diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,5 +1,8 @@
 Changelog for tmp-postgres
 
+1.28.0.0
+  #200 Change behavior of Permanent. We now create the directory if it does not exist. Other changes
+
 1.27.0.4
   #193 and #194 Doc fixes
 
diff --git a/benchmark/Main.hs b/benchmark/Main.hs
--- a/benchmark/Main.hs
+++ b/benchmark/Main.hs
@@ -28,6 +28,9 @@
   , ");"
   ]
 
+snapshotDir :: DirectoryType
+snapshotDir = Permanent "~/.tmp-postgres/bench-mark-1"
+
 migrateDb :: DB -> IO ()
 migrateDb db = do
   let theConnectionString = toConnectionString db
@@ -57,13 +60,13 @@
   let theCacheConfig = defaultConfig <> cacheConfig cacheInfo
   sp <- either throwIO pure <=< withConfig theCacheConfig $ \db -> do
     migrateDb db
-    either throwIO pure =<< takeSnapshot Temporary db
+    either throwIO pure =<< takeSnapshot snapshotDir db
 
   let theConfig = defaultConfig <> snapshotConfig sp <> theCacheConfig
 
-
   pure (cacheInfo, sp, Once theConfig)
 
+
 cleanupCacheAndSP :: (Cache, Snapshot, Once Config) -> IO ()
 cleanupCacheAndSP (x, y, _) = cleanupSnapshot y >> cleanupInitDbCache x
 
@@ -75,40 +78,45 @@
 
 main :: IO ()
 main = defaultMain
-  [ --bench "with" $ whnfIO $ with $ const $ pure ()
-  --, bench "withConfig no --no-sync" $ whnfIO $
-  --    withConfig defaultConfigDefaultInitDb $ const $ pure ()
-{-
-  bench "withConfig silent" $ whnfIO $
-    withConfig defaultConfig $ const $ pure ()
+  [ bench "with" $ whnfIO $ with $ const $ pure ()
 
-  , setupWithCache $ \cacheConfig -> bench "withConfig silent cache" $ whnfIO $
-      withConfig cacheConfig $ const $ pure ()
+  , bench "withConfig no --no-sync" $ whnfIO $
+      withConfig defaultConfigDefaultInitDb $ const $ pure ()
 
+  , bench "withConfig silent" $ whnfIO $
+      withConfig defaultConfig $ const $ pure ()
+
+  , setupWithCache $ \theCacheConfig -> bench "withConfig silent cache" $ whnfIO $
+      withConfig theCacheConfig $ const $ pure ()
+
   , bench "with migrate 10x" $ whnfIO $ replicateM 10 $ withConfig defaultConfig $ \db ->
       migrateDb db >> testQuery db
 
--}
-
-    setupWithCache $ \theCacheConfig -> do
+  , setupWithCache $ \theCacheConfig -> do
       bench "with migrate 10x and cache" $ whnfIO $ withConfig theCacheConfig $ \_ -> do
         replicateM_ 10 $ withConfig theCacheConfig $ \db ->
           migrateDb db >> testQuery db
 
   , setupWithCache $ \theCacheConfig -> bench "withSnapshot migrate 10x and cache" $ whnfIO $ withConfig theCacheConfig $ \db -> do
       migrateDb db
-      void $ withSnapshot Temporary db $ \snapshotDir -> do
-        let theSnapshotConfig = defaultConfig <> snapshotConfig snapshotDir
+      void $ withSnapshot Temporary db $ \theSnapshotDir -> do
+        let theSnapshotConfig = defaultConfig <> snapshotConfig theSnapshotDir
         replicateM_ 10 $ withConfig theSnapshotConfig testQuery
-{-
+
+  , setupWithCacheAndSP $ \theCacheConfig -> bench "preexisting snapshot withSnapshot migrate 10x and cache" $ whnfIO $ withConfig theCacheConfig $ \db -> do
+      void $ withSnapshot snapshotDir db $ \theSnapshotDir -> do
+        let theSnapshotConfig = defaultConfig <> snapshotConfig theSnapshotDir
+        replicateM_ 10 $ withConfig theSnapshotConfig testQuery
+
   , setupWithCacheAndSP $ \theConfig -> bench "withConfig pre-setup with withSnapshot" $ whnfIO $
       void $ withConfig theConfig $ const $ pure ()
 
-  , setupWithCacheAndSP' $ \sp -> bench "snapshotConfig" $ whnfIO $ void $ snapshotConfig $ toFilePath sp
+  , setupWithCacheAndSP' $ \sp -> bench "snapshotConfig" $ whnfIO $ void $ flip withConfig (const $ pure ())
+    $ snapshotConfig sp
 
   , bench "migrateDb" $ perRunEnvWithCleanup (either throwIO (pure . Once) =<< startConfig defaultConfig) (stop . unOnce) $
       \ ~(Once db) -> migrateDb db
--}
+
   , bench "withSnapshot" $ perRunEnvWithCleanup (either throwIO (pure . Once) =<< startConfig defaultConfig) (stop . unOnce) $
       \ ~(Once db) -> void $ withSnapshot Temporary db $ const $ pure ()
 
diff --git a/src/Database/Postgres/Temp/Internal.hs b/src/Database/Postgres/Temp/Internal.hs
--- a/src/Database/Postgres/Temp/Internal.hs
+++ b/src/Database/Postgres/Temp/Internal.hs
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
 
 import           Control.DeepSeq
 import           Control.Exception
-import           Control.Monad (void)
+import           Control.Monad (void, unless)
 import           Control.Monad.Trans.Cont
 import           Data.ByteString (ByteString)
 import qualified Data.Map.Strict as Map
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@
 import           System.IO.Unsafe (unsafePerformIO)
 import           System.Process
 import           Text.PrettyPrint.ANSI.Leijen hiding ((<$>))
+import           System.Directory
 
 -- | Handle for holding temporary resources, the @postgres@ process handle
 --   and @postgres@ connection information. The 'DB' also includes the
@@ -594,10 +595,12 @@
       directoryType
     )
     cleanupDirectoryType $ \snapShotDir -> do
-      let snapshotCopyCmd = cpFlags <>
-            toDataDirectory db <> "/* " <> toFilePath snapShotDir
-      throwIfNotSuccess (SnapshotCopyFailed snapshotCopyCmd) =<<
-        system snapshotCopyCmd
+      nonEmpty <- doesFileExist $ toFilePath snapShotDir <> "/PG_VERSION"
+      unless nonEmpty $ do
+        let snapshotCopyCmd = cpFlags <>
+              toDataDirectory db <> "/* " <> toFilePath snapShotDir
+        throwIfNotSuccess (SnapshotCopyFailed snapshotCopyCmd) =<<
+          system snapshotCopyCmd
 
       pure $ Snapshot snapShotDir
 
diff --git a/src/Database/Postgres/Temp/Internal/Config.hs b/src/Database/Postgres/Temp/Internal/Config.hs
--- a/src/Database/Postgres/Temp/Internal/Config.hs
+++ b/src/Database/Postgres/Temp/Internal/Config.hs
@@ -353,10 +353,11 @@
 instance Monoid DirectoryType where
   mempty = Temporary
 
--- | Either create a'CTemporary' directory or do nothing to a 'CPermanent'
+-- | Either create a'CTemporary' directory or do create the directory
+--   if it does not exist to a 'CPermanent'
 --   one.
 --
---   @since 1.12.0.0
+--   @since 1.28.0.0
 setupDirectoryType
   :: String
   -- ^ Temporary directory configuration
@@ -364,14 +365,23 @@
   -- ^ Directory pattern
   -> DirectoryType
   -> IO CompleteDirectoryType
-setupDirectoryType tempDir pat = \case
-  Temporary -> CTemporary <$> createTempDirectory tempDir pat
-  Permanent x  -> CPermanent <$> case x of
-    '~':rest -> do
-      homeDir <- getHomeDirectory
-      pure $ homeDir <> "/" <> rest
-    xs -> pure xs
+setupDirectoryType tempDir pat dirType = do
+  e <- try $ case dirType of
+    Temporary -> CTemporary <$> createTempDirectory tempDir pat
+    Permanent x  -> do
+      dir <- case x of
+        '~':rest -> do
+          homeDir <- getHomeDirectory
+          pure $ homeDir <> "/" <> rest
+        xs -> pure xs
 
+      createDirectoryIfMissing True dir
+
+      pure $ CPermanent dir
+  case e of
+    Left err -> throwIO $ CompleteDirectoryFailed err
+    Right res -> pure res
+
 -- Remove a temporary directory and ignore errors
 -- about it not being there.
 rmDirIgnoreErrors :: FilePath -> IO ()
@@ -878,4 +888,3 @@
 hostToSocketClass hostOrSocketPath = case hostOrSocketPath of
   '/' : _ -> Permanent hostOrSocketPath
   _ -> Temporary
-
diff --git a/src/Database/Postgres/Temp/Internal/Core.hs b/src/Database/Postgres/Temp/Internal/Core.hs
--- a/src/Database/Postgres/Temp/Internal/Core.hs
+++ b/src/Database/Postgres/Temp/Internal/Core.hs
@@ -93,6 +93,8 @@
   --   a cached @initdb@ folder.
   | SnapshotCopyFailed String ExitCode
   -- ^ We tried to copy a data directory to a snapshot folder and it failed
+  | CompleteDirectoryFailed IOException
+  -- ^ Something went wrong when trying to create a directory
   deriving (Show, Eq, Typeable)
 
 instance Exception StartError
diff --git a/test/Main.hs b/test/Main.hs
--- a/test/Main.hs
+++ b/test/Main.hs
@@ -446,12 +446,13 @@
     withConfig invalidConfig' (const $ pure ())
       `shouldReturn` Left ConnectionTimedOut
 
-  it "throws StartPostgresFailed if the host path does not exist" $ do
+  it "throws IOException if the path is not writable" $ do
     let invalidConfig = optionsToDefaultConfig mempty
           { Client.host = pure "/focalhost"
           }
-    withConfig invalidConfig (const $ pure ())
-      `shouldReturn` Left (StartPostgresFailed $ ExitFailure 1)
+    withConfig invalidConfig (const $ pure ()) >>= \case
+      Left CompleteDirectoryFailed {} -> pure ()
+      _ -> fail "expected Left CompleteDirectoryFailed"
 
   it "No initdb plan causes failure" $ do
     let dontTimeout = defaultConfig
@@ -544,7 +545,6 @@
 withSnapshotSpecs :: Spec
 withSnapshotSpecs = describe "withSnapshot" $ do
   it "works" $ withConfig' defaultConfig $ \db -> do
-    -- TODO create a table
     withConn db $ \conn -> do
       _ <- PG.execute_ conn "BEGIN; CREATE TABLE foo ( id int );"
       void $ PG.execute_ conn "INSERT INTO foo (id) VALUES (1); END;"
@@ -559,6 +559,37 @@
         snapshotConfigAndAssert
         testSuccessfulConfig
 
+  it "doesn't create the snapshot if it exists" $ withConfig' defaultConfig $ \db -> do
+    withConn db $ \conn -> do
+      _ <- PG.execute_ conn "BEGIN; CREATE TABLE foo ( id int );"
+      void $ PG.execute_ conn "INSERT INTO foo (id) VALUES (1); END;"
+
+    either throwIO pure <=< withSnapshot (Permanent $ "~/.tmp-postgres/test-snapshot/") db $ \snapshotDir -> do
+      let theSnapshotConfig = defaultConfig <> snapshotConfig snapshotDir
+      -- A file to the snapshot directory
+      writeFile (toFilePath (unSnapshot snapshotDir) <> "/testModification.txt") "yes"
+      -- start postgres
+      withConfig' theSnapshotConfig $ \newDb -> do
+        -- modify it in the data directory
+        writeFile (toDataDirectory newDb <> "/testModification.txt") "no"
+        -- add a new file
+        writeFile (toDataDirectory newDb <> "/newFile.txt") "yes"
+        -- take another snapshot
+        either throwIO pure <=< withSnapshot (Permanent $ "~/.tmp-postgres/test-snapshot") db $ \snapshotDir1 -> do
+          -- ensure the original is still there
+          readFile (toFilePath (unSnapshot snapshotDir1) <> "/testModification.txt")
+            `shouldReturn` "yes"
+          -- ensure the file is not``
+          doesFileExist (toFilePath (unSnapshot snapshotDir1) <> "/newFile.txt") `shouldReturn` False
+          let
+            theSnapshotConfig1 = defaultConfig <> snapshotConfig snapshotDir1
+            snapshotConfigAndAssert = ConfigAndAssertion theSnapshotConfig1 $ flip withConn $ \conn -> do
+              oneAgain <- fmap (PG.fromOnly . head) $ PG.query_ conn "SELECT id FROM foo"
+              oneAgain `shouldBe` (1 :: Int)
+
+          testWithTemporaryDirectory
+            snapshotConfigAndAssert
+            testSuccessfulConfig
 spec :: Spec
 spec = do
   withConfigSpecs
diff --git a/tmp-postgres.cabal b/tmp-postgres.cabal
--- a/tmp-postgres.cabal
+++ b/tmp-postgres.cabal
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 name:                tmp-postgres
-version:             1.27.0.4
+version:             1.28.0.0
 synopsis: Start and stop a temporary postgres
 description: Start and stop a temporary postgres. See README.md
 homepage:            https://github.com/jfischoff/tmp-postgres#readme