diff --git a/swh/core/tarball.py b/swh/core/tarball.py
--- a/swh/core/tarball.py
+++ b/swh/core/tarball.py
@@ -81,13 +81,15 @@
 
     Args:
         tarpath: path to tarball to uncompress
-        dest: the destination folder where to uncompress the tarball
+        dest: the destination folder where to uncompress the tarball,
+            it will be created if it does not exist
 
     Raises:
         ValueError when a problem occurs during unpacking
 
     """
     try:
+        os.makedirs(dest, exist_ok=True)
         shutil.unpack_archive(tarpath, extract_dir=dest)
     except shutil.ReadError as e:
         raise ValueError(f"Problem during unpacking {tarpath}. Reason: {e}")
diff --git a/swh/core/tests/test_tarball.py b/swh/core/tests/test_tarball.py
--- a/swh/core/tests/test_tarball.py
+++ b/swh/core/tests/test_tarball.py
@@ -127,21 +127,6 @@
         tarball.uncompress(tarpath, tmp_path)
 
 
-def test_uncompress_tar_failure2(tmp_path, datadir):
-    """Unpack Existent tarball into an inexistent folder should fail
-
-    """
-    filename = "groff-1.02.tar.Z"
-    tarpath = os.path.join(datadir, "archives", filename)
-
-    assert os.path.exists(tarpath)
-
-    extract_dir = os.path.join(tmp_path, "dir", "inexistent")
-
-    with pytest.raises(ValueError, match=f"Problem during unpacking {tarpath}"):
-        tarball.uncompress(tarpath, extract_dir)
-
-
 def test_uncompress_tar(tmp_path, datadir):
     """Unpack supported tarball into an existent folder should be ok
 
@@ -152,7 +137,6 @@
     assert os.path.exists(tarpath)
 
     extract_dir = os.path.join(tmp_path, filename)
-    os.makedirs(extract_dir, exist_ok=True)
 
     tarball.uncompress(tarpath, extract_dir)
 
@@ -234,7 +218,6 @@
     assert os.path.exists(zippath)
 
     extract_dir = os.path.join(tmp_path, filename)
-    os.makedirs(extract_dir, exist_ok=True)
 
     tarball.uncompress(zippath, extract_dir)