diff --git a/samples/client/petstore/R/test_petstore.bash b/samples/client/petstore/R/test_petstore.bash
index 29a4e0c137e5..d3081df077d0 100644
--- a/samples/client/petstore/R/test_petstore.bash
+++ b/samples/client/petstore/R/test_petstore.bash
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ export R_LIBS_USER=$HOME/R
 
 echo "R lib directory: $R_LIBS_USER"
 
-mkdir $R_LIBS_USER
+mkdir $R_LIBS_USER || true
 
 Rscript -e "install.packages('jsonlite', repos='$REPO', lib='$R_LIBS_USER')"
 Rscript -e "install.packages('httr', repos='$REPO', lib='$R_LIBS_USER')"