diff --git a/generator.c b/generator.c
index 110db28f..4220b27d 100644
--- a/generator.c
+++ b/generator.c
@@ -60,6 +60,7 @@ extern int update_only;
 extern int human_readable;
 extern int ignore_existing;
 extern int ignore_non_existing;
+extern int ignore_non_existing_dirs;
 extern int want_xattr_optim;
 extern int modify_window;
 extern int inplace;
@@ -1353,22 +1354,28 @@ static void recv_generator(char *fname, struct file_struct *file, int ndx,
 		return;
 	}
 
-	if (ignore_non_existing > 0 && statret == -1 && stat_errno == ENOENT) {
+	if ((ignore_non_existing > 0 || ignore_non_existing_dirs > 0) && statret == -1 && stat_errno == ENOENT) {
+		int actually_ignore = 0;
 		if (is_dir) {
 			if (is_dir < 0)
 				return;
+			actually_ignore = 1;
 			skip_dir = file;
 			file->flags |= FLAG_MISSING_DIR;
 		}
 #ifdef SUPPORT_HARD_LINKS
-		else if (F_IS_HLINKED(file))
+		else if (ignore_non_existing > 0 && F_IS_HLINKED(file)) {
+			actually_ignore = 1;
 			handle_skipped_hlink(file, itemizing, code, f_out);
+		}
 #endif
-		if (INFO_GTE(SKIP, 1)) {
-			rprintf(FINFO, "not creating new %s \"%s\"\n",
-				is_dir ? "directory" : "file", fname);
+		if(actually_ignore == 1) {
+			if (INFO_GTE(SKIP, 1)) {
+				rprintf(FINFO, "not creating new %s \"%s\"\n",
+					is_dir ? "directory" : "file", fname);
+			}
+			return;
 		}
-		return;
 	}
 
 	if (statret == 0 && !(sx.st.st_mode & S_IWUSR)
@@ -2161,6 +2168,7 @@ void check_for_finished_files(int itemizing, enum logcode code, int check_redo)
 			min_size = -1;
 			ignore_existing = -ignore_existing;
 			ignore_non_existing = -ignore_non_existing;
+			ignore_non_existing_dirs = -ignore_non_existing_dirs;
 			update_only = -update_only;
 			always_checksum = -always_checksum;
 			size_only = -size_only;
@@ -2186,6 +2194,7 @@ void check_for_finished_files(int itemizing, enum logcode code, int check_redo)
 			min_size = save_min_size;
 			ignore_existing = -ignore_existing;
 			ignore_non_existing = -ignore_non_existing;
+			ignore_non_existing_dirs = -ignore_non_existing_dirs;
 			update_only = -update_only;
 			always_checksum = -always_checksum;
 			size_only = -size_only;
diff --git a/options.c b/options.c
index fd674754..ee3097ac 100644
--- a/options.c
+++ b/options.c
@@ -125,6 +125,7 @@ int fuzzy_basis = 0;
 size_t bwlimit_writemax = 0;
 int ignore_existing = 0;
 int ignore_non_existing = 0;
+int ignore_non_existing_dirs = 0;
 int need_messages_from_generator = 0;
 int max_delete = INT_MIN;
 OFF_T max_size = -1;
@@ -693,6 +694,7 @@ static struct poptOption long_options[] = {
   {"no-one-file-system",0, POPT_ARG_VAL,    &one_file_system, 0, 0, 0 },
   {"no-x",             0,  POPT_ARG_VAL,    &one_file_system, 0, 0, 0 },
   {"update",          'u', POPT_ARG_NONE,   &update_only, 0, 0, 0 },
+  {"ignore-non-existing-directory",0,POPT_ARG_NONE,   &ignore_non_existing_dirs, 0, 0, 0 },
   {"existing",         0,  POPT_ARG_NONE,   &ignore_non_existing, 0, 0, 0 },
   {"ignore-non-existing",0,POPT_ARG_NONE,   &ignore_non_existing, 0, 0, 0 },
   {"ignore-existing",  0,  POPT_ARG_NONE,   &ignore_existing, 0, 0, 0 },
@@ -2904,6 +2906,9 @@ void server_options(char **args, int *argc_p)
 		if (ignore_non_existing)
 			args[ac++] = "--existing";
 
+		if (ignore_non_existing_dirs)
+			args[ac++] = "--ignore-non-existing-directory";
+
 		if (tmpdir) {
 			args[ac++] = "--temp-dir";
 			args[ac++] = safe_arg("", tmpdir);
diff --git a/rsync.1.md b/rsync.1.md
index afaf1de8..c20e98dc 100644
--- a/rsync.1.md
+++ b/rsync.1.md
@@ -1844,6 +1844,16 @@ expand it.
     This option is a [TRANSFER RULE](#TRANSFER_RULES), so don't expect any
     exclude side effects.
 
+0.  `--ignore-non-existing-directory`
+
+    This tells rsync to skip creating directories that do not
+    exist yet on the destination.  It is a variation of the
+    [`--ignore-non-existing`](#opt) option that is applied only for
+    directories.
+
+    This option is a [TRANSFER RULE](#TRANSFER_RULES), so don't expect any
+    exclude side effects.
+
 0.  `--ignore-existing`
 
     This tells rsync to skip updating files that already exist on the
diff --git a/testsuite/ignore-non-existing-directory.test b/testsuite/ignore-non-existing-directory.test
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..971ee205
--- /dev/null
+++ b/testsuite/ignore-non-existing-directory.test
@@ -0,0 +1,47 @@
+#! /bin/sh
+
+# This program is distributable under the terms of the GNU GPL (see
+# COPYING).
+
+. $suitedir/rsync.fns
+
+makepath "$fromdir/subdir1" "$fromdir/subdir2" "$todir/subdir1"
+echo data >"$fromdir/subdir1/file"
+echo data >"$todir/subdir1/file2"
+echo data >"$fromdir/subdir2/file"
+
+# Test 1: Ensure subdir2 and content under it are not created
+$RSYNC -r --ignore-non-existing-directory -vv "$fromdir/" "$todir/" | tee "$scratchdir/out"
+if [ ! -d "$todir/subdir1" ]; then
+	test_fail 'test 1 failed: subdir1 should have been created'
+fi
+if [ ! -f "$todir/subdir1/file" ]; then
+	test_fail 'test 1 failed: subdir1/file should have been created'
+fi
+if [ ! -f "$todir/subdir1/file2" ]; then
+	test_fail 'test 1 failed: subdir1/file2 should not have been removed'
+fi
+if [ -d "$todir/subdir2" ]; then
+	test_fail 'test 1 failed: subdir2 should not have been created'
+fi
+if [ -f "$todir/subdir2/file" ]; then
+	test_fail 'test 1 failed: subdir2/file should not have been created'
+fi
+
+# Test 2: Also ensure that other delete handling was not impacted
+$RSYNC -r --delete --ignore-non-existing-directory -vv "$fromdir/" "$todir/" | tee "$scratchdir/out"
+if [ ! -d "$todir/subdir1" ]; then
+	test_fail 'test 2 failed: subdir1 should have been created'
+fi
+if [ ! -f "$todir/subdir1/file" ]; then
+	test_fail 'test 2 failed: subdir1/file should have been created'
+fi
+if [ -f "$todir/subdir1/file2" ]; then
+	test_fail 'test 2 failed: subdir1/file2 should have been removed'
+fi
+if [ -d "$todir/subdir2" ]; then
+	test_fail 'test 2 failed: subdir2 should not have been created'
+fi
+if [ -f "$todir/subdir2/file" ]; then
+	test_fail 'test 2 failed: subdir2/file should not have been created'
+fi