diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index d1522e07..4cf3d357 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -20,6 +20,8 @@ and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0
   parameter. (#644)
 - Add support for listing profile/node via comma-separated values. #739
 - Sort the node list returned entries by name. 
+- Add `--parents` option to `overlay import` subcommand to create necessary
+  parent folder.  #608
 
 ### Changed
 
diff --git a/internal/app/wwctl/overlay/imprt/main.go b/internal/app/wwctl/overlay/imprt/main.go
index e83a5e59..f8a863ec 100644
--- a/internal/app/wwctl/overlay/imprt/main.go
+++ b/internal/app/wwctl/overlay/imprt/main.go
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package imprt
 import (
 	"os"
 	"path"
+	"path/filepath"
 
 	"github.com/hpcng/warewulf/internal/pkg/node"
 	"github.com/hpcng/warewulf/internal/pkg/overlay"
@@ -42,6 +43,23 @@ func CobraRunE(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 		os.Exit(1)
 	}
 
+	if CreateDirs {
+		parent := filepath.Dir(path.Join(overlaySource, dest))
+		if _, err := os.Stat(parent); os.IsNotExist(err) {
+			wwlog.Debug("Create dir: %s", parent)
+			srcInfo, err := os.Stat(source)
+			if err != nil {
+				wwlog.Error("Could not retrieve the stat for file: %s", err)
+				return err
+			}
+			err = os.MkdirAll(parent, srcInfo.Mode())
+			if err != nil {
+				wwlog.Error("Could not create parent dif: %s: %v", parent, err)
+				return err
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
 	err := util.CopyFile(source, path.Join(overlaySource, dest))
 	if err != nil {
 		return errors.Wrap(err, "could not copy file into overlay")
diff --git a/internal/app/wwctl/overlay/imprt/main_test.go b/internal/app/wwctl/overlay/imprt/main_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..e74c84b5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/app/wwctl/overlay/imprt/main_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,95 @@
+package imprt
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"io/ioutil"
+	"os"
+	"testing"
+
+	warewulfconf "github.com/hpcng/warewulf/internal/pkg/config"
+	"github.com/hpcng/warewulf/internal/pkg/node"
+	"github.com/hpcng/warewulf/internal/pkg/warewulfd"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+)
+
+func Test_List(t *testing.T) {
+	tmpdir, err := ioutil.TempDir(os.TempDir(), "warewulf")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Errorf("Could not create temp folder: %v", err)
+		t.FailNow()
+	}
+	defer os.RemoveAll(tmpdir)
+
+	overlayDir := fmt.Sprintf("%s/overlay", tmpdir)
+	err = os.MkdirAll(overlayDir, 0o755)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Errorf("Could not create target folder: %s, err: %v", overlayDir, err)
+		t.FailNow()
+	}
+
+	importDir := fmt.Sprintf("%s/test", overlayDir)
+	err = os.MkdirAll(importDir, 0o755)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Errorf("Could not create target folder: %s, err: %v", importDir, err)
+		t.FailNow()
+	}
+
+	file, err := ioutil.TempFile(tmpdir, "file")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Errorf("Could not create tempfile")
+		t.FailNow()
+	}
+	file.Close()
+	err = os.Chmod(file.Name(), 0o755)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Errorf("Could not change the file %s mode: %v", file.Name(), err)
+		t.FailNow()
+	}
+
+	inDb := `WW_INTERNAL: 43
+nodeprofiles:
+  default: {}
+nodes: {}
+`
+	conf_yml := `
+WW_INTERNAL: 0
+    `
+
+	conf := warewulfconf.New()
+	err = conf.Parse([]byte(conf_yml))
+	assert.NoError(t, err)
+	warewulfd.SetNoDaemon()
+	conf.Paths.WWOverlaydir = overlayDir
+
+	_, err = node.Parse([]byte(inDb))
+	assert.NoError(t, err)
+	t.Logf("Running test: wwctl overlay import test\n")
+	t.Run("wwctl overlay import test", func(t *testing.T) {
+		baseCmd := GetCommand()
+		baseCmd.SetArgs([]string{"-n", "test", file.Name()})
+		baseCmd.SetOut(nil)
+		baseCmd.SetErr(nil)
+		err = baseCmd.Execute()
+		if err == nil {
+			t.Errorf("Should recieve error when running command")
+			t.FailNow()
+		}
+		if _, err = os.Stat(importDir + file.Name()); err == nil {
+			t.Errorf("Target file %s should not exist", importDir+file.Name())
+			t.FailNow()
+		}
+
+		baseCmd.SetArgs([]string{"-p", "-n", "test", file.Name()})
+		baseCmd.SetOut(nil)
+		baseCmd.SetErr(nil)
+		err = baseCmd.Execute()
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Errorf("Received error when running command, err: %v\n", err)
+			t.FailNow()
+		}
+		if _, err = os.Stat(importDir + file.Name()); os.IsNotExist(err) {
+			t.Errorf("Target file %s should exist", importDir+file.Name())
+			t.FailNow()
+		}
+	})
+}
diff --git a/internal/app/wwctl/overlay/imprt/root.go b/internal/app/wwctl/overlay/imprt/root.go
index fd9b957f..f0f9e8a4 100644
--- a/internal/app/wwctl/overlay/imprt/root.go
+++ b/internal/app/wwctl/overlay/imprt/root.go
@@ -23,10 +23,12 @@ var (
 		},
 	}
 	NoOverlayUpdate bool
+	CreateDirs      bool
 )
 
 func init() {
 	baseCmd.PersistentFlags().BoolVarP(&NoOverlayUpdate, "noupdate", "n", false, "Don't update overlays")
+	baseCmd.PersistentFlags().BoolVarP(&CreateDirs, "parents", "p", false, "Create any necessary parent directories")
 }
 
 // GetRootCommand returns the root cobra.Command for the application.