diff --git a/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/avm/AVMServiceTest.java b/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/avm/AVMServiceTest.java
index ed7edf801b..401a8d1b27 100644
--- a/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/avm/AVMServiceTest.java
+++ b/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/avm/AVMServiceTest.java
@@ -31,7 +31,6 @@ import java.util.Set;
 import java.util.TreeMap;
 
 import org.alfresco.model.ContentModel;
-import org.alfresco.repo.action.ActionImpl;
 import org.alfresco.repo.avm.actions.SimpleAVMSubmitAction;
 import org.alfresco.repo.avm.util.BulkLoader;
 import org.alfresco.repo.domain.PropertyValue;
@@ -61,6 +60,34 @@ import org.alfresco.service.transaction.TransactionService;
  */
 public class AVMServiceTest extends AVMServiceTestBase
 {
+    /**
+     * Test a noodle update.
+     */
+    public void testNoodleUpdate()
+    {
+        try
+        {
+            setupBasicTree();
+            fService.createAVMStore("staging");
+            List<AVMDifference> diffs = fSyncService.compare(-1, "main:/", -1, "staging:/");
+            assertEquals(2, diffs.size());
+            List<AVMDifference> noodle = new ArrayList<AVMDifference>();
+            noodle.add(new AVMDifference(-1, "main:/a/b/c/foo", -1, "staging:/a/b/c/foo", 
+                                         AVMDifference.NEWER));
+            noodle.add(new AVMDifference(-1, "main:/d", -1, "staging:/d",
+                                         AVMDifference.NEWER));
+            fSyncService.update(noodle, false, false, false, false);
+            diffs = fSyncService.compare(-1, "main:/", -1, "staging:/");
+            assertEquals(1, diffs.size());
+            assertEquals("main:/a/b/c/bar", diffs.get(0).getSourcePath());
+        }
+        catch (Exception e)
+        {
+            e.printStackTrace(System.err);
+            fail();
+        }
+    }
+    
     /**
      * Test the SimpleAVMSubmitAction.
      */
diff --git a/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/avm/AVMSyncServiceImpl.java b/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/avm/AVMSyncServiceImpl.java
index ec81e10aa7..64c1d85964 100644
--- a/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/avm/AVMSyncServiceImpl.java
+++ b/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/avm/AVMSyncServiceImpl.java
@@ -401,6 +401,7 @@ public class AVMSyncServiceImpl implements AVMSyncService
      */
     private void linkIn(String parentPath, String name, AVMNodeDescriptor toLink, boolean removeFirst)
     {
+        mkdirs(parentPath);
         if (removeFirst)
         {
             fAVMService.removeNode(parentPath, name);
@@ -674,4 +675,25 @@ public class AVMSyncServiceImpl implements AVMSyncService
         fAVMService.removeNode(parts[0], parts[1]);
         fAVMService.createLayeredDirectory(desc.getIndirection(), parts[0], parts[1]);
     }
+    
+    /**
+     * Make sure this entire directory path exists.
+     * @param path
+     */
+    private void mkdirs(String path)
+    {
+        if (fAVMService.lookup(-1, path) != null)
+        {
+            return;
+        }
+        String [] pathParts = AVMNodeConverter.SplitBase(path);
+        if (pathParts[0] == null)
+        {
+            // This is a root path and as such has to exist.
+            // Something else is going on.
+            throw new AVMSyncException("No corresponding destination path: " + path);
+        }
+        mkdirs(pathParts[0]);
+        fAVMService.createDirectory(pathParts[0], pathParts[1]);
+    }
 }