diff --git a/data/blueprints/library/square-dig.csv b/data/blueprints/library/square-dig.csv
index 328710ddb..548c5c3f2 100644
--- a/data/blueprints/library/square-dig.csv
+++ b/data/blueprints/library/square-dig.csv
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-#dig start(2,2)
+#dig start(2;2) This is a library placeholder for use during quickfort development
 d,d,d
 d, ,d
 d,d,d
diff --git a/library/Core.cpp b/library/Core.cpp
index a9fe9a69a..20d9c994b 100644
--- a/library/Core.cpp
+++ b/library/Core.cpp
@@ -1737,18 +1737,35 @@ bool Core::Init()
     virtual_identity::Init(this);
 
     // copy over default config files if necessary
-    std::vector<std::string> config_files;
-    std::vector<std::string> default_config_files;
-    if (Filesystem::listdir("dfhack-config", config_files) != 0)
+    std::map<std::string, bool> config_files;
+    std::map<std::string, bool> default_config_files;
+    if (Filesystem::listdir_recursive("dfhack-config", config_files, 10, false) != 0)
         con.printerr("Failed to list directory: dfhack-config");
-    else if (Filesystem::listdir("dfhack-config/default", default_config_files) != 0)
+    else if (Filesystem::listdir_recursive("dfhack-config/default", default_config_files, 10, false) != 0)
         con.printerr("Failed to list directory: dfhack-config/default");
     else
     {
+        // ensure all config file directories exist before we start copying files
         for (auto it = default_config_files.begin(); it != default_config_files.end(); ++it)
         {
-            std::string filename = *it;
-            if (std::find(config_files.begin(), config_files.end(), filename) == config_files.end())
+            // skip over files
+            if (!it->second)
+                continue;
+            std::string dirname = "dfhack-config/" + it->first;
+            if (!Filesystem::mkdir_recursive(dirname))
+            {
+                con.printerr("Failed to create config directory: '%s'\n", dirname.c_str());
+            }
+        }
+
+        // copy files from the default tree that don't already exist in the config tree
+        for (auto it = default_config_files.begin(); it != default_config_files.end(); ++it)
+        {
+            // skip over directories
+            if (it->second)
+                continue;
+            std::string filename = it->first;
+            if (config_files.find(filename) == config_files.end())
             {
                 std::string src_file = std::string("dfhack-config/default/") + filename;
                 if (!Filesystem::isfile(src_file))
diff --git a/library/include/modules/Filesystem.h b/library/include/modules/Filesystem.h
index bc0953d27..3252be007 100644
--- a/library/include/modules/Filesystem.h
+++ b/library/include/modules/Filesystem.h
@@ -161,6 +161,6 @@ namespace DFHack {
         DFHACK_EXPORT int64_t mtime (std::string path);
         DFHACK_EXPORT int listdir (std::string dir, std::vector<std::string> &files);
         DFHACK_EXPORT int listdir_recursive (std::string dir, std::map<std::string, bool> &files,
-            int depth = 10, std::string prefix = "");
+            int depth = 10, bool include_prefix = true);
     }
 }
diff --git a/library/modules/Filesystem.cpp b/library/modules/Filesystem.cpp
index ddc091525..c0d0860ad 100644
--- a/library/modules/Filesystem.cpp
+++ b/library/modules/Filesystem.cpp
@@ -205,34 +205,46 @@ int Filesystem::listdir (std::string dir, std::vector<std::string> &files)
     return 0;
 }
 
-int Filesystem::listdir_recursive (std::string dir, std::map<std::string, bool> &files,
-    int depth /* = 10 */, std::string prefix /* = "" */)
+// prefix is the top-level dir where we started recursing
+// path is the relative path under the prefix; must be empty or end in a '/'
+// files is the output list of files and directories (bool == true for dir)
+// depth is the remaining dir depth to recurse into. function returns -1 if
+//   we haven't finished recursing when we run out of depth.
+// include_prefix controls whether the directory where we started recursing is
+//   included in the filenames returned in files.
+static int listdir_recursive_impl (std::string prefix, std::string path,
+    std::map<std::string, bool> &files, int depth, bool include_prefix)
 {
-    int err;
     if (depth < 0)
         return -1;
-    if (prefix == "")
-        prefix = dir;
-    std::vector<std::string> tmp;
-    err = listdir(dir, tmp);
+    std::string prefixed_path = prefix + "/" + path;
+    std::vector<std::string> curdir_files;
+    int err = Filesystem::listdir(prefixed_path, curdir_files);
     if (err)
         return err;
-    for (auto file = tmp.begin(); file != tmp.end(); ++file)
+    for (auto file = curdir_files.begin(); file != curdir_files.end(); ++file)
     {
         if (*file == "." || *file == "..")
             continue;
-        std::string rel_path = prefix + "/" + *file;
-        if (isdir(rel_path))
+        std::string prefixed_file = prefixed_path + *file;
+        std::string path_file = path + *file;
+        if (Filesystem::isdir(prefixed_file))
         {
-            files.insert(std::pair<std::string, bool>(rel_path, true));
-            err = listdir_recursive(dir + "/" + *file, files, depth - 1, rel_path);
+            files.insert(std::pair<std::string, bool>(include_prefix ? prefixed_file : path_file, true));
+            err = listdir_recursive_impl(prefix, path_file + "/", files, depth - 1, include_prefix);
             if (err)
                 return err;
         }
         else
         {
-            files.insert(std::pair<std::string, bool>(rel_path, false));
+            files.insert(std::pair<std::string, bool>(include_prefix ? prefixed_file : path_file, false));
         }
     }
     return 0;
 }
+
+int Filesystem::listdir_recursive (std::string dir, std::map<std::string, bool> &files,
+    int depth /* = 10 */, bool include_prefix /* = true */)
+{
+    return listdir_recursive_impl(dir, "", files, depth, include_prefix);
+}