diff --git a/internal/munit/load_file.go b/internal/munit/load_file.go
index d6072f6..259e009 100644
--- a/internal/munit/load_file.go
+++ b/internal/munit/load_file.go
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import (
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
 	"sort"
+	"strings"
 
 	"gopkg.in/yaml.v3"
 )
@@ -56,3 +57,36 @@ func LoadDir(dir string) (units []Unit, err error) {
 	}
 	return
 }
+
+const (
+	unitDirNone = "none"
+)
+
+func ParseUnitDirPattern(pattern string) (dirs []string) {
+outerLoop:
+	for _, dir := range strings.Split(pattern, ":") {
+		dir = strings.TrimSpace(dir)
+
+		if dir == "" {
+			continue
+		}
+
+		if dir == unitDirNone {
+			continue
+		}
+
+		if err := os.MkdirAll(dir, 0755); err != nil {
+			continue
+		}
+
+		for _, existed := range dirs {
+			if existed == dir {
+				continue outerLoop
+			}
+		}
+
+		dirs = append(dirs, dir)
+	}
+
+	return
+}
diff --git a/internal/munit/load_test.go b/internal/munit/load_test.go
index 8c11fbb..fe183db 100644
--- a/internal/munit/load_test.go
+++ b/internal/munit/load_test.go
@@ -15,8 +15,8 @@ func TestLoad(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 
 	units, skipped, err := Load(LoadOptions{
-		Dir: "testdata",
-		Env: m,
+		Dirs: []string{"testdata"},
+		Env:  m,
 	})
 
 	require.NoError(t, err)
@@ -134,3 +134,8 @@ func TestDupOrMakeMap(t *testing.T) {
 	require.Equal(t, "d", m1a["c"])
 	require.Equal(t, "", m1b["c"])
 }
+
+func TestParseUnitDirPattern(t *testing.T) {
+	require.Equal(t, []string{"testdata/a", "testdata/b", "testdata/c"}, ParseUnitDirPattern("testdata/a:testdata/b:testdata/c"))
+	require.Equal(t, []string{"testdata/a", "testdata/b", "testdata/c"}, ParseUnitDirPattern("::none:  testdata/a:testdata/b  :testdata/c:/sys/not-possible"))
+}
diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index dd9cbab..a2acade 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -83,18 +83,6 @@ func main() {
 	// unit dir, be careful, empty string should be treated as current directory
 	envStr("MINIT_UNIT_DIR", &optUnitDir)
 
-	var unitDirs []string
-
-	for _, _dir := range strings.Split(optUnitDir, ":") {
-		dir := strings.TrimSpace(_dir)
-
-		if mkdirUnlessNone(&dir); dir == dirNone {
-			continue
-		}
-
-		unitDirs = append(unitDirs, dir)
-	}
-
 	// log dir
 	envStr("MINIT_LOG_DIR", &optLogDir)
 	mkdirUnlessNone(&optLogDir)
@@ -131,7 +119,7 @@ func main() {
 			munit.LoadOptions{
 				Args: os.Args[1:],
 				Env:  menv.Environ(),
-				Dirs: unitDirs,
+				Dirs: munit.ParseUnitDirPattern(optUnitDir),
 			},
 		),
 	)