diff -up bind-9.7.3-P3/bin/named/server.c.rh693982 bind-9.7.3-P3/bin/named/server.c
--- bind-9.7.3-P3/bin/named/server.c.rh693982	2011-08-12 17:18:55.611978110 +0200
+++ bind-9.7.3-P3/bin/named/server.c	2011-08-12 17:19:36.009975303 +0200
@@ -4444,15 +4444,6 @@ load_configuration(const char *filename,
 		ns_os_changeuser();
 
 	/*
-	 * Check that the working directory is writable.
-	 */
-	if (access(".", W_OK) != 0) {
-		isc_log_write(ns_g_lctx, NS_LOGCATEGORY_GENERAL,
-			      NS_LOGMODULE_SERVER, ISC_LOG_ERROR,
-			      "the working directory is not writable");
-	}
-
-	/*
 	 * Configure the logging system.
 	 *
 	 * Do this after changing UID to make sure that any log
@@ -4498,6 +4489,15 @@ load_configuration(const char *filename,
 	}
 
 	/*
+	 * Check that the working directory is writable.
+	 */
+	if (access(".", W_OK) != 0) {
+		isc_log_write(ns_g_lctx, NS_LOGCATEGORY_GENERAL,
+			      NS_LOGMODULE_SERVER, ISC_LOG_DEBUG(1),
+			      "the working directory is not writable");
+	}
+
+	/*
 	 * Set the default value of the query logging flag depending
 	 * whether a "queries" category has been defined.  This is
 	 * a disgusting hack, but we need to do this for BIND 8
