diff --git a/CONTRIBUTORS b/CONTRIBUTORS
index 09573efd7..af4f861d0 100644
--- a/CONTRIBUTORS
+++ b/CONTRIBUTORS
@@ -252,6 +252,7 @@ Rami Ojares
 Randy Watler
 Raphael Pierquin
 Ray Waldin
+Remie Bolte
 Richard Evans
 Rick Beton
 Robert Anderson
diff --git a/WHATSNEW b/WHATSNEW
index 28db72a99..efaec479d 100644
--- a/WHATSNEW
+++ b/WHATSNEW
@@ -919,6 +919,10 @@ Other changes:
    HTTP connections at the HttpUrlConnection level.
    Bugzilla Report 41891.
 
+ * <tar> and <zip> (and tasks derived from <zip>) will now create the
+   parent directory of the destination archive if it doesn't exist.
+   Bugzilla Report 45377.
+
 Changes from Ant 1.7.0 TO Ant 1.7.1
 =============================================
 
diff --git a/contributors.xml b/contributors.xml
index 30e33ab67..8787c9109 100644
--- a/contributors.xml
+++ b/contributors.xml
@@ -1030,6 +1030,10 @@
     <first>Ray</first>
     <last>Waldin</last>
   </name>
+  <name>
+    <first>Remie</first>
+    <last>Bolte</last>
+  </name>
   <name>
     <first>Richard</first>
     <last>Evans</last>
diff --git a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/Tar.java b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/Tar.java
index 31bea1329..2e89c4d19 100644
--- a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/Tar.java
+++ b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/Tar.java
@@ -279,6 +279,12 @@ public class Tar extends MatchingTask {
                 return;
             }
 
+            File parent = tarFile.getParentFile();
+            if (parent != null && !parent.isDirectory() && !parent.mkdirs()) {
+                throw new BuildException("Failed to create missing parent"
+                                         + " directory for " + tarFile);
+            }
+
             log("Building tar: " + tarFile.getAbsolutePath(), Project.MSG_INFO);
 
             TarOutputStream tOut = null;
diff --git a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/Zip.java b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/Zip.java
index c82319dbe..b49ffe28f 100644
--- a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/Zip.java
+++ b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/Zip.java
@@ -618,6 +618,13 @@ public class Zip extends MatchingTask {
             if (!state.isOutOfDate()) {
                 return;
             }
+
+            File parent = zipFile.getParentFile();
+            if (parent != null && !parent.isDirectory() && !parent.mkdirs()) {
+                throw new BuildException("Failed to create missing parent"
+                                         + " directory for " + zipFile);
+            }
+
             updatedFile = true;
             if (!zipFile.exists() && state.isWithoutAnyResources()) {
                 createEmptyZip(zipFile);