diff --git a/lib/awful/prompt.lua b/lib/awful/prompt.lua
index 0755f03c..a61016e7 100644
--- a/lib/awful/prompt.lua
+++ b/lib/awful/prompt.lua
@@ -210,15 +210,8 @@ end
 -- @param id The data.history identifier
 local function history_save(id)
     if data.history[id] then
-        local f = io.open(id, "w")
-        if not f then
-            local i = 0
-            for d in id:gmatch(".-/") do
-                i = i + #d
-            end
-            gfs.mkdir(id:sub(1, i - 1))
-            f = assert(io.open(id, "w"))
-        end
+        assert(gfs.make_parent_directories(id))
+        local f = assert(io.open(id, "w"))
         for i = 1, math.min(#data.history[id].table, data.history[id].max) do
             f:write(data.history[id].table[i] .. "\n")
         end
diff --git a/lib/awful/util.lua b/lib/awful/util.lua
index 4c9eb44f..f8edf545 100644
--- a/lib/awful/util.lua
+++ b/lib/awful/util.lua
@@ -92,9 +92,9 @@ end
 -- @return mkdir return code
 -- @see gears.filesystem
 function util.mkdir(dir)
-    util.deprecate("gears.filesystem.mkdir", {deprecated_in=5})
+    util.deprecate("gears.filesystem.make_directories", {deprecated_in=5})
 
-    return gfs.mkdir(dir)
+    return gfs.make_directories(dir)
 end
 
 --- Eval Lua code.
diff --git a/lib/gears/filesystem.lua b/lib/gears/filesystem.lua
index 9c0e340f..cdc841fc 100644
--- a/lib/gears/filesystem.lua
+++ b/lib/gears/filesystem.lua
@@ -11,20 +11,35 @@ local gtable = require("gears.table")
 
 local filesystem = {}
 
---- Create a directory
+local function make_directory(gfile)
+    local success, err = gfile:make_directory_with_parents()
+    if success then
+        return true
+    end
+    if err.domain == Gio.IOErrorEnum and err.code == "EXISTS" then
+        -- Directory already exists, let this count as success
+        return true
+    end
+    return false, err
+end
+
+--- Create a directory, including all missing parent directories.
 -- @tparam string dir The directory.
 -- @return (true, nil) on success, (false, err) on failure
+function filesystem.make_directories(dir)
+    return make_directory(Gio.File.new_for_path(dir))
+end
+
 function filesystem.mkdir(dir)
-	local gfile = Gio.File.new_for_path(dir)
-	local success, err = gfile:make_directory_with_parents()
-	if success then
-		return true
-	end
-	if err.domain == Gio.IOErrorEnum and err.code == "EXISTS" then
-		-- Direcotry already exists, let this count as success
-		return true
-	end
-	return false, err
+    require("gears.debug").deprecate("gears.filesystem.make_directories", {deprecated_in=5})
+    return filesystem.make_directories(dir)
+end
+
+--- Create all parent directories for a given file.
+-- @tparam string path The path whose parents should be created.
+-- @return (true, nil) on success, (false, err) on failure
+function filesystem.make_parent_directories(file)
+    return make_directory(Gio.File.new_for_path(file):get_parent())
 end
 
 --- Check if a file exists, is readable and not a directory.
@@ -93,7 +108,9 @@ end
 --- Get the path to a directory that should be used for caching data.
 -- @return A string with the requested path with a slash at the end.
 function filesystem.get_cache_dir()
-    return filesystem.get_xdg_cache_home() .. "awesome/"
+    local result = filesystem.get_xdg_cache_home() .. "awesome/"
+    filesystem.make_directories(result)
+    return result
 end
 
 --- Get the path to the directory where themes are installed.
diff --git a/lib/menubar/init.lua b/lib/menubar/init.lua
index 87acfa88..0a1ca496 100644
--- a/lib/menubar/init.lua
+++ b/lib/menubar/init.lua
@@ -146,7 +146,7 @@ end
 local function write_count_table(count_table)
     count_table = count_table or instance.count_table
     local count_file_name = gfs.get_dir("cache") .. "/menu_count_file"
-    local count_file = io.open (count_file_name, "w")
+    local count_file = assert(io.open(count_file_name, "w"))
     for name, count in pairs(count_table) do
         local str = string.format("%s;%d\n", name, count)
         count_file:write(str)