diff --git a/nova/privsep/path.py b/nova/privsep/path.py
index c35e32ce54bb..f4e8c3d579cd 100644
--- a/nova/privsep/path.py
+++ b/nova/privsep/path.py
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ def readfile(path):
 
 @nova.privsep.sys_admin_pctxt.entrypoint
 def writefile(path, mode, content):
-    if not os.path.exists(path):
+    if not os.path.exists(os.path.dirname(path)):
         raise exception.FileNotFound(file_path=path)
     with open(path, mode) as f:
         f.write(content)
diff --git a/nova/tests/unit/privsep/test_path.py b/nova/tests/unit/privsep/test_path.py
index cacbebd0e9f9..6cc377eb8865 100644
--- a/nova/tests/unit/privsep/test_path.py
+++ b/nova/tests/unit/privsep/test_path.py
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 # Copyright 2016 Red Hat, Inc
 # Copyright 2017 Rackspace Australia
+# Copyright 2019 Aptira Pty Ltd
 #
 #    Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License"); you may
 #    not use this file except in compliance with the License. You may obtain
@@ -13,12 +14,131 @@
 #    License for the specific language governing permissions and limitations
 #    under the License.
 
+import mock
 import os
 import six
 import tempfile
 
+from nova import exception
 import nova.privsep.path
 from nova import test
+from nova.tests import fixtures
+
+
+class FileTestCase(test.NoDBTestCase):
+    """Test file related utility methods."""
+
+    def setUp(self):
+        super(FileTestCase, self).setUp()
+        self.useFixture(fixtures.PrivsepFixture())
+
+    @mock.patch('os.path.exists', return_value=True)
+    def test_readfile(self, mock_exists):
+        mock_open = mock.mock_open(read_data='hello world')
+        with mock.patch.object(six.moves.builtins, 'open',
+                               new=mock_open):
+            self.assertEqual('hello world',
+                             nova.privsep.path.readfile('/fake/path'))
+
+    @mock.patch('os.path.exists', return_value=False)
+    def test_readfile_file_not_found(self, mock_exists):
+        self.assertRaises(exception.FileNotFound,
+                          nova.privsep.path.readfile,
+                          '/fake/path')
+
+    @mock.patch('os.path.exists', return_value=True)
+    def test_write(self, mock_exists):
+        mock_open = mock.mock_open()
+        with mock.patch.object(six.moves.builtins, 'open',
+                               new=mock_open):
+            nova.privsep.path.writefile('/fake/path/file', 'w', 'foo')
+
+        handle = mock_open()
+        mock_exists.assert_called_with('/fake/path')
+        self.assertTrue(mock.call('/fake/path/file', 'w') in
+                        mock_open.mock_calls)
+        handle.write.assert_called_with('foo')
+
+    @mock.patch('os.path.exists', return_value=False)
+    def test_write_dir_missing(self, mock_exists):
+        self.assertRaises(exception.FileNotFound,
+                          nova.privsep.path.writefile,
+                          '/fake/path', 'w', 'foo')
+
+    @mock.patch('os.path.exists', return_value=True)
+    @mock.patch('os.readlink')
+    def test_readlink(self, mock_readlink, mock_exists):
+        nova.privsep.path.readlink('/fake/path')
+        mock_exists.assert_called_with('/fake/path')
+        mock_readlink.assert_called_with('/fake/path')
+
+    @mock.patch('os.path.exists', return_value=False)
+    def test_readlink_file_not_found(self, mock_exists):
+        self.assertRaises(exception.FileNotFound,
+                          nova.privsep.path.readlink,
+                          '/fake/path')
+
+    @mock.patch('os.path.exists', return_value=True)
+    @mock.patch('os.chown')
+    def test_chown(self, mock_chown, mock_exists):
+        nova.privsep.path.chown('/fake/path', uid=42, gid=43)
+        mock_exists.assert_called_with('/fake/path')
+        mock_chown.assert_called_with('/fake/path', 42, 43)
+
+    @mock.patch('os.path.exists', return_value=False)
+    def test_chown_file_not_found(self, mock_exists):
+        self.assertRaises(exception.FileNotFound,
+                          nova.privsep.path.chown,
+                          '/fake/path')
+
+    @mock.patch('oslo_utils.fileutils.ensure_tree')
+    def test_makedirs(self, mock_ensure_tree):
+        nova.privsep.path.makedirs('/fake/path')
+        mock_ensure_tree.assert_called_with('/fake/path')
+
+    @mock.patch('os.path.exists', return_value=True)
+    @mock.patch('os.chmod')
+    def test_chmod(self, mock_chmod, mock_exists):
+        nova.privsep.path.chmod('/fake/path', 0x666)
+        mock_exists.assert_called_with('/fake/path')
+        mock_chmod.assert_called_with('/fake/path', 0x666)
+
+    @mock.patch('os.path.exists', return_value=False)
+    def test_chmod_file_not_found(self, mock_exists):
+        self.assertRaises(exception.FileNotFound,
+                          nova.privsep.path.chmod,
+                          '/fake/path', 0x666)
+
+    @mock.patch('os.path.exists', return_value=True)
+    @mock.patch('os.utime')
+    def test_utime(self, mock_utime, mock_exists):
+        nova.privsep.path.utime('/fake/path')
+        mock_exists.assert_called_with('/fake/path')
+        mock_utime.assert_called_with('/fake/path', None)
+
+    @mock.patch('os.path.exists', return_value=False)
+    def test_utime_file_not_found(self, mock_exists):
+        self.assertRaises(exception.FileNotFound,
+                          nova.privsep.path.utime,
+                          '/fake/path')
+
+    @mock.patch('os.path.exists', return_value=True)
+    @mock.patch('os.rmdir')
+    def test_rmdir(self, mock_rmdir, mock_exists):
+        nova.privsep.path.rmdir('/fake/path')
+        mock_exists.assert_called_with('/fake/path')
+        mock_rmdir.assert_called_with('/fake/path')
+
+    @mock.patch('os.path.exists', return_value=False)
+    def test_rmdir_file_not_found(self, mock_exists):
+        self.assertRaises(exception.FileNotFound,
+                          nova.privsep.path.rmdir,
+                          '/fake/path')
+
+    @mock.patch('os.path.exists', return_value=True)
+    def test_exists(self, mock_exists):
+        nova.privsep.path.path.exists('/fake/path')
+        mock_exists.assert_called_with('/fake/path')
 
 
 class LastBytesTestCase(test.NoDBTestCase):