diff --git a/egs/tedlium/s5/local/download_data.sh b/egs/tedlium/s5/local/download_data.sh
index d9a8fbbabf3..f24aa33c3d3 100755
--- a/egs/tedlium/s5/local/download_data.sh
+++ b/egs/tedlium/s5/local/download_data.sh
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 #            2014 Brno University of Technology (Author: Karel Vesely)
 # Apache 2.0
 
+mkdir -p db
 pushd db
 # TED-LIUM database:
 if [[ $(hostname -f) == *.clsp.jhu.edu ]] ; then