diff --git a/.gitlab-ci.yml b/.gitlab-ci.yml
index 97078420179bc594a7f6cdd5e4a34a3542e893d6..41c80fc507edfe8211274a9b2114addf5d110032 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci.yml
+++ b/.gitlab-ci.yml
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ stages:
       - pip install coverage
       - echo $PACKAGES_DIR
       - mkdir $PACKAGES_DIR
+      - mkdir $OUTPUT_DIR
       - git clone "https://nouser:$GROUP_WHEAT_ACCESS_VAR@gitlab.developers.cam.ac.uk/gilligan-epid/wheat-rusts/ews-source-generation.git" $PACKAGES_DIR/source_gen
       - git clone "https://nouser:$GROUP_WHEAT_ACCESS_VAR@gitlab.developers.cam.ac.uk/gilligan-epid/wheat-rusts/ews_plotting.git" $PACKAGES_DIR/plotting
       - git clone "https://nouser:$GROUP_WHEAT_ACCESS_VAR@gitlab.developers.cam.ac.uk/gilligan-epid/wheat-rusts/flagdir.git" $PACKAGES_DIR/flagdir