diff --git a/roles/gluster/server/tasks/main.yml b/roles/gluster/server/tasks/main.yml
index 7dbb045754..795863930d 100644
--- a/roles/gluster/server/tasks/main.yml
+++ b/roles/gluster/server/tasks/main.yml
@@ -11,10 +11,10 @@
   service: name=glusterd state=started enabled=yes
 
 - name: make the datadir
-  file: dest={{ datadir }} owner={{ owner }} group={{ group }}
+  file: dest={{ datadir }} owner={{ owner }} group={{ group }} state=directory
 
 - name: make the datapath
-  file: dest={{ datadir }}/{{ name }} owner={{ owner }} group={{ group }}
+  file: dest={{ datadir }}/{{ name }} owner={{ owner }} group={{ group }} state=directory
 
 - name: copy over the server config
   template: src=server.config dest=/etc/glusterfs/glusterd.vol