diff --git a/onionshare/onion.py b/onionshare/onion.py
index c015f5e9..5370fe2d 100644
--- a/onionshare/onion.py
+++ b/onionshare/onion.py
@@ -32,14 +32,6 @@ class NoTor(Exception):
     """
     pass
 
-class HSDirError(Exception):
-    """
-    This exception is raised when onionshare tries create a non-ephemeral
-    onion service and does not have permission to create or write to
-    the onion service directory.
-    """
-    pass
-
 class Onion(object):
     """
     Onion is an abstraction layer for connecting to the Tor control port and
diff --git a/onionshare/onionshare.py b/onionshare/onionshare.py
index cd401f3c..6dcc5ba0 100644
--- a/onionshare/onionshare.py
+++ b/onionshare/onionshare.py
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ class OnionShare(object):
         self.port = tmpsock.getsockname()[1]
         tmpsock.close()
 
-    def start_onion_service(self, gui=False):
+    def start_onion_service(self):
         """
         Start the onionshare onion service.
         """
@@ -144,8 +144,6 @@ def main(cwd=None):
         app.start_onion_service()
     except onion.NoTor as e:
         sys.exit(e.args[0])
-    except onion.HSDirError as e:
-        sys.exit(e.args[0])
 
     # prepare files to share
     print(strings._("preparing_files"))