diff --git a/src/grubconfigs.rs b/src/grubconfigs.rs
index 8b4b0c90..dbf48699 100644
--- a/src/grubconfigs.rs
+++ b/src/grubconfigs.rs
@@ -38,6 +38,10 @@ pub(crate) fn install(target_root: &openat::Dir, efi: bool, write_uuid: bool) ->
         root_dev != boot_dev
     };
 
+    if !bootdir.exists(GRUB2DIR)? {
+        bootdir.create_dir(GRUB2DIR, 0o700)?;
+    }
+
     let mut config = std::fs::read_to_string(Path::new(CONFIGDIR).join("grub-static-pre.cfg"))?;
 
     let dropindir = openat::Dir::open(&Path::new(CONFIGDIR).join(DROPINDIR))?;
@@ -68,10 +72,6 @@ pub(crate) fn install(target_root: &openat::Dir, efi: bool, write_uuid: bool) ->
         config.push_str(post.as_str());
     }
 
-    if !bootdir.exists(GRUB2DIR)? {
-        bootdir.create_dir(GRUB2DIR, 0o700)?;
-    }
-
     bootdir
         .write_file_contents(format!("{GRUB2DIR}/grub.cfg"), 0o644, config.as_bytes())
         .context("Copying grub-static.cfg")?;