Index: trunk/src/org/openstreetmap/josm/data/validation/ValidatorCLI.java
===================================================================
--- trunk/src/org/openstreetmap/josm/data/validation/ValidatorCLI.java	(revision 18716)
+++ trunk/src/org/openstreetmap/josm/data/validation/ValidatorCLI.java	(revision 18718)
@@ -163,4 +163,6 @@
     public void processArguments(final String[] argArray) {
         try {
+            // for right-left-hand traffic cache file, needed for preferences
+            Config.setBaseDirectoriesProvider(JosmBaseDirectories.getInstance());
             // Ensure that preferences are only in memory
             Config.setPreferencesInstance(new MemoryPreferences());
@@ -348,5 +350,4 @@
         Logging.setLogLevel(this.logLevel);
         HttpClient.setFactory(Http1Client::new);
-        Config.setBaseDirectoriesProvider(JosmBaseDirectories.getInstance()); // for right-left-hand traffic cache file
         Config.setUrlsProvider(JosmUrls.getInstance());
         ProjectionRegistry.setProjection(Projections.getProjectionByCode("epsg:3857".toUpperCase(Locale.ROOT)));