diff --git a/components/site/src/lib.rs b/components/site/src/lib.rs
index dce82d812..b90688513 100644
--- a/components/site/src/lib.rs
+++ b/components/site/src/lib.rs
@@ -635,10 +635,7 @@ impl Site {
         components: &[&str],
         filename: &str,
         content: String,
-        create_dirs: bool,
     ) -> Result<PathBuf> {
-        let write_dirs = self.build_mode == BuildMode::Disk || create_dirs;
-
         let mut site_path = RelativePathBuf::new();
         let mut current_path = self.output_path.to_path_buf();
 
@@ -647,10 +644,6 @@ impl Site {
             site_path.push(component);
         }
 
-        if write_dirs {
-            create_directory(&current_path)?;
-        }
-
         let final_content = if !filename.ends_with("html") || !self.config.minify_html {
             content
         } else {
@@ -696,8 +689,7 @@ impl Site {
         let output = page.render_html(&self.tera, &self.config, &self.library.read().unwrap())?;
         let content = self.inject_livereload(output);
         let components: Vec<&str> = page.path.split('/').collect();
-        let current_path =
-            self.write_content(&components, "index.html", content, !page.assets.is_empty())?;
+        let current_path = self.write_content(&components, "index.html", content)?;
 
         // Copy any asset we found previously into the same directory as the index.html
         self.copy_assets(page.file.path.parent().unwrap(), &page.assets, &current_path)?;
@@ -849,7 +841,7 @@ impl Site {
             None => "index.html",
         };
         let content = render_redirect_template(permalink, &self.tera)?;
-        self.write_content(&split, page_name, content, false)?;
+        self.write_content(&split, page_name, content)?;
         Ok(())
     }
 
@@ -877,7 +869,7 @@ impl Site {
         context.insert("lang", &self.config.default_language);
         let output = render_template("404.html", &self.tera, context, &self.config.theme)?;
         let content = self.inject_livereload(output);
-        self.write_content(&[], "404.html", content, false)?;
+        self.write_content(&[], "404.html", content)?;
         Ok(())
     }
 
@@ -886,7 +878,7 @@ impl Site {
         let mut context = Context::new();
         context.insert("config", &self.config.serialize(&self.config.default_language));
         let content = render_template("robots.txt", &self.tera, context, &self.config.theme)?;
-        self.write_content(&[], "robots.txt", content, false)?;
+        self.write_content(&[], "robots.txt", content)?;
         Ok(())
     }
 
@@ -917,7 +909,7 @@ impl Site {
         let list_output =
             taxonomy.render_all_terms(&self.tera, &self.config, &self.library.read().unwrap())?;
         let content = self.inject_livereload(list_output);
-        self.write_content(&components, "index.html", content, false)?;
+        self.write_content(&components, "index.html", content)?;
 
         let library = self.library.read().unwrap();
         taxonomy
@@ -942,7 +934,7 @@ impl Site {
                     let single_output =
                         taxonomy.render_term(item, &self.tera, &self.config, &library)?;
                     let content = self.inject_livereload(single_output);
-                    self.write_content(&comp, "index.html", content, false)?;
+                    self.write_content(&comp, "index.html", content)?;
                 }
 
                 if taxonomy.kind.feed {
@@ -981,7 +973,7 @@ impl Site {
             let mut context = Context::new();
             context.insert("entries", &all_sitemap_entries);
             let sitemap = render_template("sitemap.xml", &self.tera, context, &self.config.theme)?;
-            self.write_content(&[], "sitemap.xml", sitemap, false)?;
+            self.write_content(&[], "sitemap.xml", sitemap)?;
             return Ok(());
         }
 
@@ -994,7 +986,7 @@ impl Site {
             context.insert("entries", &chunk);
             let sitemap = render_template("sitemap.xml", &self.tera, context, &self.config.theme)?;
             let file_name = format!("sitemap{}.xml", i + 1);
-            self.write_content(&[], &file_name, sitemap, false)?;
+            self.write_content(&[], &file_name, sitemap)?;
             let mut sitemap_url = self.config.make_permalink(&file_name);
             sitemap_url.pop(); // Remove trailing slash
             sitemap_index.push(sitemap_url);
@@ -1009,7 +1001,7 @@ impl Site {
             main_context,
             &self.config.theme,
         )?;
-        self.write_content(&[], "sitemap.xml", sitemap, false)?;
+        self.write_content(&[], "sitemap.xml", sitemap)?;
 
         Ok(())
     }
@@ -1040,10 +1032,9 @@ impl Site {
                 &components.iter().map(|x| x.as_ref()).collect::<Vec<_>>(),
                 feed_filename,
                 feed,
-                false,
             )?;
         } else {
-            self.write_content(&[], feed_filename, feed, false)?;
+            self.write_content(&[], feed_filename, feed)?;
         }
         Ok(())
     }
@@ -1052,7 +1043,6 @@ impl Site {
     pub fn render_section(&self, section: &Section, render_pages: bool) -> Result<()> {
         let mut output_path = self.output_path.clone();
         let mut components: Vec<&str> = Vec::new();
-        let create_directories = self.build_mode == BuildMode::Disk || !section.assets.is_empty();
 
         if section.lang != self.config.default_language {
             components.push(&section.lang);
@@ -1064,10 +1054,6 @@ impl Site {
             output_path.push(component);
         }
 
-        if create_directories {
-            create_directory(&output_path)?;
-        }
-
         if section.meta.generate_feed {
             let library = &self.library.read().unwrap();
             let pages = section.pages.iter().map(|k| library.pages.get(k).unwrap()).collect();
@@ -1107,7 +1093,6 @@ impl Site {
                 &components,
                 "index.html",
                 render_redirect_template(&permalink, &self.tera)?,
-                create_directories,
             )?;
 
             return Ok(());
@@ -1122,7 +1107,7 @@ impl Site {
             let output =
                 section.render_html(&self.tera, &self.config, &self.library.read().unwrap())?;
             let content = self.inject_livereload(output);
-            self.write_content(&components, "index.html", content, false)?;
+            self.write_content(&components, "index.html", content)?;
         }
 
         Ok(())
@@ -1174,14 +1159,13 @@ impl Site {
                 let content = self.inject_livereload(output);
 
                 if pager.index > 1 {
-                    self.write_content(&pager_components, "index.html", content, false)?;
+                    self.write_content(&pager_components, "index.html", content)?;
                 } else {
-                    self.write_content(&index_components, "index.html", content, false)?;
+                    self.write_content(&index_components, "index.html", content)?;
                     self.write_content(
                         &pager_components,
                         "index.html",
                         render_redirect_template(&paginator.permalink, &self.tera)?,
-                        false,
                     )?;
                 }
 
diff --git a/components/utils/src/fs.rs b/components/utils/src/fs.rs
index e1a1a5f29..2b1557068 100644
--- a/components/utils/src/fs.rs
+++ b/components/utils/src/fs.rs
@@ -19,8 +19,17 @@ pub fn is_path_in_directory(parent: &Path, path: &Path) -> Result<bool> {
     Ok(canonical_path.starts_with(canonical_parent))
 }
 
+/// Creates the parent of a directory, if needed.
+fn create_parent(path: &Path) -> Result<()> {
+    if let Some(parent) = path.parent() {
+        create_directory(parent)?;
+    }
+    Ok(())
+}
+
 /// Create a file with the content given
 pub fn create_file(path: &Path, content: &str) -> Result<()> {
+    create_parent(path)?;
     let mut file =
         File::create(path).with_context(|| format!("Failed to create file {}", path.display()))?;
     file.write_all(content.as_bytes())?;
@@ -58,12 +67,7 @@ pub fn copy_file(src: &Path, dest: &Path, base_path: &Path, hard_link: bool) ->
     let relative_path = src.strip_prefix(base_path).unwrap();
     let target_path = dest.join(relative_path);
 
-    if let Some(parent_directory) = target_path.parent() {
-        create_dir_all(parent_directory).with_context(|| {
-            format!("Failed to create directory {}", parent_directory.display())
-        })?;
-    }
-
+    create_parent(&target_path)?;
     copy_file_if_needed(src, &target_path, hard_link)
 }
 
@@ -72,11 +76,7 @@ pub fn copy_file(src: &Path, dest: &Path, base_path: &Path, hard_link: bool) ->
 /// 2. Its modification timestamp is identical to that of the src file.
 /// 3. Its filesize is identical to that of the src file.
 pub fn copy_file_if_needed(src: &Path, dest: &Path, hard_link: bool) -> Result<()> {
-    if let Some(parent_directory) = dest.parent() {
-        create_dir_all(parent_directory).with_context(|| {
-            format!("Failed to create directory {}", parent_directory.display())
-        })?;
-    }
+    create_parent(&dest)?;
 
     if hard_link {
         if dest.exists() {