diff --git a/pydra/utils/hash.py b/pydra/utils/hash.py
index e2090d0102..96c2c1b426 100644
--- a/pydra/utils/hash.py
+++ b/pydra/utils/hash.py
@@ -60,7 +60,8 @@ def location_converter(path: ty.Union[Path, str, None]) -> Path:
     if path is None:
         path = PersistentCache.location_default()
     path = Path(path)
-    path.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
+    if not path.exists():
+        path.mkdir(parents=True)
     return path
 
 
diff --git a/pydra/utils/tests/test_hash.py b/pydra/utils/tests/test_hash.py
index 7ed93c6edb..91333690a4 100644
--- a/pydra/utils/tests/test_hash.py
+++ b/pydra/utils/tests/test_hash.py
@@ -335,11 +335,9 @@ def test_persistent_hash_cache(cache_path, text_file):
     assert hash_object(text_file, persistent_cache=cache_path) == modified_hash
 
     # Test that changes to the text file result in new hash
+    time.sleep(2)  # Need to ensure that the mtimes will be different
     text_file.fspath.write_text("bar")
-    # Ensure that the mtime will be incremented by mocking time.time
-    with mock.patch("time.time") as t:
-        t.return_value = time.time() + 10
-        assert hash_object(text_file, persistent_cache=cache_path) != modified_hash
+    assert hash_object(text_file, persistent_cache=cache_path) != modified_hash
     assert len(list(cache_path.iterdir())) == 2