diff --git a/doc/release_history.html b/doc/release_history.html
index 562bac7..cf56e20 100644
--- a/doc/release_history.html
+++ b/doc/release_history.html
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@
 <ul>
   <li>Updated compatibility with <a href="https://wasi.dev/">WASI</a> platform. (<a href="https://github.com/boostorg/filesystem/pull/169">PR#169</a>)</li>
   <li>Fixed an exception being thrown by <code>path::remove_filename</code> if the path is "////". (<a href="https://github.com/boostorg/filesystem/issues/176">#176</a>)</li>
+  <li>Fixed <code>create_directories</code> disregarding errors from file status query operations issued internally. This could result in incorrect error codes returned by <code>create_directories</code>. (<a href="https://github.com/boostorg/filesystem/issues/182">#182</a>)</li>
 </ul>
 
 <h2>1.75.0</h2>
diff --git a/src/operations.cpp b/src/operations.cpp
index 2c1c96e..afebd16 100644
--- a/src/operations.cpp
+++ b/src/operations.cpp
@@ -1454,17 +1454,17 @@ void copy_symlink(const path& existing_symlink, const path& new_symlink, system:
 BOOST_FILESYSTEM_DECL
 bool create_directories(const path& p, system::error_code* ec)
 {
- if (p.empty())
- {
-   if (!ec)
-   {
-     BOOST_FILESYSTEM_THROW(filesystem_error(
-       "boost::filesystem::create_directories", p,
-       system::errc::make_error_code(system::errc::invalid_argument)));
-   }
-   ec->assign(system::errc::invalid_argument, system::generic_category());
-   return false;
- }
+  if (p.empty())
+  {
+    if (!ec)
+    {
+      BOOST_FILESYSTEM_THROW(filesystem_error(
+        "boost::filesystem::create_directories", p,
+        system::errc::make_error_code(system::errc::invalid_argument)));
+    }
+    ec->assign(system::errc::invalid_argument, system::generic_category());
+    return false;
+  }
 
   if (p.filename_is_dot() || p.filename_is_dot_dot())
     return create_directories(p.parent_path(), ec);
@@ -1478,6 +1478,13 @@ bool create_directories(const path& p, system::error_code* ec)
       ec->clear();
     return false;
   }
+  else if (BOOST_UNLIKELY(p_status.type() == status_error))
+  {
+    if (!ec)
+      BOOST_FILESYSTEM_THROW(filesystem_error("boost::filesystem::create_directories", p, local_ec));
+    *ec = local_ec;
+    return false;
+  }
 
   path parent = p.parent_path();
   BOOST_ASSERT_MSG(parent != p, "internal error: p == p.parent_path()");
@@ -1490,14 +1497,19 @@ bool create_directories(const path& p, system::error_code* ec)
     if (parent_status.type() == file_not_found)
     {
       create_directories(parent, local_ec);
-      if (local_ec)
+      if (BOOST_UNLIKELY(!!local_ec))
       {
+      parent_fail_local_ec:
         if (!ec)
           BOOST_FILESYSTEM_THROW(filesystem_error("boost::filesystem::create_directories", parent, local_ec));
         *ec = local_ec;
         return false;
       }
     }
+    else if (BOOST_UNLIKELY(parent_status.type() == status_error))
+    {
+      goto parent_fail_local_ec;
+    }
   }
 
   // create the directory