diff --git a/src/murfey/client/tui/screens.py b/src/murfey/client/tui/screens.py
index e712ffcc..43e3878f 100644
--- a/src/murfey/client/tui/screens.py
+++ b/src/murfey/client/tui/screens.py
@@ -952,7 +952,7 @@ def on_button_pressed(self, event: Button.Pressed):
             instrument_name=self.app._environment.instrument_name,
             demo=self.app._environment.demo,
         )
-        for dir in machine_config["create_directories"].values():
+        for dir in machine_config["create_directories"]:
             (visit_dir / dir).mkdir(exist_ok=True)
         self.app.install_screen(
             LaunchScreen(basepath=visit_dir, add_basepath=True), "launcher"
@@ -1008,8 +1008,7 @@ def compose(self):
                     for d in s.glob("*"):
                         if (
                             d.is_dir()
-                            and d.name
-                            not in machine_config["create_directories"].values()
+                            and d.name not in machine_config["create_directories"]
                         ):
                             dest = determine_default_destination(
                                 self.app._visit,
@@ -1049,7 +1048,7 @@ def compose(self):
                 instrument_name=self.app._environment.instrument_name,
             )
             for s, d in self._transfer_routes.items():
-                if Path(d).name not in machine_config["create_directories"].values():
+                if Path(d).name not in machine_config["create_directories"]:
                     bulk.append(Label(f"Copy the source {s} to:"))
                     bulk.append(
                         Input(
diff --git a/src/murfey/client/watchdir_multigrid.py b/src/murfey/client/watchdir_multigrid.py
index 8fea2e3f..153473fc 100644
--- a/src/murfey/client/watchdir_multigrid.py
+++ b/src/murfey/client/watchdir_multigrid.py
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ def _process(self):
         first_loop = True
         while not self._stopping:
             for d in self._basepath.glob("*"):
-                if d.name in self._machine_config["create_directories"].values():
+                if d.name in self._machine_config["create_directories"]:
                     if d.is_dir() and d not in self._seen_dirs:
                         self.notify(
                             d,
diff --git a/src/murfey/instrument_server/api.py b/src/murfey/instrument_server/api.py
index c95b18df..a094fce3 100644
--- a/src/murfey/instrument_server/api.py
+++ b/src/murfey/instrument_server/api.py
@@ -163,7 +163,7 @@ def start_multigrid_watcher(
         f"{_get_murfey_url()}/instruments/{sanitise_nonpath(watcher_spec.instrument_name)}/machine",
         headers={"Authorization": f"Bearer {tokens[session_id]}"},
     ).json()
-    for d in machine_config.get("create_directories", {}).values():
+    for d in machine_config.get("create_directories", []):
         (watcher_spec.source / d).mkdir(exist_ok=True)
     watchers[session_id] = MultigridDirWatcher(
         watcher_spec.source,
diff --git a/src/murfey/util/config.py b/src/murfey/util/config.py
index ca8c65ed..159bdbe0 100644
--- a/src/murfey/util/config.py
+++ b/src/murfey/util/config.py
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ class MachineConfig(BaseModel, extra=Extra.allow):  # type: ignore
     external_executables_eer: Dict[str, str] = {}
     external_environment: Dict[str, str] = {}
     rsync_module: str = ""
-    create_directories: Dict[str, str] = {"atlas": "atlas"}
+    create_directories: list[str] = ["atlas"]
     analyse_created_directories: List[str] = []
     gain_reference_directory: Optional[Path] = None
     eer_fractionation_file_template: str = ""