diff --git a/lib/database.cc b/lib/database.cc
index df996a9a..716982d0 100644
--- a/lib/database.cc
+++ b/lib/database.cc
@@ -1197,9 +1197,17 @@ _notmuch_database_split_path (void *ctx,
     return NOTMUCH_STATUS_SUCCESS;
 }
 
+/* Find the document ID of the specified directory.
+ *
+ * If (flags & NOTMUCH_FIND_CREATE), a new directory document will be
+ * created if one does not exist for 'path'.  Otherwise, if the
+ * directory document does not exist, this sets *directory_id to
+ * ((unsigned int)-1) and returns NOTMUCH_STATUS_SUCCESS.
+ */
 notmuch_status_t
 _notmuch_database_find_directory_id (notmuch_database_t *notmuch,
 				     const char *path,
+				     notmuch_find_flags_t flags,
 				     unsigned int *directory_id)
 {
     notmuch_directory_t *directory;
@@ -1210,8 +1218,8 @@ _notmuch_database_find_directory_id (notmuch_database_t *notmuch,
 	return NOTMUCH_STATUS_SUCCESS;
     }
 
-    directory = _notmuch_directory_create (notmuch, path, NOTMUCH_FIND_CREATE, &status);
-    if (status) {
+    directory = _notmuch_directory_create (notmuch, path, flags, &status);
+    if (status || !directory) {
 	*directory_id = -1;
 	return status;
     }
@@ -1260,7 +1268,7 @@ _notmuch_database_filename_to_direntry (void *ctx,
     if (status)
 	return status;
 
-    status = _notmuch_database_find_directory_id (notmuch, directory,
+    status = _notmuch_database_find_directory_id (notmuch, directory, NOTMUCH_FIND_CREATE,
 						  &directory_id);
     if (status)
 	return status;
diff --git a/lib/directory.cc b/lib/directory.cc
index 83bb19bc..6a3ffed7 100644
--- a/lib/directory.cc
+++ b/lib/directory.cc
@@ -153,7 +153,13 @@ _notmuch_directory_create (notmuch_database_t *notmuch,
 
 	    _notmuch_database_split_path (local, path, &parent, &basename);
 
-	    _notmuch_database_find_directory_id (notmuch, parent, &parent_id);
+	    *status_ret = _notmuch_database_find_directory_id (
+		notmuch, parent, NOTMUCH_FIND_CREATE, &parent_id);
+	    if (*status_ret) {
+		notmuch_directory_destroy (directory);
+		directory = NULL;
+		goto DONE;
+	    }
 
 	    if (basename) {
 		term = talloc_asprintf (local, "%s%u:%s",
diff --git a/lib/notmuch-private.h b/lib/notmuch-private.h
index 538274f4..a36549d2 100644
--- a/lib/notmuch-private.h
+++ b/lib/notmuch-private.h
@@ -195,6 +195,7 @@ _notmuch_database_find_unique_doc_id (notmuch_database_t *notmuch,
 notmuch_status_t
 _notmuch_database_find_directory_id (notmuch_database_t *database,
 				     const char *path,
+				     notmuch_find_flags_t flags,
 				     unsigned int *directory_id);
 
 const char *