diff --git a/internal/cache/cache.go b/internal/cache/cache.go
index 07c080b85..749df7991 100644
--- a/internal/cache/cache.go
+++ b/internal/cache/cache.go
@@ -96,7 +96,7 @@ func New(id string, basedir string) (c *Cache, err error) {
 		}
 	}
 
-	created, err := mkdirCacheDir(basedir)
+	err = fs.MkdirAll(basedir, 0700)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
@@ -119,6 +119,7 @@ func New(id string, basedir string) (c *Cache, err error) {
 	}
 
 	// create the repo cache dir if it does not exist yet
+	var created bool
 	_, err = fs.Lstat(cachedir)
 	if os.IsNotExist(err) {
 		err = fs.MkdirAll(cachedir, dirMode)
diff --git a/internal/cache/dir.go b/internal/cache/dir.go
index 1e68fa26a..98019036a 100644
--- a/internal/cache/dir.go
+++ b/internal/cache/dir.go
@@ -4,10 +4,6 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
-
-	"github.com/pkg/errors"
-	"github.com/restic/restic/internal/debug"
-	"github.com/restic/restic/internal/fs"
 )
 
 // DefaultDir returns $RESTIC_CACHE_DIR, or the default cache directory
@@ -25,32 +21,3 @@ func DefaultDir() (cachedir string, err error) {
 
 	return filepath.Join(cachedir, "restic"), nil
 }
-
-// mkdirCacheDir ensures that the cache directory exists. It it didn't, created
-// is set to true.
-func mkdirCacheDir(cachedir string) (created bool, err error) {
-	var newCacheDir bool
-
-	fi, err := fs.Stat(cachedir)
-	if os.IsNotExist(errors.Cause(err)) {
-		err = fs.MkdirAll(cachedir, 0700)
-		if err != nil {
-			return true, errors.Wrap(err, "MkdirAll")
-		}
-
-		fi, err = fs.Stat(cachedir)
-		debug.Log("create cache dir %v", cachedir)
-
-		newCacheDir = true
-	}
-
-	if err != nil {
-		return newCacheDir, errors.Wrap(err, "Stat")
-	}
-
-	if !fi.IsDir() {
-		return newCacheDir, errors.Errorf("cache dir %v is not a directory", cachedir)
-	}
-
-	return newCacheDir, nil
-}