diff --git a/rtslib/root.py b/rtslib/root.py

index b83d7ee..49c4dfc 100644

--- a/rtslib/root.py

+++ b/rtslib/root.py

@@ -166,13 +166,13 @@ class RTSRoot(CFSNode):

             self._dbroot = self._default_dbroot

             return

         self._dbroot = fread(dbroot_path)

-        if self._dbroot != self._preferred_dbroot:

+        if self._dbroot != self._default_dbroot:

             try:

-                fwrite(dbroot_path, self._preferred_dbroot+"\n")

+                fwrite(dbroot_path, self._default_dbroot+"\n")

             except:

-                if not os.path.isdir(self._preferred_dbroot):

+                if not os.path.isdir(self._default_dbroot):

                     raise RTSLibError("Cannot set dbroot to {}. Please check if this directory exists."

-                                      .format(self._preferred_dbroot))

+                                      .format(self._default_dbroot))

             self._dbroot = fread(dbroot_path)

     def _get_dbroot(self):