diff --git a/ethereum/core/src/main/java/org/hyperledger/besu/ethereum/core/VersionMetadata.java b/ethereum/core/src/main/java/org/hyperledger/besu/ethereum/core/VersionMetadata.java
index 0723fda97a0..afa07cbf84b 100644
--- a/ethereum/core/src/main/java/org/hyperledger/besu/ethereum/core/VersionMetadata.java
+++ b/ethereum/core/src/main/java/org/hyperledger/besu/ethereum/core/VersionMetadata.java
@@ -67,7 +67,14 @@ public void writeToDirectory(final Path dataDir) throws IOException {
   }
 
   private static File getDefaultMetadataFile(final Path dataDir) {
-    return dataDir.resolve(METADATA_FILENAME).toFile();
+    File metaDataFile = dataDir.resolve(METADATA_FILENAME).toFile();
+
+    // Create the data dir here if it doesn't exist yet
+    if (!metaDataFile.getParentFile().exists()) {
+      LOG.info("Data directory {} does not exist - creating it", dataDir);
+      metaDataFile.getParentFile().mkdirs();
+    }
+    return metaDataFile;
   }
 
   private static VersionMetadata resolveVersionMetadata(final File metadataFile)
diff --git a/ethereum/core/src/test/java/org/hyperledger/besu/ethereum/core/VersionMetadataTest.java b/ethereum/core/src/test/java/org/hyperledger/besu/ethereum/core/VersionMetadataTest.java
index a506be214a9..0cebcd4bda8 100644
--- a/ethereum/core/src/test/java/org/hyperledger/besu/ethereum/core/VersionMetadataTest.java
+++ b/ethereum/core/src/test/java/org/hyperledger/besu/ethereum/core/VersionMetadataTest.java
@@ -49,6 +49,17 @@ void metaFileShouldContain() throws Exception {
     assertThat(versionMetadata.getBesuVersion()).isEqualTo("23.10.3");
   }
 
+  @Test
+  void dataDirShouldBeCreatedIfNotPresent() throws Exception {
+    Files.deleteIfExists(temporaryFolder);
+    assertThat(Files.exists(temporaryFolder)).isFalse();
+
+    final VersionMetadata versionMetadata = VersionMetadata.lookUpFrom(temporaryFolder);
+    assertThat(versionMetadata).isNotNull();
+
+    assertThat(Files.exists(temporaryFolder)).isTrue();
+  }
+
   @Test
   void compatibilityCheckShouldThrowExceptionIfEnabled() throws Exception {
     // The version file says the last version to start was 23.10.3