diff --git a/backend/union/union.go b/backend/union/union.go
index 46c697a64..ed17cd020 100644
--- a/backend/union/union.go
+++ b/backend/union/union.go
@@ -141,22 +141,20 @@ func (f *Fs) Hashes() hash.Set {
 	return f.hashSet
 }
 
-// Mkdir makes the root directory of the Fs object
-func (f *Fs) Mkdir(ctx context.Context, dir string) error {
+// mkdir makes the directory passed in and returns the upstreams used
+func (f *Fs) mkdir(ctx context.Context, dir string) ([]*upstream.Fs, error) {
 	upstreams, err := f.create(ctx, dir)
 	if err == fs.ErrorObjectNotFound {
-		if dir != parentDir(dir) {
-			if err := f.Mkdir(ctx, parentDir(dir)); err != nil {
-				return err
-			}
-			upstreams, err = f.create(ctx, dir)
+		parent := parentDir(dir)
+		if dir != parent {
+			upstreams, err = f.mkdir(ctx, parent)
 		} else if dir == "" {
 			// If root dirs not created then create them
 			upstreams, err = f.upstreams, nil
 		}
 	}
 	if err != nil {
-		return err
+		return nil, err
 	}
 	errs := Errors(make([]error, len(upstreams)))
 	multithread(len(upstreams), func(i int) {
@@ -165,7 +163,17 @@ func (f *Fs) Mkdir(ctx context.Context, dir string) error {
 			errs[i] = fmt.Errorf("%s: %w", upstreams[i].Name(), err)
 		}
 	})
-	return errs.Err()
+	err = errs.Err()
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	return upstreams, nil
+}
+
+// Mkdir makes the root directory of the Fs object
+func (f *Fs) Mkdir(ctx context.Context, dir string) error {
+	_, err := f.mkdir(ctx, dir)
+	return err
 }
 
 // Purge all files in the directory
@@ -449,10 +457,7 @@ func (f *Fs) put(ctx context.Context, in io.Reader, src fs.ObjectInfo, stream bo
 	srcPath := src.Remote()
 	upstreams, err := f.create(ctx, srcPath)
 	if err == fs.ErrorObjectNotFound {
-		if err := f.Mkdir(ctx, parentDir(srcPath)); err != nil {
-			return nil, err
-		}
-		upstreams, err = f.create(ctx, srcPath)
+		upstreams, err = f.mkdir(ctx, parentDir(srcPath))
 	}
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err