diff --git a/bl45p-mo-ioc-03.boot b/bl45p-mo-ioc-03.boot
deleted file mode 100644
index b1b8f4883..000000000
--- a/bl45p-mo-ioc-03.boot
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,12 +0,0 @@
-cd "/repos/epics/ioc"
-
-dbLoadDatabase "dbd/ioc.dbd"
-ioc_registerRecordDeviceDriver(pdbbase)
-
-pmacAsynIPConfigure(BRICK1port, 192.168.0.12:1112)
-pmacCreateController(BL45P-MO-BRICK-01, BRICK1port, 0, 8, 500, 100)
-pmacCreateAxes(BL45P-MO-BRICK-01, 8)
-none
-
-dbLoadRecords("/tmp/ioc.db")
-iocInit()
diff --git a/bl45p-mo-ioc-04.boot b/bl45p-mo-ioc-04.boot
deleted file mode 100644
index 8f9b1367c..000000000
--- a/bl45p-mo-ioc-04.boot
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,10 +0,0 @@
-cd "/repos/epics/ioc"
-
-dbLoadDatabase "dbd/ioc.dbd"
-ioc_registerRecordDeviceDriver(pdbbase)
-
-
-dbLoadRecords("/tmp/ioc.db")
-iocInit()
-
-dbpf "BL45P-MO-THIN-01:Y1.TWV", "0.5"
diff --git a/ioc.boot b/ioc.boot
deleted file mode 100644
index d97986112..000000000
--- a/ioc.boot
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,11 +0,0 @@
-cd "/repos/epics/ioc"
-
-dbLoadDatabase "dbd/ioc.dbd"
-ioc_registerRecordDeviceDriver(pdbbase)
-
-pmacAsynIPConfigure(BRICK1port, 192.168.0.12:1112)
-pmacCreateController(BL45P-MO-BRICK-01, BRICK1port, 0, 8, 500, 100)
-pmacCreateAxes(BL45P-MO-BRICK-01, 8)
-
-dbLoadRecords("/tmp/ioc.db")
-iocInit()
diff --git a/src/ibek/__main__.py b/src/ibek/__main__.py
index 1b0d09e01..ecde3f163 100644
--- a/src/ibek/__main__.py
+++ b/src/ibek/__main__.py
@@ -100,6 +100,8 @@ def build_startup(
     ioc_instance = ioc_deserialize(instance, definitions)
     script_txt = create_boot_script(ioc_instance)
 
+    out.parent.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
+
     with out.open("w") as stream:
         stream.write(script_txt)
 
diff --git a/tests/test_cli.py b/tests/test_cli.py
index 25058cc58..3e28f3a1b 100644
--- a/tests/test_cli.py
+++ b/tests/test_cli.py
@@ -88,6 +88,33 @@ def test_container_schema(tmp_path: Path, samples: Path):
     assert expected == actual
 
 
+def test_build_startup_output_path(tmp_path: Path, samples: Path):
+    """
+    build an ioc startup script and ensure output directory gets generated
+    if it doesn't pre-exist
+    """
+    clear_entity_classes()
+    entity_file = samples / "yaml" / "bl45p-mo-ioc-02.ibek.entities.yaml"
+    definition_file = samples / "yaml" / "pmac.ibek.defs.yaml"
+    out_file = tmp_path / "new_dir" / "ioc.boot"
+    out_db = tmp_path / "new_dir" / "make_db.sh"
+
+    run_cli(
+        "build-startup",
+        entity_file,
+        definition_file,
+        "--out",
+        out_file,
+        "--db-out",
+        out_db,
+    )
+
+    example_boot = (samples / "boot_scripts" / "ioc.boot").read_text()
+    actual_boot = out_file.read_text()
+
+    assert example_boot == actual_boot
+
+
 def test_build_startup_single(tmp_path: Path, samples: Path):
     """
     build an ioc startup script from an IOC instance entity file