extern int write_sha1_from_fd(const unsigned char *sha1, int fd, char *buffer,
                              size_t bufsize, size_t *bufposn);
 extern int write_sha1_to_fd(int fd, const unsigned char *sha1);
+extern int move_temp_to_file(const char *tmpfile, char *filename);
 
 extern int has_sha1_pack(const unsigned char *sha1);
 extern int has_sha1_file(const unsigned char *sha1);
 
        return size;
 }
 
-int relink_or_rename(char *old, char *new) {
-       int ret;
-
-       ret = link(old, new);
-       if (ret < 0) {
-               /* Same Coda hack as in write_sha1_file(sha1_file.c) */
-               ret = errno;
-               if (ret == EXDEV && !rename(old, new))
-                       return 0;
-       }
-       unlink(old);
-       if (ret) {
-               if (ret != EEXIST)
-                       return ret;
-       }
-
-       return 0;
-}
-
 #ifdef USE_CURL_MULTI
 void process_curl_messages();
 void process_request_queue();
 
        request->local = open(request->tmpfile,
                              O_WRONLY | O_CREAT | O_EXCL, 0666);
+       /* This could have failed due to the "lazy directory creation";
+        * try to mkdir the last path component.
+        */
+       if (request->local < 0 && errno == ENOENT) {
+               char *dir = strrchr(request->tmpfile, '/');
+               if (dir) {
+                       *dir = 0;
+                       mkdir(request->tmpfile, 0777);
+                       *dir = '/';
+               }
+               request->local = open(request->tmpfile,
+                                     O_WRONLY | O_CREAT | O_EXCL, 0666);
+       }
+
        if (request->local < 0) {
                request->state = ABORTED;
                error("Couldn't create temporary file %s for %s: %s\n",
                return;
        }
        request->rename =
-               relink_or_rename(request->tmpfile, request->filename);
+               move_temp_to_file(request->tmpfile, request->filename);
 
        if (request->rename == 0)
                pull_say("got %s\n", sha1_to_hex(request->sha1));
        char *filename;
        char *url;
        char tmpfile[PATH_MAX];
-       int ret;
        long prev_posn = 0;
        char range[RANGE_HEADER_SIZE];
        struct curl_slist *range_header = NULL;
 
        fclose(indexfile);
 
-       ret = relink_or_rename(tmpfile, filename);
-       if (ret)
-               return error("unable to write index filename %s: %s",
-                            filename, strerror(ret));
-
-       return 0;
+       return move_temp_to_file(tmpfile, filename);
 }
 
 static int setup_index(struct alt_base *repo, unsigned char *sha1)
 
        fclose(packfile);
 
-       ret = relink_or_rename(tmpfile, filename);
+       ret = move_temp_to_file(tmpfile, filename);
        if (ret)
-               return error("unable to write pack filename %s: %s",
-                            filename, strerror(ret));
+               return ret;
 
        lst = &repo->packs;
        while (*lst != target)