diff --git a/src/command/cmd_defs.c b/src/command/cmd_defs.c
index e56b3dc8..750e533d 100644
--- a/src/command/cmd_defs.c
+++ b/src/command/cmd_defs.c
@@ -3004,7 +3004,7 @@ command_mangen(void)
         cmds = g_list_insert_sorted(cmds, pcmd, (GCompareFunc)_cmp_command);
     }
 
-    mkdir_recursive("docs");
+    create_dir("docs");
 
     GDateTime* now = g_date_time_new_now_local();
     gchar* date = g_date_time_format(now, "%F");
diff --git a/src/common.c b/src/common.c
index 6020b8c3..5e0fabf6 100644
--- a/src/common.c
+++ b/src/common.c
@@ -71,43 +71,15 @@ struct curl_data_t
 static size_t _data_callback(void* ptr, size_t size, size_t nmemb, void* data);
 
 gboolean
-create_dir(char* name)
+create_dir(const char* name)
 {
-    struct stat sb;
-
-    if (stat(name, &sb) != 0) {
-        if (errno != ENOENT || mkdir(name, S_IRWXU) != 0) {
-            return FALSE;
-        }
-    } else {
-        if ((sb.st_mode & S_IFDIR) != S_IFDIR) {
-            log_debug("create_dir: %s exists and is not a directory!", name);
-            return FALSE;
-        }
+    if (g_mkdir_with_parents(name, S_IRWXU) != 0) {
+        log_error("Failed to create directory at '%s' with error '%s'", name, strerror(errno));
+        return FALSE;
     }
-
     return TRUE;
 }
 
-gboolean
-mkdir_recursive(const char* dir)
-{
-    gboolean result = TRUE;
-
-    for (int i = 1; i <= strlen(dir); i++) {
-        if (dir[i] == '/' || dir[i] == '\0') {
-            gchar* next_dir = g_strndup(dir, i);
-            result = create_dir(next_dir);
-            g_free(next_dir);
-            if (!result) {
-                break;
-            }
-        }
-    }
-
-    return result;
-}
-
 gboolean
 copy_file(const char* const sourcepath, const char* const targetpath, const gboolean overwrite_existing)
 {
diff --git a/src/common.h b/src/common.h
index bd33bf90..b97ef401 100644
--- a/src/common.h
+++ b/src/common.h
@@ -80,8 +80,7 @@ typedef enum {
     RESOURCE_XA
 } resource_presence_t;
 
-gboolean create_dir(char* name);
-gboolean mkdir_recursive(const char* dir);
+gboolean create_dir(const char* name);
 gboolean copy_file(const char* const src, const char* const target, const gboolean overwrite_existing);
 char* str_replace(const char* string, const char* substr, const char* replacement);
 gboolean strtoi_range(char* str, int* saveptr, int min, int max, char** err_msg);
diff --git a/src/config/files.c b/src/config/files.c
index 8a241be5..0f073b8b 100644
--- a/src/config/files.c
+++ b/src/config/files.c
@@ -67,19 +67,19 @@ files_create_directories(void)
     GString* plugins_dir = g_string_new(xdg_data);
     g_string_append(plugins_dir, "/profanity/plugins");
 
-    if (!mkdir_recursive(themes_dir->str)) {
+    if (!create_dir(themes_dir->str)) {
         log_error("Error while creating directory %s", themes_dir->str);
     }
-    if (!mkdir_recursive(icons_dir->str)) {
+    if (!create_dir(icons_dir->str)) {
         log_error("Error while creating directory %s", icons_dir->str);
     }
-    if (!mkdir_recursive(chatlogs_dir->str)) {
+    if (!create_dir(chatlogs_dir->str)) {
         log_error("Error while creating directory %s", chatlogs_dir->str);
     }
-    if (!mkdir_recursive(logs_dir->str)) {
+    if (!create_dir(logs_dir->str)) {
         log_error("Error while creating directory %s", logs_dir->str);
     }
-    if (!mkdir_recursive(plugins_dir->str)) {
+    if (!create_dir(plugins_dir->str)) {
         log_error("Error while creating directory %s", plugins_dir->str);
     }
 
@@ -122,7 +122,7 @@ files_get_log_file(const char* const log_file)
 
     if (log_file) {
         gchar* log_path = g_path_get_dirname(log_file);
-        if (!mkdir_recursive(log_path)) {
+        if (!create_dir(log_path)) {
             log_error("Error while creating directory %s", log_path);
         }
         g_free(log_path);
@@ -198,8 +198,7 @@ files_file_in_account_data_path(const char* const specific_dir, const char* cons
 {
     gchar* data_path = files_get_account_data_path(specific_dir, jid);
 
-    if (g_mkdir_with_parents(data_path, S_IRWXU) != 0) {
-        log_error("Failed to create directory at '%s' with error '%s'", data_path, strerror(errno));
+    if (!create_dir(data_path)) {
         g_free(data_path);
         return NULL;
     }
diff --git a/tests/unittests/helpers.c b/tests/unittests/helpers.c
index e309b559..bc4f8db3 100644
--- a/tests/unittests/helpers.c
+++ b/tests/unittests/helpers.c
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ void
 create_config_dir(void** state)
 {
     setenv("XDG_CONFIG_HOME", "./tests/files/xdg_config_home", 1);
-    if (!mkdir_recursive("./tests/files/xdg_config_home/profanity")) {
+    if (!create_dir("./tests/files/xdg_config_home/profanity")) {
         assert_true(FALSE);
     }
 }
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ void
 create_data_dir(void** state)
 {
     setenv("XDG_DATA_HOME", "./tests/files/xdg_data_home", 1);
-    if (!mkdir_recursive("./tests/files/xdg_data_home/profanity")) {
+    if (!create_dir("./tests/files/xdg_data_home/profanity")) {
         assert_true(FALSE);
     }
 }