diff --git a/drivers/main.c b/drivers/main.c
index 63d329b7c..3d955de64 100644
--- a/drivers/main.c
+++ b/drivers/main.c
@@ -847,6 +847,19 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 	}
 	upsdebugx(1, "debug level is '%d'", nut_debug_level);
 
+	upsdrv_initups();
+
+	/* UPS is detected now, cleanup upon exit */
+	atexit(upsdrv_cleanup);
+
+	/* now see if things are very wrong out there */
+	if (upsdrv_info.status == DRV_BROKEN) {
+		fatalx(EXIT_FAILURE, "Fatal error: broken driver. It probably needs to be converted.\n");
+	}
+
+	if (do_forceshutdown)
+		forceshutdown();
+
 	new_uid = get_user_pwent(user);
 
 	if (chroot_path)
@@ -904,19 +917,6 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 	 * when its a pdu! */
 	dstate_setinfo("device.type", "ups");
 
-	upsdrv_initups();
-
-	/* UPS is detected now, cleanup upon exit */
-	atexit(upsdrv_cleanup);
-
-	/* now see if things are very wrong out there */
-	if (upsdrv_info.status == DRV_BROKEN) {
-		fatalx(EXIT_FAILURE, "Fatal error: broken driver. It probably needs to be converted.\n");
-	}
-
-	if (do_forceshutdown)
-		forceshutdown();
-
 	/* publish the top-level data: version numbers, driver name */
 	dstate_setinfo("driver.version", "%s", UPS_VERSION);
 	dstate_setinfo("driver.version.internal", "%s", upsdrv_info.version);
-- 
2.33.5