diff --git a/Fonderie/interpolator.c b/Fonderie/interpolator.c
index 14fd19d8..37e65f4b 100644
--- a/Fonderie/interpolator.c
+++ b/Fonderie/interpolator.c
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
 
 #include  "../floatimg.h"
 
+#include  "utilfuncs.h"
 #include  "fifo.h"
 #include  "glitches.h"
 #include  "crapulator.h"
@@ -255,6 +256,7 @@ int		opt;
 int		sort = 0;
 char		*InFchain  = "0";
 char		*OutFchain = "0";
+char		*out_dir = "p8/";
 
 fprintf(stderr, "*** %s\n\tcompiled on %s %s\n", argv[0],
 			__DATE__, __TIME__);
@@ -290,6 +292,18 @@ if (3 != (argc-optind)) {
 	exit(1);
 	}
 
+out_dir = argv[optind+1];
+
+/*
+ *	check for the export directory
+ */
+foo = check_if_export_dir_is_valid(out_dir, 0);
+if ( !foo ) {
+	fprintf(stderr, "** export dir (%s) not valid\n", out_dir);
+	fprintf(stderr, "** may be you have to create it ?\n");
+	exit(1);
+	}
+
 foo = parse_filter_chain(0, InFchain);
 if (foo) {
 	fprintf(stderr, "err %d parsing '%s'\n", foo, InFchain);