diff --git a/init2winit/main_config_flags.py b/init2winit/main_config_flags.py
index f0fe83e4..9a1f270b 100644
--- a/init2winit/main_config_flags.py
+++ b/init2winit/main_config_flags.py
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@
 # For internal compatibility reasons, we need to pull this function out.
 makedirs = tf.io.gfile.makedirs
 
+
 # Allow caching for any size executables since we had a small executable that
 # took 50 minutes to compile.
 jax.config.update('jax_persistent_cache_min_entry_size_bytes', -1)
@@ -78,6 +79,17 @@
 FLAGS = flags.FLAGS
 
 
+def _get_trial_dir(experiment_dir, trial_id):
+  """Returns the trial directory path.
+
+  Args:
+    experiment_dir: The parent experiment directory.
+    trial_id: For single-point runs, this is the worker_id. For Vizier sweeps,
+      this is the vizier trial id (which we call trial_handle).
+  """
+  return os.path.join(experiment_dir, str(trial_id))
+
+
 def _write_trial_meta_data(meta_data_path, meta_data):
   d = meta_data.copy()
   d['timestamp'] = time.time()
@@ -176,7 +188,7 @@ def _run(
       metrics_name,
       compile_init_on_cpu=compile_init_on_cpu,
   )
-  trial_dir = os.path.join(experiment_dir, str(worker_id))
+  trial_dir = _get_trial_dir(experiment_dir, worker_id)
   meta_data_path = os.path.join(trial_dir, 'meta_data.json')
   meta_data = {'worker_id': worker_id, 'status': 'incomplete'}
   if jax.process_index() == 0:
@@ -262,12 +274,16 @@ def main(unused_argv):
   checkpoint_steps = [int(s.strip()) for s in config.checkpoint_steps]
   eval_steps = [int(s.strip()) for s in config.eval_steps]
   if jax.process_index() == 0:
-    makedirs(experiment_dir, mode=0o775)
-  log_encoding = 'r=3'
-  log_dir = os.path.join(experiment_dir, log_encoding)
-  makedirs(log_dir, mode=0o775)
+    # We don't need to tie the root experiment_dir to any specific worker's
+    # CNS2 cell, as it's just the parent for the trial directories.
+    # The trial directories themselves will get the correct cell placement.
+    kwargs = {}
+    makedirs(experiment_dir, mode=0o775, **kwargs)
+  trial_dir = _get_trial_dir(experiment_dir, worker_id)
+  makedirs(trial_dir, mode=0o775)
   log_path = os.path.join(
-      log_dir, 'worker{}_{}.log'.format(worker_id, jax.process_index()))
+      trial_dir, 'worker{}_{}.log'.format(worker_id, jax.process_index())
+  )
   with gfile.GFile(log_path, 'a') as logfile:
     utils.add_log_file(logfile)
     if jax.process_index() == 0: