diff --git a/man/kernel-install.xml b/man/kernel-install.xml
index db0a0b8256..73b582c848 100644
--- a/man/kernel-install.xml
+++ b/man/kernel-install.xml
@@ -67,17 +67,20 @@
         <term><command>add <replaceable>KERNEL-VERSION</replaceable> <replaceable>KERNEL-IMAGE</replaceable> [<replaceable>INITRD-FILE</replaceable> ...]</command></term>
         <listitem>
           <para>This command expects a kernel version string and a path to a kernel image file as
-          arguments. <command>kernel-install</command> creates the directory
-          <filename>/boot/<replaceable>MACHINE-ID</replaceable>/<replaceable>KERNEL-VERSION</replaceable>/</filename>
-          and calls the executables from <filename>/usr/lib/kernel/install.d/*.install</filename> and
+          arguments. <command>kernel-install</command> calls the executables from
+          <filename>/usr/lib/kernel/install.d/*.install</filename> and
           <filename>/etc/kernel/install.d/*.install</filename> with the following arguments:
 
           <programlisting>add <replaceable>KERNEL-VERSION</replaceable> <filename>/boot/<replaceable>MACHINE-ID</replaceable>/<replaceable>KERNEL-VERSION</replaceable>/</filename> <replaceable>KERNEL-IMAGE</replaceable> [<replaceable>INITRD-FILE</replaceable> ...]</programlisting>
           </para>
 
-          <para>Two default plugins execute the following operations in this case:</para>
+          <para>Three default plugins execute the following operations in this case:</para>
 
           <itemizedlist>
+            <listitem><para><filename>00-entry-directory.install</filename> creates the directory
+            <filename>/boot/<replaceable>MACHINE-ID</replaceable>/<replaceable>KERNEL-VERSION</replaceable>/</filename>
+            if <filename>/boot/<replaceable>MACHINE-ID</replaceable>/</filename> already exists.
+            </para></listitem>
 
             <listitem><para><filename>50-depmod.install</filename> runs
             <citerefentry><refentrytitle>depmod</refentrytitle><manvolnum>8</manvolnum></citerefentry> for the
@@ -94,7 +97,11 @@
             <filename>/boot/loader/entries/<replaceable>MACHINE-ID</replaceable>-<replaceable>KERNEL-VERSION</replaceable>.conf</filename>.
             The title of the entry is the <replaceable>PRETTY_NAME</replaceable> parameter specified in
             <filename>/etc/os-release</filename> or <filename>/usr/lib/os-release</filename> (if the former is
-            missing), or "Linux <replaceable>KERNEL-VERSION</replaceable>", if unset.</para></listitem>
+            missing), or "Linux <replaceable>KERNEL-VERSION</replaceable>", if unset.</para>
+
+            <para>If the entry directory
+            <filename>/boot/<replaceable>MACHINE-ID</replaceable>/<replaceable>KERNEL-VERSION</replaceable>/</filename>
+            does not exist, this plugin does nothing.</para></listitem>
           </itemizedlist>
         </listitem>
       </varlistentry>
diff --git a/src/kernel-install/00-entry-directory.install b/src/kernel-install/00-entry-directory.install
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..2aa8c58319
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/kernel-install/00-entry-directory.install
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+# -*- mode: shell-script; indent-tabs-mode: nil; sh-basic-offset: 4; -*-
+# ex: ts=8 sw=4 sts=4 et filetype=sh
+
+COMMAND="$1"
+KERNEL_VERSION="$2"
+ENTRY_DIR_ABS="$3"
+KERNEL_IMAGE="$4"
+INITRD_OPTIONS_START="5"
+
+if ! [[ $KERNEL_INSTALL_MACHINE_ID ]]; then
+    exit 0
+fi
+
+if [[ $COMMAND != add ]]; then
+     exit 0
+fi
+
+# If the boot dir exists (e.g. $ESP/<machine-id>),
+# create the entry directory ($ESP/<machine-id>/<kernel-version>).
+# This is the only function of this plugin.
+MACHINE_ID_DIR="${ENTRY_DIR_ABS%/*}"
+if ! [ -d "$MACHINE_ID_DIR" ]; then
+    exit 0
+fi
+
+if [ "$KERNEL_INSTALL_VERBOSE" -gt 0 ]; then
+    echo "+mkdir -v -p $ENTRY_DIR_ABS"
+    exec mkdir -v -p "$ENTRY_DIR_ABS"
+else
+    exec mkdir -p "$ENTRY_DIR_ABS"
+fi
diff --git a/src/kernel-install/kernel-install b/src/kernel-install/kernel-install
index fcf36f181f..610959ba9f 100644
--- a/src/kernel-install/kernel-install
+++ b/src/kernel-install/kernel-install
@@ -125,11 +125,6 @@ case $COMMAND in
             exit 1
         fi
 
-        mkdir -p "$ENTRY_DIR_ABS" || {
-            echo "Could not create boot directory '$ENTRY_DIR_ABS'." >&2
-            exit 1
-        }
-
         for f in "${PLUGINS[@]}"; do
             if [[ -x $f ]]; then
                 [ "$KERNEL_INSTALL_VERBOSE" -gt 0 ] && \
diff --git a/src/kernel-install/meson.build b/src/kernel-install/meson.build
index c6e6f816d9..261c3aaae4 100644
--- a/src/kernel-install/meson.build
+++ b/src/kernel-install/meson.build
@@ -4,7 +4,8 @@ install_data('kernel-install',
              install_mode : 'rwxr-xr-x',
              install_dir : bindir)
 
-install_data('50-depmod.install',
+install_data('00-entry-directory.install',
+             '50-depmod.install',
              '90-loaderentry.install',
              install_mode : 'rwxr-xr-x',
              install_dir : kernelinstalldir)