diff --git a/finit.c b/finit.c
index c02f2c94..0a363c01 100644
--- a/finit.c
+++ b/finit.c
@@ -181,8 +181,8 @@ int main(int argc, char* argv[])
 	mount("none", "/proc", "proc", 0, NULL);
 	mount("none", "/proc/bus/usb", "usbfs", 0, NULL);
 	mount("none", "/sys", "sysfs", 0, NULL);
-	mkdir("/dev/pts", 0755);
-	mkdir("/dev/shm", 0755);
+	makedir("/dev/pts", 0755);
+	makedir("/dev/shm", 0755);
 	mount("none", "/dev/pts", "devpts", 0, "gid=5,mode=620");
 	mount("none", "/dev/shm", "tmpfs", 0, NULL);
 	umask(022);
diff --git a/helpers.h b/helpers.h
index da1e879b..47c943bc 100644
--- a/helpers.h
+++ b/helpers.h
@@ -44,6 +44,9 @@
 #ifndef touch
 # define touch(x) do { if (mknod((x), S_IFREG|0644, 0) && errno != EEXIST) _pe("Failed creating %s", x); } while (0)
 #endif
+#ifndef makedir
+# define makedir(x, p) do { if (mkdir(x, p) && errno != EEXIST) _pe("Failed creating directory %s", x); } while (0)
+#endif
 #ifndef chardev
 # define chardev(x,m,maj,min) mknod((x), S_IFCHR|(m), makedev((maj),(min)))
 #endif
diff --git a/libite/rsync.c b/libite/rsync.c
index 068b4a8d..4c62b8ac 100644
--- a/libite/rsync.c
+++ b/libite/rsync.c
@@ -59,8 +59,8 @@ int rsync(char *src, char *dst, int delete, int (*filter) (const char *file))
 	int i = 0, num = 0, result = 0;
 	char **files;		/* Array of file names. */
 
-	if (!fisdir(dst))
-		mkdir(dst, 0755);
+	if (!fisdir(dst)
+		makedir(dst, 0755);
 
 	if (!fisdir(src)) {
 		if (!fexist(src))
diff --git a/plugins/bootmisc.c b/plugins/bootmisc.c
index 6db05260..f006cf7f 100644
--- a/plugins/bootmisc.c
+++ b/plugins/bootmisc.c
@@ -39,20 +39,20 @@ static void setup(void *UNUSED(arg))
 #endif
 
 	_d("Setting up FHS structure in /var ...");
-	mkdir("/var/cache",      0755);
-	mkdir("/var/games",      0755);
-	mkdir("/var/lib",        0755);
-	mkdir("/var/lib/misc",   0755);
-	mkdir("/var/lib/alarm",  0755);
-	mkdir("/var/lock",       0755);
-	mkdir("/var/log",        0755);
-	mkdir("/var/mail",       0755);
-	mkdir("/var/opt",        0755);
-	mkdir("/var/run",        0755);
-	mkdir("/var/spool",      0755);
-	mkdir("/var/spool/cron", 0755);
-	mkdir("/var/tmp",        0755);
-	mkdir("/var/empty",      0755);
+	makedir("/var/cache",      0755);
+	makedir("/var/games",      0755);
+	makedir("/var/lib",        0755);
+	makedir("/var/lib/misc",   0755);
+	makedir("/var/lib/alarm",  0755);
+	makedir("/var/lock",       0755);
+	makedir("/var/log",        0755);
+	makedir("/var/mail",       0755);
+	makedir("/var/opt",        0755);
+	makedir("/var/run",        0755);
+	makedir("/var/spool",      0755);
+	makedir("/var/spool/cron", 0755);
+	makedir("/var/tmp",        0755);
+	makedir("/var/empty",      0755);
 
 	_d("Setting up necessary UTMP files ...");
 	touch("/var/run/utmp");
@@ -75,11 +75,11 @@ static void setup(void *UNUSED(arg))
 #endif
 
 	_d("Setting up misc files ...");
-	mkdir("/var/run/lldpd",  0755); /* Needed by lldpd */
-	mkdir("/var/run/pluto",  0755); /* Needed by Openswan */
-	mkdir("/var/run/quagga", 0755); /* Needed by Quagga */
-	mkdir("/var/log/quagga", 0755); /* Needed by Quagga */
-	mkdir("/var/run/sshd", 01755); /* OpenSSH  */
+	makedir("/var/run/lldpd",  0755); /* Needed by lldpd */
+	makedir("/var/run/pluto",  0755); /* Needed by Openswan */
+	makedir("/var/run/quagga", 0755); /* Needed by Quagga */
+	makedir("/var/log/quagga", 0755); /* Needed by Quagga */
+	makedir("/var/run/sshd", 01755); /* OpenSSH  */
 	mkfifo("/dev/xconsole", 0640); /* sysklogd */
 	chown("/dev/xconsole", 0, getgroup("tty"));
 }
diff --git a/plugins/dbus.c b/plugins/dbus.c
index 828bdee0..5351b1a8 100644
--- a/plugins/dbus.c
+++ b/plugins/dbus.c
@@ -29,8 +29,8 @@ static void setup(void *UNUSED(arg))
 {
 #ifdef HAVE_DBUS
 	_d("Starting D-Bus ...");
-	mkdir("/var/run/dbus", 0755);
-	mkdir("/var/lock/subsys/messagebus", 0755);
+	makedir("/var/run/dbus", 0755);
+	makedir("/var/lock/subsys/messagebus", 0755);
 	run("dbus-uuidgen --ensure");
 	remove("/var/run/dbus/pid");
 	run_interactive("dbus-daemon --system", "Starting D-Bus");
diff --git a/plugins/x11-common.c b/plugins/x11-common.c
index 89e8ed14..a0277cf1 100644
--- a/plugins/x11-common.c
+++ b/plugins/x11-common.c
@@ -48,8 +48,8 @@ static void setup(void *UNUSED(arg))
 	}
 #endif
 
-	mkdir("/tmp/.X11-unix", 01777);
-	mkdir("/tmp/.ICE-unix", 01777);
+	makedir("/tmp/.X11-unix", 01777);
+	makedir("/tmp/.ICE-unix", 01777);
 }
 
 static plugin_t plugin = {