diff --git a/install.sh b/install.sh
index 69c5d999..dcef0277 100755
--- a/install.sh
+++ b/install.sh
@@ -65,6 +65,8 @@ function install_if()
     shift 2
 
     if need_update "$src" "$dst"; then
+        dir="$(dirname "$dst")"
+        test -d "$dir" || mkdir -p "$dir"
         "$@" "$src" "$dst"
     fi
     register_installed_file "$dst"
@@ -73,7 +75,6 @@ function install_if()
 
 function install_desktop_file()
 {
-    test -d ${desktopdir} || mkdir -p ${desktopdir}
     install_if "$1" "$2" $INSTALL_DATA
     update-desktop-database ${desktopdir}
     register_installed_file "$desktopdir/mimeinfo.cache"
@@ -97,6 +98,8 @@ function install_cron()
 function install_symlink()
 {
     if [ "$(readlink "$2")" != "$1" ]; then
+        dir="$(dirname "$2")"
+        test -d "$dir" || mkdir -p "$dir"
         ln -sfv "$1" "$2"
     fi
     register_installed_file "$2"
@@ -114,13 +117,6 @@ function postinstall()
 
 umask 022;
 
-mkdir -p "$DESTDIR$usr_bindir"
-mkdir -p "$DESTDIR$usr_sbindir"
-mkdir -p "$DESTDIR$systemdunitdir"
-mkdir -p "$DESTDIR$usrlocal_bindir"
-mkdir -p "$DESTDIR$udev_rulesdir"
-mkdir -p "$DESTDIR$udev_helperdir"
-
 install_exec make-automaps/make-automaps                 "$DESTDIR$usr_sbindir/make-automaps"
 install_data misc_systemd_units/automount.service        "$DESTDIR$systemdunitdir/automount.service"
 install_data misc_systemd_units/dhcrelay.service         "$DESTDIR$systemdunitdir/dhcrelay.service"
@@ -176,10 +172,8 @@ install_exec nfsdtop/nfsdtop                             "$DESTDIR$usr_sbindir/n
 install_data serial-log/serial-log\@.service             "$DESTDIR$systemdunitdir/serial-log@.service"
 install_exec serial-log/serial-log                       "$DESTDIR$usr_exec_prefix/libexec/serial-log"
 install_data misc_systemd_units/nfsd.service             "$DESTDIR$systemdunitdir/nfsd.service"
-mkdir -p "$DESTDIR$systemdunitdir/user@.service.d"
 install_data misc_systemd_units/user@.service.d/depend-on-remote-homes.conf \
                                                          "$DESTDIR$systemdunitdir/user@.service.d/depend-on-remote-homes.conf"
-mkdir -p "$DESTDIR$sysconfdir/systemd/logind.conf.d"
 install_data misc_etc_files/systemd/logind.conf.d/disable_RemoveIPC.conf \
                                                           "$DESTDIR$sysconfdir/systemd/logind.conf.d/disable_RemoveIPC.conf"
 install_data logrotate/logrotate.conf                     "$DESTDIR$sysconfdir/logrotate.conf"
@@ -187,7 +181,6 @@ install_data logrotate/logrotate.service                  "$DESTDIR$systemdunitd
 install_data logrotate/logrotate.timer                    "$DESTDIR$systemdunitdir/logrotate.timer"
 install_data misc_systemd_units/network.service           "$DESTDIR$systemdunitdir/network.service"
 install_data misc_systemd_units/mxvlan.service            "$DESTDIR$systemdunitdir/mxvlan.service"
-mkdir -p "$DESTDIR$usr_prefix/share/applications"
 install_data applications-defaults/defaults.list          "$DESTDIR$usr_prefix/share/applications/defaults.list"
 install_data misc_etc_files/modprobe.d/nfs_slotlimit.conf "$DESTDIR$sysconfdir/modprobe.d/nfs_slotlimit.conf"
 install_data misc_etc_files/rsyslog.conf "$DESTDIR$sysconfdir/rsyslog.conf"
@@ -195,11 +188,9 @@ install_data crashkernel/crashkernel.service              "$DESTDIR$systemdunitd
 install_exec crashkernel/crash-recovery.sh                "$DESTDIR$root_sbindir/crash-recovery.sh"
 install_data misc_systemd_units/admin-sshd.service        "$DESTDIR$systemdunitdir/admin-sshd.service"
 install_exec checktrust/checktrust                        "$DESTDIR$usr_sbindir/checktrust"
-mkdir -p "$DESTDIR$sysconfdir/xdg/lightdm/lightdm.conf.d"
 install_data checktrust/lightdm-use-wrapper.conf          "$DESTDIR$sysconfdir/xdg/lightdm/lightdm.conf.d/50-use-wrapper.conf"
 install_exec checktrust/lightdm-greeter-wrapper           "$DESTDIR$usr_exec_prefix/libexec/lightdm-greeter-wrapper"
 install_exec checktrust/lightdm-show-trust-warning        "$DESTDIR$usr_exec_prefix/libexec/lightdm-show-trust-warning"
-mkdir -p "$DESTDIR$sysconfdir/issue.d/"
 install_symlink /node/issue.d/notrust.issue               "$DESTDIR$sysconfdir/issue.d/notrust.issue"
 install_data checktrust/getty-checktrust.service          "$DESTDIR$systemdunitdir/getty-checktrust.service"
 install_exec checktrust/getty-checktrust                  "$DESTDIR$usr_exec_prefix/libexec/getty-checktrust"