diff --git a/selfdrive/test/process_replay/process_replay.py b/selfdrive/test/process_replay/process_replay.py
index c1b89713f3..4978525f4f 100755
--- a/selfdrive/test/process_replay/process_replay.py
+++ b/selfdrive/test/process_replay/process_replay.py
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ NUMPY_TOLERANCE = 1e-7
 CI = "CI" in os.environ
 TIMEOUT = 15
 PROC_REPLAY_DIR = os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(__file__))
+FAKEDATA = os.path.join(PROC_REPLAY_DIR, "fakedata/")
 
 ProcessConfig = namedtuple('ProcessConfig', ['proc_name', 'pub_sub', 'ignore', 'init_callback', 'should_recv_callback', 'tolerance', 'fake_pubsubmaster', 'submaster_config'], defaults=({},))
 
diff --git a/selfdrive/test/process_replay/regen.py b/selfdrive/test/process_replay/regen.py
index d8ca67dc33..d9e80ca335 100755
--- a/selfdrive/test/process_replay/regen.py
+++ b/selfdrive/test/process_replay/regen.py
@@ -16,17 +16,13 @@ from common.transformations.camera import eon_f_frame_size, eon_d_frame_size, ti
 from selfdrive.car.fingerprints import FW_VERSIONS
 from selfdrive.manager.process import ensure_running
 from selfdrive.manager.process_config import managed_processes
-from selfdrive.test.process_replay.process_replay import setup_env, check_enabled
+from selfdrive.test.process_replay.process_replay import FAKEDATA, setup_env, check_enabled
 from selfdrive.test.update_ci_routes import upload_route
 from tools.lib.route import Route
 from tools.lib.framereader import FrameReader
 from tools.lib.logreader import LogReader
 
 
-process_replay_dir = os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(__file__))
-FAKEDATA = os.path.join(process_replay_dir, "fakedata/")
-
-
 def replay_panda_states(s, msgs):
   pm = messaging.PubMaster([s, 'peripheralState'])
   rk = Ratekeeper(service_list[s].frequency, print_delay_threshold=None)
diff --git a/selfdrive/test/process_replay/test_processes.py b/selfdrive/test/process_replay/test_processes.py
index fdf10cbfdc..ec94cc333b 100755
--- a/selfdrive/test/process_replay/test_processes.py
+++ b/selfdrive/test/process_replay/test_processes.py
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ from typing import Any, Dict
 from selfdrive.car.car_helpers import interface_names
 from selfdrive.test.openpilotci import get_url, upload_file
 from selfdrive.test.process_replay.compare_logs import compare_logs, save_log
-from selfdrive.test.process_replay.process_replay import CONFIGS, PROC_REPLAY_DIR, check_enabled, replay_process
+from selfdrive.test.process_replay.process_replay import CONFIGS, PROC_REPLAY_DIR, FAKEDATA, check_enabled, replay_process
 from selfdrive.version import get_commit
 from tools.lib.logreader import LogReader
 
@@ -131,6 +131,7 @@ if __name__ == "__main__":
 
   full_test = all(len(x) == 0 for x in (args.whitelist_procs, args.whitelist_cars, args.blacklist_procs, args.blacklist_cars, args.ignore_fields, args.ignore_msgs))
   upload = args.update_refs or args.upload_only
+  os.makedirs(os.path.dirname(FAKEDATA), exist_ok=True)
 
   if upload:
     assert full_test, "Need to run full test when updating refs"
@@ -171,9 +172,9 @@ if __name__ == "__main__":
          (not len(args.whitelist_procs) and cfg.proc_name in args.blacklist_procs):
         continue
 
-      cur_log_fn = os.path.join(PROC_REPLAY_DIR, f"{segment}_{cfg.proc_name}_{cur_commit}.bz2")
+      cur_log_fn = os.path.join(FAKEDATA, f"{segment}_{cfg.proc_name}_{cur_commit}.bz2")
       if not args.upload_only:
-        ref_log_fn = os.path.join(PROC_REPLAY_DIR, f"{segment}_{cfg.proc_name}_{ref_commit}.bz2")
+        ref_log_fn = os.path.join(FAKEDATA, f"{segment}_{cfg.proc_name}_{ref_commit}.bz2")
         results[segment][cfg.proc_name], log_msgs = test_process(cfg, lr, ref_log_fn, args.ignore_fields, args.ignore_msgs)
 
         # save logs so we can upload when updating refs
@@ -185,8 +186,8 @@ if __name__ == "__main__":
         upload_file(cur_log_fn, os.path.basename(cur_log_fn))
         os.remove(cur_log_fn)
 
+  diff1, diff2, failed = format_diff(results, ref_commit)
   if not args.upload_only:
-    diff1, diff2, failed = format_diff(results, ref_commit)
     with open(os.path.join(PROC_REPLAY_DIR, "diff.txt"), "w") as f:
       f.write(diff2)
     print(diff1)