diff --git a/roles/jupyter-lab/tasks/main.yml b/roles/jupyter-lab/tasks/main.yml
index a09b15dca3a423fb27cea3ec3bc2dcd0e2e11561..248bbeb93a69e4d4755825df49da3ce1b02cace1 100644
--- a/roles/jupyter-lab/tasks/main.yml
+++ b/roles/jupyter-lab/tasks/main.yml
@@ -41,6 +41,13 @@
     daemon_reload: true
   when: jupyter_service and jupyter_start
 
+- name: Create Desktop dir
+  become: true
+  become_user: "{{ target_user }}"
+  file:
+    path: "/home/{{ target_user }}/Desktop"
+    state: directory
+
 - name: Copy desktop entry to desktop
   become: true
   become_user: "{{ target_user }}"
diff --git a/roles/local-mdbook/tasks/main.yml b/roles/local-mdbook/tasks/main.yml
index 5ef1f7fa11f421a5734fe9967b06650b8bf08a5e..817b3405122c8cd1607d3f59c6947c211840cb8e 100644
--- a/roles/local-mdbook/tasks/main.yml
+++ b/roles/local-mdbook/tasks/main.yml
@@ -16,6 +16,13 @@
     dest: "/home/{{ target_user }}/Documentation"
     remote_src: true
 
+- name: Create Desktop dir
+  become: true
+  become_user: "{{ target_user }}"
+  file:
+    path: "/home/{{ target_user }}/Desktop"
+    state: directory
+
 - name: Copy desktop entry to desktop
   become: true
   become_user: "{{ target_user }}"