diff --git a/Makefile.common b/Makefile.common
index ff0e4a8b258..e5160bb142c 100644
--- a/Makefile.common
+++ b/Makefile.common
@@ -117,6 +117,7 @@ else
 # Dumb compile rule, for C++ compilers that don't allow dependency tracking or
 # where it is broken (such as GCC 2.95).
 .cpp.o:
+	$(QUIET)$(MKDIR) $(*D)
 	$(QUIET_CXX)$(CXX) $(CXXFLAGS) $(CPPFLAGS) -c $(<) -o $*.o
 
 endif