diff --git a/src/librustdoc/doctest.rs b/src/librustdoc/doctest.rs
index ab72f4a3f502c..509c4253f0f76 100644
--- a/src/librustdoc/doctest.rs
+++ b/src/librustdoc/doctest.rs
@@ -1003,8 +1003,10 @@ impl Tester for Collector {
         let outdir = if let Some(mut path) = rustdoc_options.persist_doctests.clone() {
             path.push(&test_id);
 
-            std::fs::create_dir_all(&path)
-                .expect("Couldn't create directory for doctest executables");
+            if let Err(err) = std::fs::create_dir_all(&path) {
+                eprintln!("Couldn't create directory for doctest executables: {}", err);
+                panic::resume_unwind(box ());
+            }
 
             DirState::Perm(path)
         } else {
diff --git a/src/test/rustdoc-ui/issue-98690.rs b/src/test/rustdoc-ui/issue-98690.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..fe9bd87ab28e6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/test/rustdoc-ui/issue-98690.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+// compile-flags: --test --persist-doctests /../../ -Z unstable-options
+// failure-status: 101
+// only-linux
+
+#![crate_name = "foo"]
+
+//! ```rust
+//! use foo::dummy;
+//! dummy();
+//! ```
diff --git a/src/test/rustdoc-ui/issue-98690.stderr b/src/test/rustdoc-ui/issue-98690.stderr
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..47d94f99a4563
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/test/rustdoc-ui/issue-98690.stderr
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Couldn't create directory for doctest executables: Permission denied (os error 13)