diff --git a/setuptools/command/easy_install.py b/setuptools/command/easy_install.py

index 91c48b3..0c9b0f4 100755

--- a/setuptools/command/easy_install.py

+++ b/setuptools/command/easy_install.py

@@ -446,6 +446,12 @@ class easy_install(Command):

         instdir = normalize_path(self.install_dir)

         pth_file = os.path.join(instdir, 'easy-install.pth')

+        if not os.path.exists(instdir):

+            try:

+                os.makedirs(instdir)

+            except (OSError, IOError):

+                self.cant_write_to_target()

+

         # Is it a configured, PYTHONPATH, implicit, or explicit site dir?

         is_site_dir = instdir in self.all_site_dirs