diff --git a/src/libstore/local-store.cc b/src/libstore/local-store.cc
index 4a5c5072d..b4a023928 100644
--- a/src/libstore/local-store.cc
+++ b/src/libstore/local-store.cc
@@ -213,7 +213,7 @@ LocalStore::LocalStore(
     state->stmts = std::make_unique<State::Stmts>();
 
     /* Create missing state directories if they don't already exist. */
-    createDirs(realStoreDir);
+    createDirs(realStoreDir.get());
     if (readOnly) {
         experimentalFeatureSettings.require(Xp::ReadOnlyLocalStore);
     } else {
diff --git a/src/libutil/file-system.cc b/src/libutil/file-system.cc
index 558593ca3..09099ce53 100644
--- a/src/libutil/file-system.cc
+++ b/src/libutil/file-system.cc
@@ -419,12 +419,12 @@ void createDir(const Path & path, mode_t mode)
         throw SysError("creating directory '%1%'", path);
 }
 
-void createDirs(const Path & path)
+void createDirs(const fs::path & path)
 {
     try {
         fs::create_directories(path);
     } catch (fs::filesystem_error & e) {
-        throw SysError("creating directory '%1%'", path);
+        throw SysError("creating directory '%1%'", path.string());
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/src/libutil/file-system.hh b/src/libutil/file-system.hh
index 7d2f6a916..ed1112c7e 100644
--- a/src/libutil/file-system.hh
+++ b/src/libutil/file-system.hh
@@ -171,12 +171,10 @@ void deletePath(const std::filesystem::path & path, uint64_t & bytesFreed);
 
 /**
  * Create a directory and all its parents, if necessary.
+ *
+ * Wrapper around `std::filesystem::create_directories` to handle exceptions.
  */
-void createDirs(const Path & path);
-inline void createDirs(PathView path)
-{
-    return createDirs(Path(path));
-}
+void createDirs(const std::filesystem::path & path);
 
 /**
  * Create a single directory.