diff --git a/data/common/kafka.yaml b/data/common/kafka.yaml
--- a/data/common/kafka.yaml
+++ b/data/common/kafka.yaml
@@ -26,6 +26,9 @@
 kafka::scala_version: '2.13'
 kafka::mirror_url: https://mirrors.ircam.fr/pub/apache/
 
+# Add the directories needed to create the logdirs
+# In production, /srv/kafka is a mount points so it doesnt'd need to be managed by puppet
+kafka::logdirs::roots: []
 kafka::logdirs:
   - /srv/kafka/logdir
 kafka::broker_config:
@@ -119,5 +122,3 @@
     plaintext_port: 9092
     public_tls_port: 9093
     internal_tls_port: 9094
-
-
diff --git a/data/deployments/staging/common.yaml b/data/deployments/staging/common.yaml
--- a/data/deployments/staging/common.yaml
+++ b/data/deployments/staging/common.yaml
@@ -89,6 +89,11 @@
   rocquencourt:
     '1': journal0.internal.staging.swh.network
 
+# on production the logdirs are in mount point so they don't need to be created
+# by puppet. On vagrant and staging, they are not and have to be created by puppet
+kafka::logdirs::roots:
+  - /srv/kafka
+
 kafka::clusters:
   rocquencourt:
     zookeeper::chroot: '/kafka/softwareheritage'
diff --git a/site-modules/profile/manifests/kafka/broker.pp b/site-modules/profile/manifests/kafka/broker.pp
--- a/site-modules/profile/manifests/kafka/broker.pp
+++ b/site-modules/profile/manifests/kafka/broker.pp
@@ -51,13 +51,23 @@
 
   $heap_opts = $kafka_cluster_config['broker::heap_opts']
 
+  $kafka_logdirs_roots = lookup('kafka::logdirs::roots', Array, )
   $kafka_logdirs = lookup('kafka::logdirs', Array)
+
+  $kafka_logdirs_roots.each |$root| {
+    file {$root:
+      ensure => directory,
+      owner  => 'root',
+      group  => 'root',
+      mode   => '0750',
+    }
+  }
   $kafka_logdirs.each |$logdir| {
     file {$logdir:
-      ensure  => directory,
-      owner   => 'kafka',
-      group   => 'kafka',
-      mode    => '0750',
+      ensure => directory,
+      owner  => 'kafka',
+      group  => 'kafka',
+      mode   => '0750',
     } -> Service['kafka']
   }