diff --git a/util.py b/util.py
index 11bb647e0..e43af8371 100644
--- a/util.py
+++ b/util.py
@@ -1,9 +1,27 @@
-import sys
+import os, sys
 import cherrypy
 import cfg
 import sqlite3
 from filedict import FileDict
 
+def mkdir(newdir):
+   """works the way a good mkdir should :)
+        - already exists, silently complete
+        - regular file in the way, raise an exception
+        - parent directory(ies) does not exist, make them as well
+   """
+   if os.path.isdir(newdir):
+      pass
+   elif os.path.isfile(newdir):
+      raise OSError("a file with the same name as the desired " \
+                      "dir, '%s', already exists." % newdir)
+   else:
+      head, tail = os.path.split(newdir)
+      if head and not os.path.isdir(head):
+         mkdir(head)
+      #print "mkdir %s" % repr(newdir)
+      if tail:
+         os.mkdir(newdir)
 def is_string(obj):
     isinstance(obj, basestring)
 def is_ascii(s):