diff --git a/gclient_scm.py b/gclient_scm.py
index 8519fa9d0..546aa08cd 100644
--- a/gclient_scm.py
+++ b/gclient_scm.py
@@ -213,6 +213,7 @@ class GitWrapper(SCMWrapper):
       rev_type = "hash"
 
     if not os.path.exists(self.checkout_path):
+      gclient_utils.safe_makedirs(os.path.dirname(self.checkout_path))
       self._Clone(revision, url, options)
       files = self._Capture(['ls-files']).splitlines()
       file_list.extend([os.path.join(self.checkout_path, f) for f in files])
@@ -508,7 +509,7 @@ class GitWrapper(SCMWrapper):
     # create it, so we need to do it manually.
     parent_dir = os.path.dirname(self.checkout_path)
     if not os.path.exists(parent_dir):
-      os.makedirs(parent_dir)
+      gclient_utils.safe_makedirs(parent_dir)
 
     percent_re = re.compile('.* ([0-9]{1,2})% .*')
     def _GitFilter(line):
@@ -775,6 +776,7 @@ class SVNWrapper(SCMWrapper):
       rev_str = ''
 
     if not os.path.exists(self.checkout_path):
+      gclient_utils.safe_makedirs(os.path.dirname(self.checkout_path))
       # We need to checkout.
       command = ['checkout', url, self.checkout_path]
       command = self._AddAdditionalUpdateFlags(command, options, revision)
@@ -906,7 +908,7 @@ class SVNWrapper(SCMWrapper):
       # information is not stored next to the file, so we will have to
       # re-export the file every time we sync.
       if not os.path.exists(self.checkout_path):
-        os.makedirs(self.checkout_path)
+        gclient_utils.safe_makedirs(self.checkout_path)
       command = ["export", os.path.join(self.url, filename),
                  os.path.join(self.checkout_path, filename)]
       command = self._AddAdditionalUpdateFlags(command, options,
diff --git a/gclient_utils.py b/gclient_utils.py
index 918b489c7..e65893468 100644
--- a/gclient_utils.py
+++ b/gclient_utils.py
@@ -171,6 +171,26 @@ def rmtree(path):
 RemoveDirectory = rmtree
 
 
+def safe_makedirs(tree):
+  """Creates the directory in a safe manner.
+
+  Because multiple threads can create these directories concurently, trap the
+  exception and pass on.
+  """
+  count = 0
+  while not os.path.exists(tree):
+    count += 1
+    try:
+      os.makedirs(tree)
+    except OSError, e:
+      # 17 POSIX, 183 Windows
+      if e.errno not in (17, 183):
+        raise
+      if count > 40:
+        # Give up.
+        raise
+
+
 def CheckCallAndFilterAndHeader(args, always=False, **kwargs):
   """Adds 'header' support to CheckCallAndFilter.
 
diff --git a/tests/gclient_scm_test.py b/tests/gclient_scm_test.py
index c69ad2fca..44d23aa30 100755
--- a/tests/gclient_scm_test.py
+++ b/tests/gclient_scm_test.py
@@ -142,6 +142,10 @@ class SVNWrapperTestCase(BaseTestCase):
     gclient_scm.os.path.exists(join(self.base_path, '.hg')).AndReturn(False)
     # Checkout.
     gclient_scm.os.path.exists(self.base_path).AndReturn(False)
+    parent = gclient_scm.os.path.dirname(self.base_path)
+    gclient_scm.os.path.exists(parent).AndReturn(False)
+    gclient_scm.os.makedirs(parent)
+    gclient_scm.os.path.exists(parent).AndReturn(True)
     files_list = self.mox.CreateMockAnything()
     gclient_scm.scm.SVN.RunAndGetFileList(
         options.verbose,
@@ -167,6 +171,10 @@ class SVNWrapperTestCase(BaseTestCase):
     gclient_scm.os.path.exists(join(self.base_path, '.git')).AndReturn(False)
     gclient_scm.os.path.exists(join(self.base_path, '.hg')).AndReturn(False)
     gclient_scm.os.path.exists(self.base_path).AndReturn(False)
+    parent = gclient_scm.os.path.dirname(self.base_path)
+    gclient_scm.os.path.exists(parent).AndReturn(False)
+    gclient_scm.os.makedirs(parent)
+    gclient_scm.os.path.exists(parent).AndReturn(True)
     files_list = self.mox.CreateMockAnything()
     gclient_scm.scm.SVN.Capture(['--version']).AndReturn('svn, version 1.6')
     gclient_scm.scm.SVN.RunAndGetFileList(
@@ -255,6 +263,10 @@ class SVNWrapperTestCase(BaseTestCase):
     gclient_scm.os.path.exists(join(self.base_path, '.hg')).AndReturn(False)
     # Checkout.
     gclient_scm.os.path.exists(self.base_path).AndReturn(False)
+    parent = gclient_scm.os.path.dirname(self.base_path)
+    gclient_scm.os.path.exists(parent).AndReturn(False)
+    gclient_scm.os.makedirs(parent)
+    gclient_scm.os.path.exists(parent).AndReturn(True)
     files_list = self.mox.CreateMockAnything()
     gclient_scm.scm.SVN.Capture(['--version']
         ).AndReturn('svn, version 1.5.1 (r32289)')
diff --git a/tests/gclient_utils_test.py b/tests/gclient_utils_test.py
index 444cbc510..f124d3bec 100755
--- a/tests/gclient_utils_test.py
+++ b/tests/gclient_utils_test.py
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ class GclientUtilsUnittest(GclientUtilBase):
         'PrintableObject', 'RemoveDirectory', 'SoftClone', 'SplitUrlRevision',
         'SyntaxErrorToError', 'WorkItem',
         'errno', 'lockedmethod', 'logging', 'os', 'Queue', 're', 'rmtree',
-        'stat', 'subprocess2', 'sys','threading', 'time',
+        'safe_makedirs', 'stat', 'subprocess2', 'sys','threading', 'time',
     ]
     # If this test fails, you should add the relevant test.
     self.compareMembers(gclient_utils, members)