diff --git a/client/client.go b/client/client.go
index 10ce79077b..045d3b9474 100644
--- a/client/client.go
+++ b/client/client.go
@@ -214,7 +214,7 @@ func (r *NotaryRepository) Initialize(uCryptoService *cryptoservice.UnlockedCryp
 		r.tufRepoPath,
 		"metadata",
 		"json",
-		"targets",
+		"",
 	)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
@@ -425,7 +425,7 @@ func (r *NotaryRepository) bootstrapRepo() error {
 		r.tufRepoPath,
 		"metadata",
 		"json",
-		"targets",
+		"",
 	)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
@@ -511,7 +511,7 @@ func (r *NotaryRepository) bootstrapClient() (*tufclient.Client, error) {
 		filepath.Join(r.tufRepoPath, "cache"),
 		"metadata",
 		"json",
-		"targets",
+		"",
 	)
 	if err != nil {
 		cache = store.NewMemoryStore(nil, nil)
diff --git a/client/client_test.go b/client/client_test.go
index 6f3fa51ec6..34f77414b2 100644
--- a/client/client_test.go
+++ b/client/client_test.go
@@ -87,7 +87,6 @@ func testInitRepo(t *testing.T, rootType data.KeyAlgorithm) {
 		filepath.Join("trusted_certificates", filepath.FromSlash(gun)),
 		"tuf",
 		filepath.Join("tuf", filepath.FromSlash(gun), "metadata"),
-		filepath.Join("tuf", filepath.FromSlash(gun), "targets"),
 	}
 	for _, dir := range expectedDirs {
 		fi, err := os.Stat(filepath.Join(tempBaseDir, dir))