diff --git a/mercurial/localrepo.py b/mercurial/localrepo.py
--- a/mercurial/localrepo.py
+++ b/mercurial/localrepo.py
@@ -58,14 +58,14 @@ class localrepository(repo.repository):
         except IOError:
             pass
 
-        if not os.path.isdir(self.path):
+        if not self.vfs.isdir():
             if create:
-                if not os.path.exists(self.root):
-                    util.makedirs(self.root)
-                util.makedir(self.path, notindexed=True)
+                if not self.wvfs.exists():
+                    self.wvfs.makedirs()
+                self.vfs.makedir(notindexed=True)
                 requirements = self._baserequirements(create)
                 if self.ui.configbool('format', 'usestore', True):
-                    os.mkdir(os.path.join(self.path, "store"))
+                    self.vfs.mkdir("store")
                     requirements.append("store")
                     if self.ui.configbool('format', 'usefncache', True):
                         requirements.append("fncache")
diff --git a/mercurial/scmutil.py b/mercurial/scmutil.py
--- a/mercurial/scmutil.py
+++ b/mercurial/scmutil.py
@@ -190,6 +190,21 @@ class abstractopener(object):
         finally:
             fp.close()
 
+    def mkdir(self, path=None):
+        return os.mkdir(self.join(path))
+
+    def exists(self, path=None):
+        return os.path.exists(self.join(path))
+
+    def isdir(self, path=None):
+        return os.path.isdir(self.join(path))
+
+    def makedir(self, path=None, notindexed=True):
+        return util.makedir(self.join(path), notindexed)
+
+    def makedirs(self, path=None, mode=None):
+        return util.makedirs(self.join(path), mode)
+
 class opener(abstractopener):
     '''Open files relative to a base directory
 
@@ -293,7 +308,10 @@ class opener(abstractopener):
         self.auditor(path)
 
     def join(self, path):
-        return os.path.join(self.base, path)
+        if path:
+            return os.path.join(self.base, path)
+        else:
+            return self.base
 
 class filteropener(abstractopener):
     '''Wrapper opener for filtering filenames with a function.'''