diff --git a/pssh/ssh_client.py b/pssh/ssh_client.py
index fc6fd9a3..3c22e338 100644
--- a/pssh/ssh_client.py
+++ b/pssh/ssh_client.py
@@ -239,7 +239,7 @@ def _make_sftp(self):
         transport.open_session()
         return paramiko.SFTPClient.from_transport(transport)
 
-    def mkdir(self, sftp, directory):
+    def _mkdir(self, sftp, directory):
         """Make directory via SFTP channel
         
         :param sftp: SFTP client object
@@ -249,19 +249,41 @@ def mkdir(self, sftp, directory):
         
         Catches and logs at error level remote IOErrors on creating directory.
         """
-        sub_dirs = [_dir for _dir in directory.split(os.path.sep) if _dir][:-1]
-        sub_dirs = os.path.sep + os.path.sep.join(sub_dirs) if directory.startswith(os.path.sep) \
-          else os.path.sep.join(sub_dirs)
-        if sub_dirs:
-            try:
-                sftp.stat(sub_dirs)
-            except IOError:
-                return self.mkdir(sftp, sub_dirs)
         try:
             sftp.mkdir(directory)
         except IOError, error:
             logger.error("Error occured creating directory %s on %s - %s",
                          directory, self.host, error)
+        logger.debug("Creating remote directory %s", directory)
+        return True
+
+    def mkdir(self, sftp, directory):
+        """Make directory via SFTP channel.
+        
+        Parent paths in the directory are created if they do not exist.
+        
+        :param sftp: SFTP client object
+        :type sftp: :mod:`paramiko.SFTPClient`
+        :param directory: Remote directory to create
+        :type directory: str
+        
+        Catches and logs at error level remote IOErrors on creating directory.
+        """
+        try:
+            parent_path, sub_dirs = directory.split(os.path.sep, 1)
+        except ValueError:
+            parent_path = directory.split(os.path.sep, 1)[0]
+            sub_dirs = None
+        if not parent_path and directory.startswith(os.path.sep):
+            parent_path, sub_dirs = sub_dirs.split(os.path.sep, 1)
+        try:
+            sftp.stat(parent_path)
+        except IOError:
+            self._mkdir(sftp, parent_path)
+        sftp.chdir(parent_path)
+        if sub_dirs:
+            return self.mkdir(sftp, sub_dirs)
+        return True
 
     def copy_file(self, local_file, remote_file):
         """Copy local file to host via SFTP/SCP
@@ -276,14 +298,14 @@ def copy_file(self, local_file, remote_file):
         """
         sftp = self._make_sftp()
         destination = [_dir for _dir in remote_file.split(os.path.sep)
-                       if _dir][:-1]
+                       if _dir][:-1][0]
         if remote_file.startswith(os.path.sep):
-            destination[0] = os.path.sep + destination[0]
-        # import ipdb; ipdb.set_trace()
+            destination = os.path.sep + destination
         try:
             sftp.stat(destination)
         except IOError:
             self.mkdir(sftp, destination)
+        sftp.chdir()
         try:
             sftp.put(local_file, remote_file)
         except Exception, error:
diff --git a/tests/test_ssh_client.py b/tests/test_ssh_client.py
index b6e7b96a..6f5e5977 100644
--- a/tests/test_ssh_client.py
+++ b/tests/test_ssh_client.py
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@
 import os
 from test_pssh_client import USER_KEY
 import random, string
+import shutil
 
 USER_KEY = paramiko.RSAKey.from_private_key_file(
     os.path.sep.join([os.path.dirname(__file__), 'test_client_private_key']))
@@ -51,6 +52,61 @@ def setUp(self):
     def tearDown(self):
         del self.server
         del self.listen_socket
+        
+    def test_ssh_client_mkdir_recursive(self):
+        """Test SFTP mkdir of SSHClient"""
+        base_path = 'remote_test_dir1'
+        remote_dir = os.path.sep.join([base_path,
+                                       'remote_test_dir2',
+                                       'remote_test_dir3'])
+        try:
+            shutil.rmtree(base_path)
+        except OSError:
+            pass
+        client = SSHClient(self.host, port=self.listen_port,
+                           pkey=self.user_key)
+        client.mkdir(client._make_sftp(), remote_dir)
+        self.assertTrue(os.path.isdir(remote_dir),
+                        msg="SFTP recursive mkdir failed")
+        shutil.rmtree(base_path)
+        del client
+
+    def test_ssh_client_mkdir_recursive_abspath(self):
+        """Test SFTP mkdir of SSHClient with absolute path
+        
+        Absolute SFTP paths resolve under the users' home directory,
+        not the root filesystem
+        """
+        base_path = 'tmp'
+        remote_dir = os.path.sep.join([base_path,
+                                       'remote_test_dir2',
+                                       'remote_test_dir3'])
+        try:
+            shutil.rmtree(base_path)
+        except OSError:
+            pass
+        client = SSHClient(self.host, port=self.listen_port,
+                           pkey=self.user_key)
+        client.mkdir(client._make_sftp(), '/' + remote_dir)
+        self.assertTrue(os.path.isdir(remote_dir),
+                        msg="SFTP recursive mkdir failed")
+        shutil.rmtree(base_path)
+        del client
+
+    def test_ssh_client_mkdir_single(self):
+        """Test SFTP mkdir of SSHClient"""
+        remote_dir = 'remote_test_dir1'
+        try:
+            shutil.rmtree(remote_dir)
+        except OSError:
+            pass
+        client = SSHClient(self.host, port=self.listen_port,
+                           pkey=self.user_key)
+        client.mkdir(client._make_sftp(), remote_dir)
+        self.assertTrue(os.path.isdir(remote_dir),
+                        msg="SFTP recursive mkdir failed")
+        shutil.rmtree(remote_dir)
+        del client
 
     def test_ssh_client_sftp(self):
         """Test SFTP features of SSHClient. Copy local filename to server,