diff --git a/diskless.pkr.hcl b/diskless.pkr.hcl
index 9a84341..d422378 100644
--- a/diskless.pkr.hcl
+++ b/diskless.pkr.hcl
@@ -150,6 +150,14 @@ build {
   sources = ["source.qemu.diskless"]
 
   # --- 1. Stage the dracut module, configs, and CA placeholder -------------
+  # Pre-create the staging dir. Packer's directory-contents upload (a file
+  # provisioner whose source ends in "/") requires the destination to already
+  # exist; otherwise the uploaded tree lands outside /tmp/etc-stage and the
+  # install steps below can't find it.
+  provisioner "shell" {
+    inline = ["mkdir -p /tmp/etc-stage"]
+  }
+
   provisioner "file" {
     source      = "files/dracut/95dot1x-macsec"
     destination = "/usr/lib/dracut/modules.d/"
@@ -157,7 +165,7 @@ build {
 
   provisioner "file" {
     source      = "files/etc/"
-    destination = "/tmp/etc-stage/"
+    destination = "/tmp/etc-stage"
   }
 
   # --- 2. Packages, configs, diskless adaptations --------------------------