diff --git a/pip/commands/install.py b/pip/commands/install.py
index 35c5d86ca..5b4489019 100644
--- a/pip/commands/install.py
+++ b/pip/commands/install.py
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ from pip.exceptions import (
     InstallationError, CommandError, PreviousBuildDirError,
 )
 from pip import cmdoptions
+from pip.utils import ensure_dir
 from pip.utils.build import BuildDirectory
 from pip.utils.deprecation import RemovedInPip8Warning
 
@@ -302,8 +303,7 @@ class InstallCommand(RequirementCommand):
                         requirement_set.cleanup_files()
 
         if options.target_dir:
-            if not os.path.exists(options.target_dir):
-                os.makedirs(options.target_dir)
+            ensure_dir(options.target_dir)
 
             lib_dir = distutils_scheme('', home=temp_target_dir)['purelib']
 
diff --git a/pip/commands/wheel.py b/pip/commands/wheel.py
index a3a580f7a..1e38c6a2f 100644
--- a/pip/commands/wheel.py
+++ b/pip/commands/wheel.py
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ from pip.basecommand import RequirementCommand
 from pip.index import PackageFinder
 from pip.exceptions import CommandError, PreviousBuildDirError
 from pip.req import RequirementSet
-from pip.utils import import_or_raise, normalize_path
+from pip.utils import import_or_raise, ensure_dir, normalize_path
 from pip.utils.build import BuildDirectory
 from pip.utils.deprecation import RemovedInPip8Warning
 from pip.wheel import WheelBuilder
@@ -170,8 +170,7 @@ class WheelCommand(RequirementCommand):
 
                 # make the wheelhouse
                 options.wheel_dir = normalize_path(options.wheel_dir)
-                if not os.path.exists(options.wheel_dir):
-                    os.makedirs(options.wheel_dir)
+                ensure_dir(options.wheel_dir)
 
                 self.populate_requirement_set(
                     requirement_set, args, options, finder, session, self.name,
diff --git a/pip/req/req_install.py b/pip/req/req_install.py
index 3c2638a51..7dab72f5c 100644
--- a/pip/req/req_install.py
+++ b/pip/req/req_install.py
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ from pip.locations import (
 from pip.utils import (
     display_path, rmtree, ask_path_exists, backup_dir, is_installable_dir,
     dist_in_usersite, dist_in_site_packages, egg_link_path, make_path_relative,
-    call_subprocess, read_text_file, FakeFile, _make_build_dir,
+    call_subprocess, read_text_file, FakeFile, _make_build_dir, ensure_dir,
 )
 from pip.utils.deprecation import RemovedInPip8Warning
 from pip.utils.logging import indent_log
@@ -384,8 +384,7 @@ class InstallRequirement(object):
                 egg_base_option = []
             else:
                 egg_info_dir = os.path.join(self.source_dir, 'pip-egg-info')
-                if not os.path.exists(egg_info_dir):
-                    os.makedirs(egg_info_dir)
+                ensure_dir(egg_info_dir)
                 egg_base_option = ['--egg-base', 'pip-egg-info']
             cwd = self.source_dir
             if self.editable_options and \
diff --git a/pip/utils/__init__.py b/pip/utils/__init__.py
index b3e0c81a3..79ab2047f 100644
--- a/pip/utils/__init__.py
+++ b/pip/utils/__init__.py
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 from __future__ import absolute_import
 
 import contextlib
+import errno
 import locale
 import logging
 import re
@@ -38,7 +39,7 @@ __all__ = ['rmtree', 'display_path', 'backup_dir',
            'make_path_relative', 'normalize_path',
            'renames', 'get_terminal_size', 'get_prog',
            'unzip_file', 'untar_file', 'unpack_file', 'call_subprocess',
-           'captured_stdout', 'remove_tracebacks',
+           'captured_stdout', 'remove_tracebacks', 'ensure_dir',
            'ARCHIVE_EXTENSIONS', 'SUPPORTED_EXTENSIONS']
 
 
@@ -64,6 +65,15 @@ def import_or_raise(pkg_or_module_string, ExceptionType, *args, **kwargs):
         raise ExceptionType(*args, **kwargs)
 
 
+def ensure_dir(path):
+    """os.path.makedirs without EEXIST."""
+    try:
+        os.makedirs(path)
+    except OSError as e:
+        if e.errno != errno.EEXIST:
+            raise
+
+
 def get_prog():
     try:
         if os.path.basename(sys.argv[0]) in ('__main__.py', '-c'):
@@ -515,8 +525,7 @@ def unzip_file(filename, location, flatten=True):
     written. Note that for windows, any execute changes using os.chmod are
     no-ops per the python docs.
     """
-    if not os.path.exists(location):
-        os.makedirs(location)
+    ensure_dir(location)
     zipfp = open(filename, 'rb')
     try:
         zip = zipfile.ZipFile(zipfp, allowZip64=True)
@@ -529,13 +538,11 @@ def unzip_file(filename, location, flatten=True):
                 fn = split_leading_dir(name)[1]
             fn = os.path.join(location, fn)
             dir = os.path.dirname(fn)
-            if not os.path.exists(dir):
-                os.makedirs(dir)
             if fn.endswith('/') or fn.endswith('\\'):
                 # A directory
-                if not os.path.exists(fn):
-                    os.makedirs(fn)
+                ensure_dir(fn)
             else:
+                ensure_dir(dir)
                 fp = open(fn, 'wb')
                 try:
                     fp.write(data)
@@ -561,8 +568,7 @@ def untar_file(filename, location):
     written.  Note that for windows, any execute changes using os.chmod are
     no-ops per the python docs.
     """
-    if not os.path.exists(location):
-        os.makedirs(location)
+    ensure_dir(location)
     if filename.lower().endswith('.gz') or filename.lower().endswith('.tgz'):
         mode = 'r:gz'
     elif filename.lower().endswith(BZ2_EXTENSIONS):
@@ -589,8 +595,7 @@ def untar_file(filename, location):
                 fn = split_leading_dir(fn)[1]
             path = os.path.join(location, fn)
             if member.isdir():
-                if not os.path.exists(path):
-                    os.makedirs(path)
+                ensure_dir(path)
             elif member.issym():
                 try:
                     tar._extract_member(member, path)
@@ -613,8 +618,7 @@ def untar_file(filename, location):
                         filename, member.name, exc,
                     )
                     continue
-                if not os.path.exists(os.path.dirname(path)):
-                    os.makedirs(os.path.dirname(path))
+                ensure_dir(os.path.dirname(path))
                 destfp = open(path, 'wb')
                 try:
                     shutil.copyfileobj(fp, destfp)
diff --git a/pip/utils/logging.py b/pip/utils/logging.py
index f5c1521a8..1025fbac8 100644
--- a/pip/utils/logging.py
+++ b/pip/utils/logging.py
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ except ImportError:
     import dummy_threading as threading
 
 from pip.compat import WINDOWS
+from pip.utils import ensure_dir
 
 try:
     from pip._vendor import colorama
@@ -114,10 +115,7 @@ class ColorizedStreamHandler(logging.StreamHandler):
 class BetterRotatingFileHandler(logging.handlers.RotatingFileHandler):
 
     def _open(self):
-        # Ensure the directory exists
-        if not os.path.exists(os.path.dirname(self.baseFilename)):
-            os.makedirs(os.path.dirname(self.baseFilename))
-
+        ensure_dir(os.path.dirname(self.baseFilename))
         return logging.handlers.RotatingFileHandler._open(self)
 
 
diff --git a/pip/utils/outdated.py b/pip/utils/outdated.py
index f995cf718..6eb46054f 100644
--- a/pip/utils/outdated.py
+++ b/pip/utils/outdated.py
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 from __future__ import absolute_import
 
 import datetime
-import errno
 import json
 import logging
 import os.path
@@ -13,6 +12,7 @@ from pip._vendor import pkg_resources
 from pip.compat import total_seconds
 from pip.index import PyPI
 from pip.locations import USER_CACHE_DIR, running_under_virtualenv
+from pip.utils import ensure_dir
 from pip.utils.filesystem import check_path_owner
 
 
@@ -65,11 +65,7 @@ class GlobalSelfCheckState(object):
 
         # Now that we've ensured the directory is owned by this user, we'll go
         # ahead and make sure that all our directories are created.
-        try:
-            os.makedirs(os.path.dirname(self.statefile_path))
-        except OSError as exc:
-            if exc.errno != errno.EEXIST:
-                raise
+        ensure_dir(os.path.dirname(self.statefile_path))
 
         # Attempt to write out our version check file
         with lockfile.LockFile(self.statefile_path):
diff --git a/pip/wheel.py b/pip/wheel.py
index 57246cae7..0148b0318 100644
--- a/pip/wheel.py
+++ b/pip/wheel.py
@@ -23,8 +23,10 @@ from pip._vendor.six import StringIO
 from pip.exceptions import InvalidWheelFilename, UnsupportedWheel
 from pip.locations import distutils_scheme
 from pip import pep425tags
-from pip.utils import (call_subprocess, normalize_path, make_path_relative,
-                       captured_stdout)
+from pip.utils import (
+    call_subprocess, ensure_dir, normalize_path, make_path_relative,
+    captured_stdout,
+)
 from pip.utils.logging import indent_log
 from pip._vendor.distlib.scripts import ScriptMaker
 from pip._vendor import pkg_resources
@@ -175,8 +177,7 @@ def move_wheel_files(name, req, wheeldir, user=False, home=None, root=None,
             changed.add(destfile)
 
     def clobber(source, dest, is_base, fixer=None, filter=None):
-        if not os.path.exists(dest):  # common for the 'include' path
-            os.makedirs(dest)
+        ensure_dir(dest)  # common for the 'include' path
 
         for dir, subdirs, files in os.walk(source):
             basedir = dir[len(source):].lstrip(os.path.sep)
@@ -204,8 +205,7 @@ def move_wheel_files(name, req, wheeldir, user=False, home=None, root=None,
                 # directory creation is lazy and after the file filtering above
                 # to ensure we don't install empty dirs; empty dirs can't be
                 # uninstalled.
-                if not os.path.exists(destdir):
-                    os.makedirs(destdir)
+                ensure_dir(destdir)
 
                 # We use copyfile (not move, copy, or copy2) to be extra sure
                 # that we are not moving directories over (copyfile fails for