWhenNotConfigured() throws Exception {
     assertThat(configUnderTest(gerritConfig).getAverageValueSize())
         .isEqualTo(DEFAULT_AVG_VALUE_SIZE);
   }
 
   @Test
-  public void shouldProvideMaxDefaultBloatFactorWhenNotConfigured() {
+  public void shouldProvideMaxDefaultBloatFactorWhenNotConfigured() throws Exception {
     assertThat(configUnderTest(gerritConfig).getMaxBloatFactor())
         .isEqualTo(DEFAULT_MAX_BLOAT_FACTOR);
   }
@@ -157,7 +159,7 @@
   }
 
   @Test
-  public void shouldProvideDefinitionExpireAfterWriteWhenNotConfigured() {
+  public void shouldProvideDefinitionExpireAfterWriteWhenNotConfigured() throws Exception {
     assertThat(configUnderTest(gerritConfig).getExpireAfterWrite()).isEqualTo(expireAfterWrite);
   }
 
@@ -172,11 +174,29 @@
   }
 
   @Test
-  public void shouldProvideDefinitionRefreshAfterWriteWhenNotConfigured() {
+  public void shouldThrowExceptionWhenDirectoryDoesntExist() throws Exception {
+    gerritConfig.setString("cache", null, "directory", "/var/bar/foobar");
+    gerritConfig.save();
+
+    IOException thrown = assertThrows(IOException.class, () -> configUnderTest(gerritConfig));
+    assertThat(thrown).hasMessageThat().contains("Operation not permitted");
+  }
+
+  @Test
+  public void shouldThrowExceptionWhenDirectoryIsNotWriteable() throws Exception {
+    gerritConfig.setString("cache", null, "directory", "/var");
+    gerritConfig.save();
+
+    IOException thrown = assertThrows(IOException.class, () -> configUnderTest(gerritConfig));
+    assertThat(thrown).hasMessageThat().contains("Can't write to disk cache");
+  }
+
+  @Test
+  public void shouldProvideDefinitionRefreshAfterWriteWhenNotConfigured() throws Exception {
     assertThat(configUnderTest(gerritConfig).getRefreshAfterWrite()).isEqualTo(refreshAfterWrite);
   }
 
-  private ChronicleMapCacheConfig configUnderTest(StoredConfig gerritConfig) {
+  private ChronicleMapCacheConfig configUnderTest(StoredConfig gerritConfig) throws IOException {
     return new ChronicleMapCacheConfig(
         gerritConfig,
         sitePaths,