diff --git a/BaseLib/FileTools.cpp b/BaseLib/FileTools.cpp
index 060a849d73e52077a330461e028eeedb7239e813..c37c482884c913c136d0e60aa747e9131a90d294 100644
--- a/BaseLib/FileTools.cpp
+++ b/BaseLib/FileTools.cpp
@@ -258,23 +258,23 @@ void removeFiles(std::vector<std::string> const& files)
 
 bool createOutputDirectory(std::string const& dir)
 {
-    if (dir.length() > 0)
+    if (dir.empty())
     {
-        std::error_code mkdir_err;
-        if (std::filesystem::create_directories(dir, mkdir_err))
-        {
-            INFO("Output directory {:s} created.", dir);
-        }
-        else if (mkdir_err.value() != 0)
-        {
-            WARN(
-                "Could not create output directory {:s}. Error code {:d}, {:s}",
-                dir, mkdir_err.value(), mkdir_err.message());
-            return false;
-        }
-        return true;
+        return false;
+    }
+
+    std::error_code mkdir_err;
+    if (std::filesystem::create_directories(dir, mkdir_err))
+    {
+        INFO("Output directory {:s} created.", dir);
+    }
+    else if (mkdir_err.value() != 0)
+    {
+        WARN("Could not create output directory {:s}. Error code {:d}, {:s}",
+             dir, mkdir_err.value(), mkdir_err.message());
+        return false;
     }
-    return false;
+    return true;
 }
 
 template <typename T>