diff --git a/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/fs/shell/Mkdir.java b/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/fs/shell/Mkdir.java
index 9f39da29ce2..5828b0bbf4d 100644
--- a/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/fs/shell/Mkdir.java
+++ b/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/fs/shell/Mkdir.java
@@ -68,11 +68,14 @@ protected void processPath(PathData item) throws IOException {
 
   @Override
   protected void processNonexistentPath(PathData item) throws IOException {
-    // check if parent exists. this is complicated because getParent(a/b/c/) returns a/b/c, but
-    // we want a/b
-    if (!createParents &&
-        !item.fs.exists(new Path(item.path.toString()).getParent())) {
-      throw new PathNotFoundException(item.toString());
+    if (!createParents) {
+      // check if parent exists. this is complicated because getParent(a/b/c/) returns a/b/c, but
+      // we want a/b
+      final Path itemPath = new Path(item.path.toString());
+      final Path itemParentPath = itemPath.getParent();
+      if (!item.fs.exists(itemParentPath)) {
+        throw new PathNotFoundException(itemParentPath.toString());
+      }
     }
     if (!item.fs.mkdirs(item.path)) {
       throw new PathIOException(item.toString());
diff --git a/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/TestDFSShell.java b/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/TestDFSShell.java
index b19bdeab57a..1d2042ec3ee 100644
--- a/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/TestDFSShell.java
+++ b/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hdfs/TestDFSShell.java
@@ -721,6 +721,14 @@ public void testErrOutPut() throws Exception {
       assertTrue(" -mkdir returned this is a file ",
           (returned.lastIndexOf("not a directory") != -1));
       out.reset();
+      argv[0] = "-mkdir";
+      argv[1] = "/testParent/testChild";
+      ret = ToolRunner.run(shell, argv);
+      returned = out.toString();
+      assertEquals(" -mkdir returned 1", 1, ret);
+      assertTrue(" -mkdir returned there is No file or directory but has testChild in the path",
+          (returned.lastIndexOf("testChild") == -1));
+      out.reset();
       argv = new String[3];
       argv[0] = "-mv";
       argv[1] = "/testfile";
diff --git a/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/test/resources/testHDFSConf.xml b/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/test/resources/testHDFSConf.xml
index a13c4410520..4ab093bd15d 100644
--- a/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/test/resources/testHDFSConf.xml
+++ b/hadoop-hdfs-project/hadoop-hdfs/src/test/resources/testHDFSConf.xml
@@ -6183,11 +6183,11 @@
       <comparators>
         <comparator>
           <type>RegexpComparator</type>
-          <expected-output>mkdir: `dir0/dir1': No such file or directory</expected-output>
+          <expected-output>.*mkdir:.*dir0': No such file or directory$</expected-output>
         </comparator>
       </comparators>
     </test>
-    
+
     <test> <!-- TESTED -->
       <description>mkdir: Test recreate of existing directory fails</description>
       <test-commands>