diff --git a/build.zig b/build.zig
index a41799b..940639c 100644
--- a/build.zig
+++ b/build.zig
@@ -39,6 +39,15 @@ pub fn build(b: *std.Build) void {
 
     const dependency_optimize = if (optimize_deps_enabled) .ReleaseFast else optimize;
 
+    std.fs.cwd().makeDir(".cache") catch |e| switch (e) {
+        error.PathAlreadyExists => {},
+        else => std.debug.panic("makeDir(\".cache\") failed: {any}", .{e}),
+    };
+    std.fs.cwd().makeDir(".cache/cdb") catch |e| switch (e) {
+        error.PathAlreadyExists => {},
+        else => std.debug.panic("makeDir(\".cache/cdb\") failed: {any}", .{e}),
+    };
+
     const notcurses_dep = b.dependency("notcurses", .{
         .target = target,
         .optimize = dependency_optimize,
diff --git a/zig b/zig
index d2de4d9..f2a8932 100755
--- a/zig
+++ b/zig
@@ -7,8 +7,6 @@ BASEDIR="$(cd "$(dirname "$0")" && pwd)"
 ZIGDIR=$BASEDIR/.cache/zig
 VERSION=$(< build.zig.version)
 
-mkdir -p .cache/cdb
-
 OS=$(uname)
 
 if [ "$OS" == "Linux" ] ; then
@@ -54,7 +52,6 @@ get_zig
 if [ "$1" == "cdb" ] ; then
     rm -rf zig-cache
     rm -rf .cache/cdb
-    mkdir -p .cache/cdb
 
     $ZIG build