diff --git a/libraries/stdlib/jdk7/src/kotlin/io/path/PathUtils.kt b/libraries/stdlib/jdk7/src/kotlin/io/path/PathUtils.kt
index 279c01155bc..a9ad3be8fce 100644
--- a/libraries/stdlib/jdk7/src/kotlin/io/path/PathUtils.kt
+++ b/libraries/stdlib/jdk7/src/kotlin/io/path/PathUtils.kt
@@ -562,8 +562,16 @@ public inline fun Path.createDirectories(vararg attributes: FileAttribute<*>): P
  */
 @SinceKotlin("1.9")
 @Throws(IOException::class)
-public fun Path.createParentDirectories(vararg attributes: FileAttribute<*>): Path =
-    this.apply { parent?.createDirectories(*attributes) }
+public fun Path.createParentDirectories(vararg attributes: FileAttribute<*>): Path = also {
+    val parent = it.parent
+    if (parent != null && !parent.isDirectory()) {
+        try {
+            parent.createDirectories(*attributes)
+        } catch (e: FileAlreadyExistsException) {
+            if (!parent.isDirectory()) throw e
+        }
+    }
+}
 
 /**
  * Moves or renames the file located by this path to the [target] path.
diff --git a/libraries/stdlib/jdk7/test/PathExtensionsTest.kt b/libraries/stdlib/jdk7/test/PathExtensionsTest.kt
index 55edbf6d6a7..7ccaec90d3a 100644
--- a/libraries/stdlib/jdk7/test/PathExtensionsTest.kt
+++ b/libraries/stdlib/jdk7/test/PathExtensionsTest.kt
@@ -98,6 +98,16 @@ class PathExtensionsTest : AbstractPathTest() {
         }
     }
 
+    @Test
+    fun createParentDirectoriesOverExistingSymlink() {
+        val root = createTempDirectory("createParent-root").cleanupRecursively()
+        val dir = (root / "dir").createDirectory()
+        val link = (root / "link").tryCreateSymbolicLinkTo(dir) ?: return
+        val file = (link / "file")
+        file.createParentDirectories().writeText("txt")
+        assertTrue((dir / "file").isRegularFile())
+    }
+
     @Test
     fun createTempFileDefaultDir() {
         val file1 = createTempFile().cleanup()