diff --git a/src/libopensc/ctx.c b/src/libopensc/ctx.c
index 0162e176..f69de622 100644
--- a/src/libopensc/ctx.c
+++ b/src/libopensc/ctx.c
@@ -24,6 +24,9 @@
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include <string.h>
 #include <assert.h>
+#include <errno.h>
+#include <sys/stat.h> /* for mkdir */
+#include <limits.h>
 
 int _sc_add_reader(struct sc_context *ctx, struct sc_reader *reader)
 {
@@ -461,3 +464,39 @@ int sc_get_cache_dir(struct sc_context *ctx, char *buf, size_t bufsize)
 		return SC_ERROR_BUFFER_TOO_SMALL;
 	return 0;
 }
+
+int sc_make_cache_dir(struct sc_context *ctx)
+{
+	char dirname[PATH_MAX], *sp;
+	int r, j, namelen;
+
+	if ((r = sc_get_cache_dir(ctx, dirname, sizeof(dirname))) < 0)
+		return r;
+	namelen = strlen(dirname);
+
+	while (1) {
+		if (mkdir(dirname, 0700) >= 0)
+			break;
+		if (errno != ENOENT
+		 || (sp = strrchr(dirname, '/')) == NULL
+		 || sp == dirname)
+			goto failed;
+		*sp = '\0';
+	}
+
+	/* We may have stripped one or more path components from
+	 * the directory name. Restore them */
+	while (1) {
+		j = strlen(dirname);
+		if (j >= namelen)
+			break;
+		dirname[j] = '/';
+		if (mkdir(dirname, 0700) < 0)
+			goto failed;
+	}
+	return 0;
+
+	/* for lack of a better return code */
+failed:	error(ctx, "failed to create cache directory\n");
+	return SC_ERROR_INTERNAL;
+}
diff --git a/src/libopensc/opensc.h b/src/libopensc/opensc.h
index 8f59ad85..bdfa0719 100644
--- a/src/libopensc/opensc.h
+++ b/src/libopensc/opensc.h
@@ -765,6 +765,7 @@ int sc_hex_to_bin(const char *in, u8 *out, size_t *outlen);
 int sc_bin_to_hex(const u8 *, size_t, char *, size_t, int separator);
 
 int sc_get_cache_dir(struct sc_context *ctx, char *buf, size_t bufsize);
+int sc_make_cache_dir(struct sc_context *ctx);
 
 int sc_enum_apps(struct sc_card *card);
 const struct sc_app_info * sc_find_app_by_aid(struct sc_card *card,
diff --git a/src/libopensc/pkcs15-cache.c b/src/libopensc/pkcs15-cache.c
index 90a9253d..d9f9b946 100644
--- a/src/libopensc/pkcs15-cache.c
+++ b/src/libopensc/pkcs15-cache.c
@@ -28,13 +28,15 @@
 #include <unistd.h>
 #endif
 #include <sys/stat.h>
+#include <limits.h>
+#include <errno.h>
 #include <assert.h>
 
 static int generate_cache_filename(struct sc_pkcs15_card *p15card,
 				   const struct sc_path *path,
 				   char *buf, size_t bufsize)
 {
-	char dir[80];
+	char dir[PATH_MAX];
         char pathname[SC_MAX_PATH_SIZE*2+1];
 	int i, r;
         const u8 *pathptr;
@@ -123,7 +125,7 @@ int sc_pkcs15_cache_file(struct sc_pkcs15_card *p15card,
 			 const struct sc_path *path,
 			 const u8 *buf, size_t bufsize)
 {
-	char fname[160];
+	char fname[PATH_MAX];
 	int r;
         FILE *f;
         size_t c;
@@ -131,9 +133,19 @@ int sc_pkcs15_cache_file(struct sc_pkcs15_card *p15card,
 	r = generate_cache_filename(p15card, path, fname, sizeof(fname));
 	if (r != 0)
 		return r;
+
 	f = fopen(fname, "wb");
+	/* If the open failed because the cache directory does
+	 * not exist, create it and a re-try the fopen() call.
+	 */
+	if (f == NULL && errno == ENOENT) {
+		if ((r = sc_make_cache_dir(p15card->card->ctx)) < 0)
+			return r;
+		f = fopen(fname, "wb");
+	}
 	if (f == NULL)
 		return 0;
+
 	c = fwrite(buf, 1, bufsize, f);
         fclose(f);
 	if (c != bufsize) {