diff --git a/pelican/tests/test_pelican.py b/pelican/tests/test_pelican.py
index e829e1a5..8cccc918 100644
--- a/pelican/tests/test_pelican.py
+++ b/pelican/tests/test_pelican.py
@@ -112,3 +112,18 @@ class TestPelican(LoggedTestCase):
 
         for file in ['wow!', 'boom!', 'bap!', 'zap!']:
             self.assertTrue(os.path.exists(os.path.join(extra_path, file)))
+
+    def test_theme_static_paths_copy_single_file(self):
+        # the same thing with a specified set of settings should work
+        settings = read_settings(path=SAMPLE_CONFIG, override={
+            'PATH': INPUT_PATH,
+            'OUTPUT_PATH': self.temp_path,
+            'THEME_STATIC_PATHS': [os.path.join(SAMPLES_PATH, 'theme_standard')]
+            })
+
+        pelican = Pelican(settings=settings)
+        mute(True)(pelican.run)()
+        theme_output = os.path.join(self.temp_path, 'theme')
+
+        for file in ['a_stylesheet', 'a_template']:
+            self.assertTrue(os.path.exists(os.path.join(theme_output, file)))
diff --git a/pelican/utils.py b/pelican/utils.py
index d306de65..f222f63c 100644
--- a/pelican/utils.py
+++ b/pelican/utils.py
@@ -273,6 +273,9 @@ def copy(path, source, destination, destination_path=None):
     destination_ = os.path.abspath(
         os.path.expanduser(os.path.join(destination, destination_path)))
 
+    if not os.path.exists(destination_):
+        os.makedirs(destination_)
+
     def recurse(source, destination):
         for entry in os.listdir(source):
             entry_path = os.path.join(source, entry)