diff --git a/modules/chimera/src/main/java/org/dcache/chimera/FsInode.java b/modules/chimera/src/main/java/org/dcache/chimera/FsInode.java
index 4b286289b39..43bef0fc03b 100644
--- a/modules/chimera/src/main/java/org/dcache/chimera/FsInode.java
+++ b/modules/chimera/src/main/java/org/dcache/chimera/FsInode.java
@@ -18,6 +18,10 @@
 
 import java.nio.ByteBuffer;
 import java.util.Arrays;
+import java.util.List;
+import java.util.Map;
+
+import org.dcache.acl.ACE;
 import org.dcache.chimera.posix.Stat;
 
 /**
@@ -317,6 +321,14 @@ public FsInode mkdir(String name, int owner, int group, int mode) throws Chimera
         return _fs.mkdir(this, name, owner, group, mode);
     }
 
+    /**
+     * crate a directory with name 'newDir' in current inode with different access rights
+     */
+    public FsInode mkdir(String name, int owner, int group, int mode, List<ACE> acl, Map<String, byte[]> tags)
+            throws ChimeraFsException {
+        return _fs.mkdir(this, name, owner, group, mode, acl, tags);
+    }
+
     /**
      * get inode of file in the current directory with name 'name'
      */
diff --git a/modules/chimera/src/main/java/org/dcache/chimera/FsSqlDriver.java b/modules/chimera/src/main/java/org/dcache/chimera/FsSqlDriver.java
index 1dcee9b86c3..82ac2367240 100644
--- a/modules/chimera/src/main/java/org/dcache/chimera/FsSqlDriver.java
+++ b/modules/chimera/src/main/java/org/dcache/chimera/FsSqlDriver.java
@@ -2003,41 +2003,43 @@ boolean isTagOwner(Connection dbConnection, FsInode dir, String tagName) throws
     void createTags(Connection dbConnection, FsInode inode, int uid, int gid, int mode, Map<String, byte[]> tags)
             throws SQLException
     {
-        PreparedStatement stmt = null;
-        try {
-            Map<String,String> ids = new HashMap<>();
-            Timestamp now = new Timestamp(System.currentTimeMillis());
-
-            stmt = dbConnection.prepareStatement("INSERT INTO t_tags_inodes VALUES(?,?,1,?,?,?,?,?,?,?)");
-            for (Map.Entry<String, byte[]> tag : tags.entrySet()) {
-                String id = UUID.randomUUID().toString().toUpperCase();
-                ids.put(tag.getKey(), id);
-                byte[] value = tag.getValue();
-                int len = value.length;
-                stmt.setString(1, id);
-                stmt.setInt(2, mode | UnixPermission.S_IFREG);
-                stmt.setInt(3, uid);
-                stmt.setInt(4, gid);
-                stmt.setLong(5, len);
-                stmt.setTimestamp(6, now);
-                stmt.setTimestamp(7, now);
-                stmt.setTimestamp(8, now);
-                stmt.setBinaryStream(9, new ByteArrayInputStream(value), len);
-                stmt.addBatch();
-            }
-            stmt.executeBatch();
-            stmt.close();
-
-            stmt = dbConnection.prepareStatement("INSERT INTO t_tags VALUES(?,?,?,1)");
-            for (Map.Entry<String, String> tag : ids.entrySet()) {
-                stmt.setString(1, inode.toString()); // ipnfsid
-                stmt.setString(2, tag.getKey());     // itagname
-                stmt.setString(3, tag.getValue());   // itagid
-                stmt.addBatch();
+        if (!tags.isEmpty()) {
+            PreparedStatement stmt = null;
+            try {
+                Map<String, String> ids = new HashMap<>();
+                Timestamp now = new Timestamp(System.currentTimeMillis());
+
+                stmt = dbConnection.prepareStatement("INSERT INTO t_tags_inodes VALUES(?,?,1,?,?,?,?,?,?,?)");
+                for (Map.Entry<String, byte[]> tag : tags.entrySet()) {
+                    String id = UUID.randomUUID().toString().toUpperCase();
+                    ids.put(tag.getKey(), id);
+                    byte[] value = tag.getValue();
+                    int len = value.length;
+                    stmt.setString(1, id);
+                    stmt.setInt(2, mode | UnixPermission.S_IFREG);
+                    stmt.setInt(3, uid);
+                    stmt.setInt(4, gid);
+                    stmt.setLong(5, len);
+                    stmt.setTimestamp(6, now);
+                    stmt.setTimestamp(7, now);
+                    stmt.setTimestamp(8, now);
+                    stmt.setBinaryStream(9, new ByteArrayInputStream(value), len);
+                    stmt.addBatch();
+                }
+                stmt.executeBatch();
+                stmt.close();
+
+                stmt = dbConnection.prepareStatement("INSERT INTO t_tags VALUES(?,?,?,1)");
+                for (Map.Entry<String, String> tag : ids.entrySet()) {
+                    stmt.setString(1, inode.toString()); // ipnfsid
+                    stmt.setString(2, tag.getKey());     // itagname
+                    stmt.setString(3, tag.getValue());   // itagid
+                    stmt.addBatch();
+                }
+                stmt.executeBatch();
+            } finally {
+                SqlHelper.tryToClose(stmt);
             }
-            stmt.executeBatch();
-        } finally {
-            SqlHelper.tryToClose(stmt);
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/modules/dcache-chimera/src/main/java/org/dcache/chimera/namespace/ChimeraNameSpaceProvider.java b/modules/dcache-chimera/src/main/java/org/dcache/chimera/namespace/ChimeraNameSpaceProvider.java
index cb5b60137c4..ef309c71399 100644
--- a/modules/dcache-chimera/src/main/java/org/dcache/chimera/namespace/ChimeraNameSpaceProvider.java
+++ b/modules/dcache-chimera/src/main/java/org/dcache/chimera/namespace/ChimeraNameSpaceProvider.java
@@ -1085,6 +1085,25 @@ private ExtendedInode mkdir(Subject subject, ExtendedInode parent, String name,
         return parent.mkdir(name, uid, gid, mode);
     }
 
+    private ExtendedInode installSystemDirectory(FsPath path, int mode, List<ACE> acl, Map<String, byte[]> tags)
+            throws ChimeraFsException, CacheException
+    {
+        ExtendedInode inode;
+        try {
+            inode = lookupDirectory(Subjects.ROOT, path);
+        } catch (FileNotFoundCacheException e) {
+            ExtendedInode parentOfPath = installDirectory(Subjects.ROOT, path.getParent(), 0, 0, mode);
+            try {
+                inode = parentOfPath.mkdir(path.getName(), 0, 0, mode, acl, tags);
+            } catch (FileExistsChimeraFsException e1) {
+                /* Concurrent directory creation. Do another lookup.
+                 */
+                inode = lookupDirectory(Subjects.ROOT, path);
+            }
+        }
+        return inode;
+    }
+
     private ExtendedInode installDirectory(Subject subject, FsPath path, int uid, int gid, int mode) throws ChimeraFsException, CacheException
     {
         ExtendedInode inode;
@@ -1226,7 +1245,7 @@ public FsPath createUploadPath(Subject subject, FsPath path, FsPath rootPath,
 
             /* Upload directory must exist and have the right permissions.
              */
-            FsInode inodeOfUploadDir = installDirectory(Subjects.ROOT, uploadDirectory, 0, 0, 0711);
+            FsInode inodeOfUploadDir = installSystemDirectory(uploadDirectory, 0711, Collections.emptyList(), Collections.emptyMap());
             if (inodeOfUploadDir.statCache().getUid() != 0) {
                 _log.error("Owner must be root: {}", uploadDirectory);
                 throw new CacheException("Owner must be root: " + uploadDirectory);
diff --git a/modules/dcache-chimera/src/main/java/org/dcache/chimera/namespace/ExtendedInode.java b/modules/dcache-chimera/src/main/java/org/dcache/chimera/namespace/ExtendedInode.java
index 972121e0395..41eefd3fe04 100644
--- a/modules/dcache-chimera/src/main/java/org/dcache/chimera/namespace/ExtendedInode.java
+++ b/modules/dcache-chimera/src/main/java/org/dcache/chimera/namespace/ExtendedInode.java
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@
 
 import java.io.IOException;
 import java.util.HashMap;
+import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Map;
 
 import diskCacheV111.util.AccessLatency;
@@ -35,6 +36,7 @@
 import diskCacheV111.util.PnfsId;
 import diskCacheV111.util.RetentionPolicy;
 
+import org.dcache.acl.ACE;
 import org.dcache.acl.ACL;
 import org.dcache.acl.enums.RsType;
 import org.dcache.chimera.ChimeraFsException;
@@ -122,6 +124,13 @@ public ExtendedInode mkdir(String name, int owner, int group, int mode) throws C
         return new ExtendedInode(this, super.mkdir(name, owner, group, mode));
     }
 
+    @Override
+    public ExtendedInode mkdir(String name, int owner, int group, int mode, List<ACE> acl, Map<String, byte[]> tags)
+            throws ChimeraFsException
+    {
+        return new ExtendedInode(this, super.mkdir(name, owner, group, mode, acl, tags));
+    }
+
     @Override
     public ExtendedInode create(String name, int uid, int gid, int mode) throws ChimeraFsException
     {