diff --git a/karma.conf.js b/karma.conf.js
index ae84d7d830..9f832300fa 100644
--- a/karma.conf.js
+++ b/karma.conf.js
@@ -2,8 +2,8 @@
 
 const fs = require('fs');
 const path = require('path');
-const mkdirp = require('mkdirp');
 const os = require('os');
+const utils = require('./lib/utils');
 const baseBundleDirpath = path.join(__dirname, '.karma');
 
 const hostname = os.hostname();
@@ -111,7 +111,7 @@ module.exports = config => {
         console.error('No SauceLabs credentials present');
       }
     }
-    mkdirp.sync(bundleDirpath);
+    utils.mkdir(bundleDirpath);
   } else {
     console.error('CI mode disabled');
   }
diff --git a/lib/cli/init.js b/lib/cli/init.js
index ca847c6f1e..040b73221d 100644
--- a/lib/cli/init.js
+++ b/lib/cli/init.js
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
 
 const fs = require('fs');
 const path = require('path');
-const mkdirp = require('mkdirp');
+const utils = require('../utils');
 
 exports.command = 'init <path>';
 
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ exports.builder = yargs =>
 exports.handler = argv => {
   const destdir = argv.path;
   const srcdir = path.join(__dirname, '..', '..');
-  mkdirp.sync(destdir);
+  utils.mkdir(destdir);
   const css = fs.readFileSync(path.join(srcdir, 'mocha.css'));
   const js = fs.readFileSync(path.join(srcdir, 'mocha.js'));
   const tmpl = fs.readFileSync(
diff --git a/lib/reporters/xunit.js b/lib/reporters/xunit.js
index da366cdaa1..fb64a0d942 100644
--- a/lib/reporters/xunit.js
+++ b/lib/reporters/xunit.js
@@ -9,7 +9,6 @@
 var Base = require('./base');
 var utils = require('../utils');
 var fs = require('fs');
-var mkdirp = require('mkdirp');
 var path = require('path');
 var errors = require('../errors');
 var createUnsupportedError = errors.createUnsupportedError;
@@ -62,7 +61,7 @@ function XUnit(runner, options) {
         throw createUnsupportedError('file output not supported in browser');
       }
 
-      mkdirp.sync(path.dirname(options.reporterOptions.output));
+      utils.mkdir(path.dirname(options.reporterOptions.output));
       self.fileStream = fs.createWriteStream(options.reporterOptions.output);
     }
 
diff --git a/test/integration/file-utils.spec.js b/test/integration/file-utils.spec.js
index 0b5b2e92fe..3f8a12c225 100644
--- a/test/integration/file-utils.spec.js
+++ b/test/integration/file-utils.spec.js
@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@ var utils = require('../../lib/utils');
 var fs = require('fs');
 var path = require('path');
 var os = require('os');
-var mkdirp = require('mkdirp');
 var rimraf = require('rimraf');
 
 describe('file utils', function() {
@@ -119,7 +118,7 @@ describe('file utils', function() {
   afterEach(removeTempDir);
 
   function makeTempDir() {
-    mkdirp.sync(tmpDir);
+    utils.mkdir(tmpDir);
   }
 
   function removeTempDir() {
diff --git a/test/reporters/xunit.spec.js b/test/reporters/xunit.spec.js
index 736f9d1112..888f400a1d 100644
--- a/test/reporters/xunit.spec.js
+++ b/test/reporters/xunit.spec.js
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ var EventEmitter = require('events').EventEmitter;
 var fs = require('fs');
 var os = require('os');
 var path = require('path');
-var mkdirp = require('mkdirp');
+var utils = require('../../lib/utils');
 var rimraf = require('rimraf');
 var sinon = require('sinon');
 var createStatsCollector = require('../../lib/stats-collector');
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ describe('XUnit reporter', function() {
   });
 
   describe("when 'reporterOptions.output' is provided", function() {
-    var expectedOutput = path.join(path.sep, 'path', 'to', 'some-output');
+    var expectedOutput = path.join('path', 'to', 'some-output');
     var options = {
       reporterOptions: {
         output: expectedOutput
@@ -51,12 +51,12 @@ describe('XUnit reporter', function() {
     };
 
     describe('when fileStream can be created', function() {
-      var mkdirpSync;
+      var utilsMkdir;
       var fsCreateWriteStream;
 
       beforeEach(function() {
         sandbox = sinon.createSandbox();
-        mkdirpSync = sandbox.stub(mkdirp, 'sync');
+        utilsMkdir = sandbox.stub(utils, 'mkdir');
         fsCreateWriteStream = sandbox.stub(fs, 'createWriteStream');
       });
 
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ describe('XUnit reporter', function() {
         XUnit.call(fakeThis, runner, options);
 
         var expectedDirectory = path.dirname(expectedOutput);
-        expect(mkdirpSync.calledWith(expectedDirectory), 'to be true');
+        expect(utilsMkdir.calledWith(expectedDirectory), 'to be true');
         expect(fsCreateWriteStream.calledWith(expectedOutput), 'to be true');
       });