diff --git a/pkgs/anoia/fs.fnl b/pkgs/anoia/fs.fnl
index ba5bfa45..f0213494 100644
--- a/pkgs/anoia/fs.fnl
+++ b/pkgs/anoia/fs.fnl
@@ -1,5 +1,17 @@
 (local lfs (require :lfs))
 
+(fn directory? [pathname]
+  (= (lfs.symlinkattributes pathname :mode) "directory"))
+
+(fn mktree [pathname]
+  (if (or (= pathname "") (= pathname "/"))
+      (error (.. "can't mkdir " pathname)))
+
+  (or (directory? pathname)
+      (let [parent (string.gsub pathname "/[^/]+/?$" "")]
+        (or (directory? parent) (mktree parent))
+        (assert (lfs.mkdir pathname)))))
+
 (fn rmtree [pathname]
   (case (lfs.symlinkattributes pathname)
     nil true
@@ -17,4 +29,4 @@
     (error (.. "can't remove " pathname " of kind \"" unknown.mode "\""))))
 
 
-{ : rmtree }
+{ : mktree : rmtree }
diff --git a/pkgs/anoia/init.fnl b/pkgs/anoia/init.fnl
index 795a8eba..06695ba7 100644
--- a/pkgs/anoia/init.fnl
+++ b/pkgs/anoia/init.fnl
@@ -13,7 +13,4 @@
 
 (fn system [s] (assert (os.execute s)))
 
-(fn mkdir [directory]
-  (os.execute (.. "mkdir -p " directory)))
-
-{ : merge : split : file-exists? : system : mkdir }
+{ : merge : split : file-exists? : system }
diff --git a/pkgs/odhcp-script/odhcp6-script.fnl b/pkgs/odhcp-script/odhcp6-script.fnl
index 3e5983e8..2d4c61ee 100644
--- a/pkgs/odhcp-script/odhcp6-script.fnl
+++ b/pkgs/odhcp-script/odhcp6-script.fnl
@@ -1,9 +1,9 @@
-(local { : split : merge : mkdir } (require :anoia))
+(local { : split : merge } (require :anoia))
 (local { : view } (require :fennel))
-(local { : rmtree } (require :anoia.fs))
+(local { : mktree : rmtree } (require :anoia.fs))
 
 (local state-directory (assert (os.getenv "SERVICE_STATE")))
-(mkdir state-directory)
+(mktree state-directory)
 
 (fn write-value [name value]
   (let [path (.. state-directory "/" name)]
@@ -29,11 +29,10 @@
           keydir (.. prefix (-> address.address
                                 (: :gsub "::$" "")
                                 (: :gsub ":" "-")))]
-      (mkdir (.. state-directory "/" keydir))
+      (mktree (.. state-directory "/" keydir))
       (each [k v (pairs address)]
         (write-value (.. keydir "/" k) v)))))
 
-
 ;; we remove state before updating to ensure that consumers don't get
 ;; a half-updated snapshot
 (os.remove (.. state-directory "/state"))