diff --git a/src/lxc/cgroups/cgfsng.c b/src/lxc/cgroups/cgfsng.c
index ec4501c33..0fc9b11d2 100644
--- a/src/lxc/cgroups/cgfsng.c
+++ b/src/lxc/cgroups/cgfsng.c
@@ -1257,50 +1257,13 @@ on_error:
 	return bret;
 }
 
-static int mkdir_eexist_on_last(const char *dir, mode_t mode)
-{
-	const char *tmp = dir;
-	const char *orig = dir;
-	size_t orig_len;
-
-	orig_len = strlen(dir);
-	do {
-		int ret;
-		size_t cur_len;
-		char *makeme;
-
-		dir = tmp + strspn(tmp, "/");
-		tmp = dir + strcspn(dir, "/");
-
-		errno = ENOMEM;
-		cur_len = dir - orig;
-		makeme = strndup(orig, cur_len);
-		if (!makeme)
-			return -1;
-
-		ret = mkdir(makeme, mode);
-		if (ret < 0) {
-			if ((errno != EEXIST) || (orig_len == cur_len)) {
-				SYSERROR("Failed to create directory \"%s\"", makeme);
-				free(makeme);
-				return -1;
-			}
-		}
-		free(makeme);
-
-	} while (tmp != dir);
-
-	return 0;
-}
-
 static bool monitor_create_path_for_hierarchy(struct hierarchy *h, char *cgname)
 {
 	int ret;
 
 	h->monitor_full_path = must_make_path(h->mountpoint, h->container_base_path, cgname, NULL);
-	ret = mkdir_eexist_on_last(h->monitor_full_path, 0755);
-	if (ret < 0) {
-		ERROR("Failed to create cgroup \"%s\"", h->monitor_full_path);
+	if (dir_exists(h->monitor_full_path)) {
+		ERROR("The cgroup \"%s\" already existed", h->monitor_full_path);
 		return false;
 	}
 
@@ -1309,6 +1272,12 @@ static bool monitor_create_path_for_hierarchy(struct hierarchy *h, char *cgname)
 		return false;
 	}
 
+	ret = mkdir_p(h->monitor_full_path, 0755);
+	if (ret < 0) {
+		ERROR("Failed to create cgroup \"%s\"", h->monitor_full_path);
+		return false;
+	}
+
 	return cg_unified_create_cgroup(h, cgname);
 }
 
@@ -1317,9 +1286,8 @@ static bool container_create_path_for_hierarchy(struct hierarchy *h, char *cgnam
 	int ret;
 
 	h->container_full_path = must_make_path(h->mountpoint, h->container_base_path, cgname, NULL);
-	ret = mkdir_eexist_on_last(h->container_full_path, 0755);
-	if (ret < 0) {
-		ERROR("Failed to create cgroup \"%s\"", h->container_full_path);
+	if (dir_exists(h->container_full_path)) {
+		ERROR("The cgroup \"%s\" already existed", h->container_full_path);
 		return false;
 	}
 
@@ -1328,6 +1296,12 @@ static bool container_create_path_for_hierarchy(struct hierarchy *h, char *cgnam
 		return false;
 	}
 
+	ret = mkdir_p(h->container_full_path, 0755);
+	if (ret < 0) {
+		ERROR("Failed to create cgroup \"%s\"", h->container_full_path);
+		return false;
+	}
+
 	return cg_unified_create_cgroup(h, cgname);
 }
 
diff --git a/src/lxc/utils.c b/src/lxc/utils.c
index 1af6f512c..ff6ea3fd7 100644
--- a/src/lxc/utils.c
+++ b/src/lxc/utils.c
@@ -221,31 +221,26 @@ extern int get_u16(unsigned short *val, const char *arg, int base)
 	return 0;
 }
 
-int mkdir_p(const char *dir, mode_t mode)
+extern int mkdir_p(const char *dir, mode_t mode)
 {
 	const char *tmp = dir;
 	const char *orig = dir;
-	do {
-		int ret;
-		char *makeme;
+	char *makeme;
 
+	do {
 		dir = tmp + strspn(tmp, "/");
 		tmp = dir + strcspn(dir, "/");
 
-		errno = ENOMEM;
 		makeme = strndup(orig, dir - orig);
-		if (!makeme)
-			return -1;
-
-		ret = mkdir(makeme, mode);
-		if (ret < 0 && errno != EEXIST) {
-			SYSERROR("Failed to create directory \"%s\"", makeme);
-			free(makeme);
-			return -1;
+		if (*makeme) {
+			if (mkdir(makeme, mode) && errno != EEXIST) {
+				SYSERROR("failed to create directory '%s'", makeme);
+				free(makeme);
+				return -1;
+			}
 		}
 		free(makeme);
-
-	} while (tmp != dir);
+	} while(tmp != dir);
 
 	return 0;
 }