diff --git a/uaclient/config.py b/uaclient/config.py
index 95e47d2b60..e8c8343556 100644
--- a/uaclient/config.py
+++ b/uaclient/config.py
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@
     CONFIG_FIELD_ENVVAR_ALLOWLIST,
     DEFAULT_CONFIG_FILE,
     DEFAULT_DATA_DIR,
+    PRIVATE_SUBDIR,
 )
 from uaclient.files import notices, state_files
 from uaclient.files.notices import Notice
@@ -33,7 +34,6 @@
 
 LOG = logging.getLogger(util.replace_top_level_logger_name(__name__))
 
-PRIVATE_SUBDIR = "private"
 MERGE_ID_KEY_MAP = {
     "availableResources": "name",
     "resourceEntitlements": "type",
diff --git a/uaclient/defaults.py b/uaclient/defaults.py
index 46a8f6d77e..62e91e2aa2 100644
--- a/uaclient/defaults.py
+++ b/uaclient/defaults.py
@@ -9,11 +9,11 @@
 UAC_RUN_PATH = "/run/ubuntu-advantage/"
 DEFAULT_DATA_DIR = "/var/lib/ubuntu-advantage"
 MACHINE_TOKEN_FILE = "machine-token.json"
-PRIVATE_SUBDIR = "/private"
+PRIVATE_SUBDIR = "private"
 DEFAULT_PRIVATE_MACHINE_TOKEN_PATH = (
-    DEFAULT_DATA_DIR + PRIVATE_SUBDIR + "/" + MACHINE_TOKEN_FILE
+    DEFAULT_DATA_DIR + "/" + PRIVATE_SUBDIR + "/" + MACHINE_TOKEN_FILE
 )
-DEFAULT_PRIVATE_DATA_DIR = DEFAULT_DATA_DIR + PRIVATE_SUBDIR
+DEFAULT_PRIVATE_DATA_DIR = DEFAULT_DATA_DIR + "/" + PRIVATE_SUBDIR
 MESSAGES_SUBDIR = "/messages"
 MESSAGES_DIR = DEFAULT_DATA_DIR + MESSAGES_SUBDIR
 CANDIDATE_CACHE_PATH = UAC_RUN_PATH + "candidate-version"
diff --git a/uaclient/files/files.py b/uaclient/files/files.py
index 212245f72e..62353117bc 100644
--- a/uaclient/files/files.py
+++ b/uaclient/files/files.py
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ def __init__(
     ):
         file_name = defaults.MACHINE_TOKEN_FILE
         self.private_file = UAFile(
-            file_name, directory + defaults.PRIVATE_SUBDIR
+            file_name, directory + "/" + defaults.PRIVATE_SUBDIR
         )
         self.public_file = UAFile(file_name, directory, False)
         self.machine_token_overlay_path = machine_token_overlay_path
diff --git a/uaclient/tests/test_config.py b/uaclient/tests/test_config.py
index fa213d8f24..742ed424b2 100644
--- a/uaclient/tests/test_config.py
+++ b/uaclient/tests/test_config.py
@@ -10,7 +10,6 @@
 
 from uaclient import apt, exceptions, http, messages
 from uaclient.config import (
-    PRIVATE_SUBDIR,
     UA_CONFIGURABLE_KEYS,
     VALID_UA_CONFIG_KEYS,
     DataPath,
@@ -18,7 +17,7 @@
     parse_config,
 )
 from uaclient.conftest import FakeNotice
-from uaclient.defaults import DEFAULT_CONFIG_FILE
+from uaclient.defaults import DEFAULT_CONFIG_FILE, PRIVATE_SUBDIR
 from uaclient.entitlements import valid_services
 from uaclient.entitlements.entitlement_status import ApplicationStatus
 from uaclient.files import notices