diff --git a/resources/bundles/org.eclipse.core.resources/src/org/eclipse/core/internal/localstore/FileSystemResourceManager.java b/resources/bundles/org.eclipse.core.resources/src/org/eclipse/core/internal/localstore/FileSystemResourceManager.java
index 5cc21b19a76..ce9de460bbd 100644
--- a/resources/bundles/org.eclipse.core.resources/src/org/eclipse/core/internal/localstore/FileSystemResourceManager.java
+++ b/resources/bundles/org.eclipse.core.resources/src/org/eclipse/core/internal/localstore/FileSystemResourceManager.java
@@ -1211,7 +1211,7 @@ public void write(IFile target, InputStream content, IFileInfo fileInfo, int upd
 		try (content) {
 			Resource targetResource = (Resource) target;
 			IFileStore store = getStore(target);
-			prepareWrite(target, fileInfo, updateFlags, append, targetResource, store);
+			prepareWrite(target, fileInfo, updateFlags, append, targetResource, store, false);
 
 			// On Windows an attempt to open an output stream on a hidden file results in FileNotFoundException.
 			// See https://bugs.eclipse.org/bugs/show_bug.cgi?id=194216
@@ -1243,7 +1243,7 @@ public void write(IFile target, InputStream content, IFileInfo fileInfo, int upd
 	}
 
 	private void prepareWrite(IFile target, IFileInfo fileInfo, int updateFlags, boolean append,
-			Resource targetResource, IFileStore store) throws CoreException {
+			Resource targetResource, IFileStore store, boolean optimistic) throws CoreException {
 		if (fileInfo.getAttribute(EFS.ATTRIBUTE_READ_ONLY)) {
 			String message = NLS.bind(Messages.localstore_couldNotWriteReadOnly, target.getFullPath());
 			throw new ResourceException(IResourceStatus.FAILED_WRITE_LOCAL, target.getFullPath(), message, null);
@@ -1292,11 +1292,14 @@ private void prepareWrite(IFile target, IFileInfo fileInfo, int updateFlags, boo
 			// never move to the history store, because then the file is missing if write
 			// fails
 			getHistoryStore().addState(target.getFullPath(), store, fileInfo, false);
-		if (!fileInfo.exists()) {
-			IFileStore parent = store.getParent();
-			IFileInfo parentInfo = parent.fetchInfo();
-			if (!parentInfo.exists()) {
-				parent.mkdir(EFS.NONE, null);
+		// let's be optimistic that the parent directory exists?
+		if (!optimistic) {
+			if (!fileInfo.exists()) {
+				IFileStore parent = store.getParent();
+				IFileInfo parentInfo = parent.fetchInfo();
+				if (!parentInfo.exists()) {
+					parent.mkdir(EFS.NONE, null);
+				}
 			}
 		}
 	}
@@ -1327,7 +1330,7 @@ public void write(IFile target, byte[] content, IFileInfo fileInfo, int updateFl
 		SubMonitor subMonitor = SubMonitor.convert(monitor, 4);
 		Resource targetResource = (Resource) target;
 		IFileStore store = getStore(target);
-		prepareWrite(target, fileInfo, updateFlags, append, targetResource, store);
+		prepareWrite(target, fileInfo, updateFlags, append, targetResource, store, true);
 
 		// On Windows an attempt to open an output stream on a hidden file results in
 		// FileNotFoundException.
@@ -1342,7 +1345,23 @@ public void write(IFile target, byte[] content, IFileInfo fileInfo, int updateFl
 			subMonitor.split(1);
 		}
 		int options = append ? EFS.APPEND : EFS.NONE;
-		store.write(content, options, subMonitor.split(1));
+		try {
+			store.write(content, options, subMonitor.split(1));
+		} catch (CoreException e) {
+			if (append) {
+				throw e;
+			}
+			if (e.getStatus().getCode() != EFS.ERROR_WRITE) {
+				throw e;
+			}
+			IFileStore parent = store.getParent();
+			IFileInfo parentInfo = parent.fetchInfo();
+			if (!parentInfo.exists()) {
+				parent.mkdir(EFS.NONE, null);
+				// try again
+				store.write(content, options, null);
+			}
+		}
 		if (restoreHiddenAttribute) {
 			fileInfo.setAttribute(EFS.ATTRIBUTE_HIDDEN, true);
 			store.putInfo(fileInfo, EFS.SET_ATTRIBUTES, subMonitor.split(1));
diff --git a/resources/tests/org.eclipse.core.tests.resources/src/org/eclipse/core/tests/resources/IFileTest.java b/resources/tests/org.eclipse.core.tests.resources/src/org/eclipse/core/tests/resources/IFileTest.java
index f1738069852..8f38739d98a 100644
--- a/resources/tests/org.eclipse.core.tests.resources/src/org/eclipse/core/tests/resources/IFileTest.java
+++ b/resources/tests/org.eclipse.core.tests.resources/src/org/eclipse/core/tests/resources/IFileTest.java
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@
 import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.concurrent.atomic.AtomicInteger;
+import org.eclipse.core.internal.resources.ResourceException;
 import org.eclipse.core.resources.IContainer;
 import org.eclipse.core.resources.IFile;
 import org.eclipse.core.resources.IFileState;
@@ -507,6 +508,27 @@ public void testCreateBytes() throws CoreException {
 		assertFalse(derived.isDerived());
 		assertFalse(derived.isTeamPrivateMember());
 		assertEquals("notDerived", derived.readString());
+
+		IFolder subFolder = projects[0].getFolder("subFolder");
+		subFolder.create(true, true, null);
+		subFolder.getRawLocation().toFile().delete();
+
+		IFile orphan = subFolder.getFile("myParentDoesNotExist.txt");
+		monitor.prepare();
+		orphan.write("parentDoesNotExistInFileSystemButInWorkspace".getBytes(), true, false, false, monitor);
+		monitor.assertUsedUp();
+		assertEquals("parentDoesNotExistInFileSystemButInWorkspace", orphan.readString());
+
+		monitor.prepare();
+		orphan.getParent().delete(true, null);
+		// if the parent is deleted in workspace Exception is expected:
+		try {
+			orphan.write("parentDoesNotExist - not even in workspace".getBytes(), true, false, false, monitor);
+			assertFalse("should not be reached", true);
+		} catch (ResourceException expected) {
+			monitor.assertUsedUp();
+			assertFalse(orphan.exists());
+		}
 	}
 
 	@Test