diff --git a/src/basic/mkdir.c b/src/basic/mkdir.c
index 51a0d74e87..d2c6b96a38 100644
--- a/src/basic/mkdir.c
+++ b/src/basic/mkdir.c
@@ -51,6 +51,9 @@ int mkdir_safe_internal(
                                                    _mkdirat);
         }
 
+        if (flags & MKDIR_IGNORE_EXISTING)
+                return 0;
+
         if (!S_ISDIR(st.st_mode))
                 return log_full_errno(flags & MKDIR_WARN_MODE ? LOG_WARNING : LOG_DEBUG, SYNTHETIC_ERRNO(ENOTDIR),
                                       "Path \"%s\" already exists and is not a directory, refusing.", path);
@@ -138,7 +141,7 @@ int mkdir_parents_internal(const char *prefix, const char *path, mode_t mode, ui
                 s[n] = '\0';
 
                 if (!prefix || !path_startswith_full(prefix, path, /* accept_dot_dot= */ false)) {
-                        r = mkdir_safe_internal(path, mode, uid, gid, flags, _mkdirat);
+                        r = mkdir_safe_internal(path, mode, uid, gid, flags | MKDIR_IGNORE_EXISTING, _mkdirat);
                         if (r < 0 && r != -EEXIST)
                                 return r;
                 }
diff --git a/src/basic/mkdir.h b/src/basic/mkdir.h
index 34a5227577..c0c0ea6c4f 100644
--- a/src/basic/mkdir.h
+++ b/src/basic/mkdir.h
@@ -4,8 +4,9 @@
 #include <sys/types.h>
 
 typedef enum MkdirFlags {
-        MKDIR_FOLLOW_SYMLINK = 1 << 0,
-        MKDIR_WARN_MODE      = 1 << 1,
+        MKDIR_FOLLOW_SYMLINK  = 1 << 0,
+        MKDIR_IGNORE_EXISTING = 1 << 1,  /* Quietly accept a preexisting directory (or file) */
+        MKDIR_WARN_MODE       = 1 << 2,  /* Log at LOG_WARNING when mode doesn't match */
 } MkdirFlags;
 
 int mkdirat_errno_wrapper(int dirfd, const char *pathname, mode_t mode);