diff --git a/doc/3-faq-tips-etc.mkd b/doc/3-faq-tips-etc.mkd
index 3d97a3a..43678e2 100644
--- a/doc/3-faq-tips-etc.mkd
+++ b/doc/3-faq-tips-etc.mkd
@@ -75,12 +75,6 @@ normal way, since it's not empty anymore.
     to hurt anything.  This happens even in normal git, not just gitolite.
     [Update 2009-09-14; this has been fixed in git 1.6.4.3]
 
-  * if you specify a repo that is not at the top level `$REPO_BASE`, be sure
-    to manually create the intermediate directories first.  For instance if
-    you specify a new repo called "a/b/c" to the config file and push, the
-    "compile" script will just `mkdir a/b/c.git`, assuming "a/b" has already
-    been created
-
   * gitweb not able to read your repos?  You can change the umask for newly
     created repos to something more relaxed -- see the `~/.gitolite.rc` file
 
diff --git a/src/gl-compile-conf b/src/gl-compile-conf
index f51f97a..d99976e 100755
--- a/src/gl-compile-conf
+++ b/src/gl-compile-conf
@@ -291,7 +291,8 @@ for my $repo (keys %repos)
 {
     unless (-d "$repo.git")
     {
-        mkdir("$repo.git") or die "$ATTN mkdir $repo.git failed: $!\n";
+        system("mkdir", "-p", "$repo.git") and die "$ATTN mkdir $repo.git failed: $!\n";
+            # erm, note that's "and die" not "or die" as is normal in perl
         wrap_chdir("$repo.git");
         system("git --bare init");
         system("cp $GL_ADMINDIR/src/update-hook.pl hooks/update");