diff --git a/testing/xpcshell/remotexpcshelltests.py b/testing/xpcshell/remotexpcshelltests.py
index 1d7172de3ad..e7090392883 100644
--- a/testing/xpcshell/remotexpcshelltests.py
+++ b/testing/xpcshell/remotexpcshelltests.py
@@ -294,7 +294,12 @@ class XPCShellRemote(xpcshell.XPCShellTests, object):
     def setupUtilities(self):
         if (not self.device.dirExists(self.remoteBinDir)):
             # device.mkDir may fail here where shellCheckOutput may succeed -- see bug 817235
-            self.device.shellCheckOutput(["mkdir", self.remoteBinDir]);
+            try:
+                self.device.shellCheckOutput(["mkdir", self.remoteBinDir]);
+            except devicemanager.DMError:
+                # Might get a permission error; try again as root, if available
+                self.device.shellCheckOutput(["mkdir", self.remoteBinDir], root=True);
+                self.device.shellCheckOutput(["chmod", "777", self.remoteBinDir], root=True);
 
         remotePrefDir = remoteJoin(self.remoteBinDir, "defaults/pref")
         if (self.device.dirExists(self.remoteTmpDir)):