diff --git a/jira/cli/cli.go b/jira/cli/cli.go
index b85ee37..d009f49 100644
--- a/jira/cli/cli.go
+++ b/jira/cli/cli.go
@@ -202,6 +202,10 @@ func (c *Cli) getTemplate(name string) string {
 func (c *Cli) editTemplate(template string, tmpFilePrefix string, templateData map[string]interface{}, templateProcessor func(string) error) error {
 
 	tmpdir := fmt.Sprintf("%s/.jira.d/tmp", os.Getenv("HOME"))
+	if err := mkdir(tmpdir); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
 	fh, err := ioutil.TempFile(tmpdir, tmpFilePrefix)
 	if err != nil {
 		log.Error("Failed to make temp file in %s: %s", tmpdir, err)
diff --git a/jira/cli/commands.go b/jira/cli/commands.go
index 0994fed..54474c7 100644
--- a/jira/cli/commands.go
+++ b/jira/cli/commands.go
@@ -532,19 +532,8 @@ func (c *Cli) CmdAssign(issue string, user string) error {
 
 func (c *Cli) CmdExportTemplates() error {
 	dir := c.opts["directory"]
-	if stat, err := os.Stat(dir); err != nil && !os.IsNotExist(err) {
-		log.Error("Failed to stat %s: %s", dir, err)
+	if err := mkdir(dir); err != nil {
 		return err
-	} else if err == nil && !stat.IsDir() {
-		err := fmt.Errorf("%s exists and is not a directory!", dir)
-		log.Error("%s", err)
-		return err
-	} else {
-		// dir does not exist, so try to create it
-		if err := os.MkdirAll(dir, 0755); err != nil {
-			log.Error("Failed to mkdir -p %s: %s", dir, err)
-			return err
-		}
 	}
 
 	for name, template := range all_templates {
diff --git a/jira/cli/util.go b/jira/cli/util.go
index de8fcfe..0bd117f 100644
--- a/jira/cli/util.go
+++ b/jira/cli/util.go
@@ -216,3 +216,21 @@ func yamlFixup(data interface{}) (interface{}, error) {
 		return d, nil
 	}
 }
+
+func mkdir(dir string) error {
+	if stat, err := os.Stat(dir); err != nil && !os.IsNotExist(err) {
+		log.Error("Failed to stat %s: %s", dir, err)
+		return err
+	} else if err == nil && !stat.IsDir() {
+		err := fmt.Errorf("%s exists and is not a directory!", dir)
+		log.Error("%s", err)
+		return err
+	} else {
+		// dir does not exist, so try to create it
+		if err := os.MkdirAll(dir, 0755); err != nil {
+			log.Error("Failed to mkdir -p %s: %s", dir, err)
+			return err
+		}
+	}
+	return nil
+}