diff --git a/src/uu/mkdir/src/mkdir.rs b/src/uu/mkdir/src/mkdir.rs
index 82d561213..a99867570 100644
--- a/src/uu/mkdir/src/mkdir.rs
+++ b/src/uu/mkdir/src/mkdir.rs
@@ -8,25 +8,26 @@
 #[macro_use]
 extern crate uucore;
 
+use clap::OsValues;
 use clap::{crate_version, App, Arg};
 use std::fs;
 use std::path::Path;
+use uucore::error::{FromIo, UResult, USimpleError};
 
 static ABOUT: &str = "Create the given DIRECTORY(ies) if they do not exist";
-static OPT_MODE: &str = "mode";
-static OPT_PARENTS: &str = "parents";
-static OPT_VERBOSE: &str = "verbose";
-
-static ARG_DIRS: &str = "dirs";
+mod options {
+    pub const MODE: &str = "mode";
+    pub const PARENTS: &str = "parents";
+    pub const VERBOSE: &str = "verbose";
+    pub const DIRS: &str = "dirs";
+}
 
 fn get_usage() -> String {
     format!("{0} [OPTION]... [USER]", executable!())
 }
 
-/**
- * Handles option parsing
- */
-pub fn uumain(args: impl uucore::Args) -> i32 {
+#[uucore_procs::gen_uumain]
+pub fn uumain(args: impl uucore::Args) -> UResult<()> {
     let usage = get_usage();
 
     // Linux-specific options, not implemented
@@ -34,26 +35,16 @@ pub fn uumain(args: impl uucore::Args) -> i32 {
     // " of each created directory to CTX"),
     let matches = uu_app().usage(&usage[..]).get_matches_from(args);
 
-    let dirs: Vec<String> = matches
-        .values_of(ARG_DIRS)
-        .map(|v| v.map(ToString::to_string).collect())
-        .unwrap_or_default();
-
-    let verbose = matches.is_present(OPT_VERBOSE);
-    let recursive = matches.is_present(OPT_PARENTS);
+    let dirs = matches.values_of_os(options::DIRS).unwrap_or_default();
+    let verbose = matches.is_present(options::VERBOSE);
+    let recursive = matches.is_present(options::PARENTS);
 
     // Translate a ~str in octal form to u16, default to 755
     // Not tested on Windows
-    let mode_match = matches.value_of(OPT_MODE);
-    let mode: u16 = match mode_match {
-        Some(m) => {
-            let res: Option<u16> = u16::from_str_radix(m, 8).ok();
-            match res {
-                Some(r) => r,
-                _ => crash!(1, "no mode given"),
-            }
-        }
-        _ => 0o755_u16,
+    let mode: u16 = match matches.value_of(options::MODE) {
+        Some(m) => u16::from_str_radix(m, 8)
+            .map_err(|_| USimpleError::new(1, format!("invalid mode '{}'", m)))?,
+        None => 0o755_u16,
     };
 
     exec(dirs, recursive, mode, verbose)
@@ -64,27 +55,27 @@ pub fn uu_app() -> App<'static, 'static> {
         .version(crate_version!())
         .about(ABOUT)
         .arg(
-            Arg::with_name(OPT_MODE)
+            Arg::with_name(options::MODE)
                 .short("m")
-                .long(OPT_MODE)
+                .long(options::MODE)
                 .help("set file mode (not implemented on windows)")
                 .default_value("755"),
         )
         .arg(
-            Arg::with_name(OPT_PARENTS)
+            Arg::with_name(options::PARENTS)
                 .short("p")
-                .long(OPT_PARENTS)
+                .long(options::PARENTS)
                 .alias("parent")
                 .help("make parent directories as needed"),
         )
         .arg(
-            Arg::with_name(OPT_VERBOSE)
+            Arg::with_name(options::VERBOSE)
                 .short("v")
-                .long(OPT_VERBOSE)
+                .long(options::VERBOSE)
                 .help("print a message for each printed directory"),
         )
         .arg(
-            Arg::with_name(ARG_DIRS)
+            Arg::with_name(options::DIRS)
                 .multiple(true)
                 .takes_value(true)
                 .min_values(1),
@@ -94,64 +85,43 @@ pub fn uu_app() -> App<'static, 'static> {
 /**
  * Create the list of new directories
  */
-fn exec(dirs: Vec<String>, recursive: bool, mode: u16, verbose: bool) -> i32 {
-    let mut status = 0;
-    let empty = Path::new("");
-    for dir in &dirs {
+fn exec(dirs: OsValues, recursive: bool, mode: u16, verbose: bool) -> UResult<()> {
+    for dir in dirs {
         let path = Path::new(dir);
-        if !recursive {
-            if let Some(parent) = path.parent() {
-                if parent != empty && !parent.exists() {
-                    show_error!(
-                        "cannot create directory '{}': No such file or directory",
-                        path.display()
-                    );
-                    status = 1;
-                    continue;
-                }
-            }
-        }
-        status |= mkdir(path, recursive, mode, verbose);
+        show_if_err!(mkdir(path, recursive, mode, verbose));
     }
-    status
+    Ok(())
 }
 
-/**
- * Wrapper to catch errors, return 1 if failed
- */
-fn mkdir(path: &Path, recursive: bool, mode: u16, verbose: bool) -> i32 {
+fn mkdir(path: &Path, recursive: bool, mode: u16, verbose: bool) -> UResult<()> {
     let create_dir = if recursive {
         fs::create_dir_all
     } else {
         fs::create_dir
     };
-    if let Err(e) = create_dir(path) {
-        show_error!("{}: {}", path.display(), e.to_string());
-        return 1;
-    }
+
+    create_dir(path).map_err_context(|| format!("cannot create directory '{}'", path.display()))?;
 
     if verbose {
         println!("{}: created directory '{}'", executable!(), path.display());
     }
 
-    #[cfg(any(unix, target_os = "redox"))]
-    fn chmod(path: &Path, mode: u16) -> i32 {
-        use std::fs::{set_permissions, Permissions};
-        use std::os::unix::fs::PermissionsExt;
-
-        let mode = Permissions::from_mode(u32::from(mode));
-
-        if let Err(err) = set_permissions(path, mode) {
-            show_error!("{}: {}", path.display(), err);
-            return 1;
-        }
-        0
-    }
-    #[cfg(windows)]
-    #[allow(unused_variables)]
-    fn chmod(path: &Path, mode: u16) -> i32 {
-        // chmod on Windows only sets the readonly flag, which isn't even honored on directories
-        0
-    }
     chmod(path, mode)
 }
+
+#[cfg(any(unix, target_os = "redox"))]
+fn chmod(path: &Path, mode: u16) -> UResult<()> {
+    use std::fs::{set_permissions, Permissions};
+    use std::os::unix::fs::PermissionsExt;
+
+    let mode = Permissions::from_mode(u32::from(mode));
+
+    set_permissions(path, mode)
+        .map_err_context(|| format!("cannot set permissions '{}'", path.display()))
+}
+
+#[cfg(windows)]
+fn chmod(_path: &Path, _mode: u16) -> UResult<()> {
+    // chmod on Windows only sets the readonly flag, which isn't even honored on directories
+    Ok(())
+}