diff --git a/src/wp-admin/includes/file.php b/src/wp-admin/includes/file.php
index ca75342488462..caa71d325b6e2 100644
--- a/src/wp-admin/includes/file.php
+++ b/src/wp-admin/includes/file.php
@@ -1910,6 +1910,14 @@ function copy_dir( $from, $to, $skip_list = array() ) {
 	$from = trailingslashit( $from );
 	$to   = trailingslashit( $to );
 
+	if ( ! $wp_filesystem->exists( $to ) && ! $wp_filesystem->mkdir( $to ) ) {
+		return new WP_Error(
+			'mkdir_destination_failed_copy_dir',
+			__( 'Could not create the destination directory.' ),
+			basename( $to )
+		);
+	}
+
 	foreach ( (array) $dirlist as $filename => $fileinfo ) {
 		if ( in_array( $filename, $skip_list, true ) ) {
 			continue;
diff --git a/tests/phpunit/tests/filesystem/copyDir.php b/tests/phpunit/tests/filesystem/copyDir.php
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..7b03ab88e98d5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/phpunit/tests/filesystem/copyDir.php
@@ -0,0 +1,83 @@
+<?php
+
+/**
+ * Tests copy_dir().
+ *
+ * @group file.php
+ *
+ * @covers ::copy_dir
+ */
+class Tests_Filesystem_CopyDir extends WP_UnitTestCase {
+
+	/**
+	 * The test directory.
+	 *
+	 * @var string $test_dir
+	 */
+	private static $test_dir;
+
+	/**
+	 * Sets up the filesystem and test directory before any tests run.
+	 */
+	public static function set_up_before_class() {
+		parent::set_up_before_class();
+
+		require_once ABSPATH . 'wp-admin/includes/file.php';
+		WP_Filesystem();
+
+		self::$test_dir = get_temp_dir() . 'copy_dir/';
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Sets up the test directory before each test.
+	 */
+	public function set_up() {
+		global $wp_filesystem;
+
+		parent::set_up();
+
+		// Create the root directory.
+		$wp_filesystem->mkdir( self::$test_dir );
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Removes the test directory after each test.
+	 */
+	public function tear_down() {
+		global $wp_filesystem;
+
+		// Delete the root directory and its contents.
+		$wp_filesystem->delete( self::$test_dir, true );
+
+		parent::tear_down();
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Tests that the destination is created if it does not already exist.
+	 *
+	 * @ticket 41855
+	 */
+	public function test_should_create_destination_it_if_does_not_exist() {
+		global $wp_filesystem;
+
+		$from = self::$test_dir . 'folder1/folder2/';
+		$to   = self::$test_dir . 'folder3/folder2/';
+
+		// Create the file structure for the test.
+		$wp_filesystem->mkdir( self::$test_dir . 'folder1' );
+		$wp_filesystem->mkdir( self::$test_dir . 'folder3' );
+		$wp_filesystem->mkdir( $from );
+		$wp_filesystem->touch( $from . 'file1.txt' );
+		$wp_filesystem->mkdir( $from . 'subfolder1' );
+		$wp_filesystem->touch( $from . 'subfolder1/file2.txt' );
+
+		$this->assertTrue( copy_dir( $from, $to ), 'copy_dir() failed.' );
+
+		$this->assertDirectoryExists( $to, 'The destination was not created.' );
+		$this->assertFileExists( $to . 'file1.txt', 'The destination file was not created.' );
+
+		$this->assertDirectoryExists( $to . 'subfolder1/', 'The destination subfolder was not created.' );
+		$this->assertFileExists( $to . 'subfolder1/file2.txt', 'The destination subfolder file was not created.' );
+	}
+
+}