diff --git a/Makefile.org b/Makefile.org
index b1560c28bf..cb367e80f4 100644
--- a/Makefile.org
+++ b/Makefile.org
@@ -243,7 +243,7 @@ files:
 
 links:
 	@$(TOP)/util/point.sh Makefile.ssl Makefile
-	@-mkdir -p include/openssl 2>/dev/null
+	@$(PERL) $(TOP)/util/mkdir-p.pl include/openssl
 	@$(PERL) $(TOP)/util/mklink.pl include/openssl $(EXHEADER)
 	@for i in $(DIRS); do \
 	(cd $$i && echo "making links in $$i..." && \
@@ -311,13 +311,13 @@ dist_pem_h:
 	(cd crypto/pem; $(MAKE) CC='${CC}' SDIRS='${SDIRS}' CFLAG='${CFLAG}' pem.h; $(MAKE) clean)
 
 install: all
-	@-mkdir -p $(INSTALL_PREFIX)$(INSTALLTOP)/bin 2>/dev/null
-	@-mkdir -p $(INSTALL_PREFIX)$(INSTALLTOP)/lib 2>/dev/null
-	@-mkdir -p $(INSTALL_PREFIX)$(INSTALLTOP)/include/openssl 2>/dev/null
-	@-mkdir -p $(INSTALL_PREFIX)$(OPENSSLDIR)/misc 2>/dev/null
-	@-mkdir -p $(INSTALL_PREFIX)$(OPENSSLDIR)/certs 2>/dev/null
-	@-mkdir -p $(INSTALL_PREFIX)$(OPENSSLDIR)/private 2>/dev/null
-	@-mkdir -p $(INSTALL_PREFIX)$(OPENSSLDIR)/lib 2>/dev/null
+	@$(PERL) $(TOP)/util/mkdir-p.pl $(INSTALL_PREFIX)$(INSTALLTOP)/bin
+	@$(PERL) $(TOP)/util/mkdir-p.pl $(INSTALL_PREFIX)$(INSTALLTOP)/lib
+	@$(PERL) $(TOP)/util/mkdir-p.pl $(INSTALL_PREFIX)$(INSTALLTOP)/include/openssl
+	@$(PERL) $(TOP)/util/mkdir-p.pl $(INSTALL_PREFIX)$(OPENSSLDIR)/misc
+	@$(PERL) $(TOP)/util/mkdir-p.pl $(INSTALL_PREFIX)$(OPENSSLDIR)/certs
+	@$(PERL) $(TOP)/util/mkdir-p.pl $(INSTALL_PREFIX)$(OPENSSLDIR)/private
+	@$(PERL) $(TOP)/util/mkdir-p.pl $(INSTALL_PREFIX)$(OPENSSLDIR)/lib
 	@for i in $(EXHEADER) ;\
 	do \
 	(cp $$i $(INSTALL_PREFIX)$(INSTALLTOP)/include/openssl/$$i; \
diff --git a/util/mkdir-p.pl b/util/mkdir-p.pl
new file mode 100755
index 0000000000..2c003d6e84
--- /dev/null
+++ b/util/mkdir-p.pl
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+#!/usr/local/bin/perl
+
+# mkdir-p.pl
+
+# On some systems, the -p option to mkdir (= also create any missing parent
+# directories) is not available.
+
+my $arg;
+
+foreach $arg (@ARGV) {
+  &do_mkdir_p($arg);
+}
+
+
+sub do_mkdir_p {
+  local($dir) = @_;
+
+  $dir =~ s|/*$||;
+
+  if (-d $dir) {
+    return;
+  }
+
+  if ($dir =~ /\//) {
+    local($parent) = $dir;
+    $parent =~ s|[^/]*$||;
+
+    do_mkdir_p($parent);
+  }
+
+  mkdir($dir, 0777) || die "Cannot create directory $dir: $!\n";
+  print "created directory $dir\n";
+}