diff --git a/src/documents/index.py b/src/documents/index.py
index d46ccedaf..ad3a50010 100644
--- a/src/documents/index.py
+++ b/src/documents/index.py
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 import logging
+import os
 from contextlib import contextmanager
 
+from django.conf import settings
 from whoosh import highlight
 from whoosh.fields import Schema, TEXT, NUMERIC
 from whoosh.highlight import Formatter, get_text
@@ -8,7 +10,6 @@ from whoosh.index import create_in, exists_in, open_dir
 from whoosh.qparser import MultifieldParser
 from whoosh.writing import AsyncWriter
 
-from paperless import settings
 
 logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
@@ -69,6 +70,8 @@ def open_index(recreate=False):
         # TODO: this is not thread safe. If 2 instances try to create the index
         #  at the same time, this fails. This currently prevents parallel
         #  tests.
+        if not os.path.isdir(settings.INDEX_DIR):
+            os.makedirs(settings.INDEX_DIR, exist_ok=True)
         return create_in(settings.INDEX_DIR, get_schema())