diff --git a/src/config/edit.zig b/src/config/edit.zig
index 24097498e..113ec8b2a 100644
--- a/src/config/edit.zig
+++ b/src/config/edit.zig
@@ -27,31 +27,52 @@ pub fn openPath(alloc_gpa: Allocator) ![:0]const u8 {
     // Get the path we should open
     const config_path = try configPath(alloc_arena);
 
-    // Create config directory recursively.
-    if (std.fs.path.dirname(config_path)) |config_dir| {
-        try std.Io.Dir.cwd().createDirPath(global.io(), config_dir);
+    if (!config_path.exists) {
+        if (std.fs.path.dirname(config_path.name)) |config_dir| check_dir: {
+            // Check to see if dir exists.
+            const dir = std.Io.Dir.cwd().openDir(global.io(), config_dir, .{ .follow_symlinks = true }) catch |err| {
+                switch (err) {
+                    error.FileNotFound => {
+                        // Create config directory recursively. Note that this does not
+                        // allow intermediate symlinks by design, see
+                        // std.Io.Threaded.dirCreateDirPath for why. If some sort of
+                        // complex symlink structure is needed, it will need to be created
+                        // manually.
+                        try std.Io.Dir.cwd().createDirPath(global.io(), config_dir);
+                        break :check_dir;
+                    },
+                    else => return err,
+                }
+            };
+            dir.close(global.io());
+        }
+
+        // Try to create file and go on if it already exists
+        _ = std.Io.Dir.createFileAbsolute(
+            global.io(),
+            config_path.name,
+            .{ .exclusive = true },
+        ) catch |err| {
+            switch (err) {
+                error.PathAlreadyExists => {},
+                else => return err,
+            }
+        };
     }
 
-    // Try to create file and go on if it already exists
-    _ = std.Io.Dir.createFileAbsolute(
-        global.io(),
-        config_path,
-        .{ .exclusive = true },
-    ) catch |err| {
-        switch (err) {
-            error.PathAlreadyExists => {},
-            else => return err,
-        }
-    };
-
-    return try alloc_gpa.dupeZ(u8, config_path);
+    return try alloc_gpa.dupeZ(u8, config_path.name);
 }
 
+const ConfigPathResult = struct {
+    name: []const u8,
+    exists: bool,
+};
+
 /// Returns the config path to use for open for the current OS.
 ///
 /// The allocator must be an arena allocator. No memory is freed by this
 /// function and the resulting path is not all the memory that is allocated.
-fn configPath(alloc_arena: Allocator) ![]const u8 {
+fn configPath(alloc_arena: Allocator) !ConfigPathResult {
     const paths: []const []const u8 = try configPathCandidates(alloc_arena);
     assert(paths.len > 0);
 
@@ -75,17 +96,26 @@ fn configPath(alloc_arena: Allocator) ![]const u8 {
         const stat = try f.stat(global.io());
 
         // If the file is non-empty, return it.
-        if (stat.size > 0) return path;
+        if (stat.size > 0) return .{
+            .name = path,
+            .exists = true,
+        };
 
         // If the file is empty, remember it exists.
         if (exists == null) exists = path;
     }
 
     // No paths are non-empty, return the first path that exists.
-    if (exists) |v| return v;
+    if (exists) |v| return .{
+        .name = v,
+        .exists = true,
+    };
 
     // No paths are non-empty or exist, return the first path.
-    return paths[0];
+    return .{
+        .name = paths[0],
+        .exists = false,
+    };
 }
 
 /// Returns a const list of possible paths the main config file could be