Index: kdecore/config/kconfig.cpp
===================================================================
--- kdecore/config/kconfig.cpp	(revision 866718)
+++ kdecore/config/kconfig.cpp	(revision 866909)
@@ -296,11 +296,8 @@
     if (d->bDirty && d->mBackend) {
         const QByteArray utf8Locale(locale().toUtf8());
 
-        // Check if we can write to the local file.
-        if (!d->mBackend->isWritable()) {
-            // Create the containing dir, maybe it wasn't there
-            d->mBackend->createEnclosing();
-        }
+        // Create the containing dir, maybe it wasn't there
+        d->mBackend->createEnclosing();
 
         // lock the local file
         if (d->configState == ReadWrite && !d->lockLocal()) {
@@ -409,7 +406,7 @@
                 fileName = appName + QLatin1String("rc");
                 if (type && *type)
                     resourceType = type; // only change it if it's not empty
-                file = KStandardDirs::locateLocal(resourceType, fileName, componentData);
+                file = KStandardDirs::locateLocal(resourceType, fileName, false, componentData);
             }
         } else if (wantGlobals()) { // accessing "kdeglobals"
             resourceType = "config";
@@ -421,7 +418,7 @@
     else {
         if (type && *type)
             resourceType = type; // only change it if it's not empty
-        file = KStandardDirs::locateLocal(resourceType, fileName, componentData);
+        file = KStandardDirs::locateLocal(resourceType, fileName, false, componentData);
 
         if (fileName == QLatin1String("kdeglobals"))
             openFlags |= KConfig::IncludeGlobals;
Index: kdecore/config/kconfigini.cpp
===================================================================
--- kdecore/config/kconfigini.cpp	(revision 866718)
+++ kdecore/config/kconfigini.cpp	(revision 866909)
@@ -485,8 +485,24 @@
 
 bool KConfigIniBackend::isWritable() const
 {
-    if (!filePath().isEmpty())
-        return KStandardDirs::checkAccess(filePath(), W_OK);
+    if (!filePath().isEmpty()) {
+        if (KStandardDirs::checkAccess(filePath(), W_OK)) {
+            return true;
+        }
+        // The check might have failed because any of the containing dirs
+        // did not exist. If the file does not exist, check if the deepest
+        // existing dir is writable.
+        if (!QFileInfo(filePath()).exists()) {
+            QDir dir = QFileInfo(filePath()).absolutePath();
+            while (!dir.exists()) {
+                if (!dir.cdUp()) {
+                    return false;
+                }
+            }
+            return QFileInfo(dir.absolutePath()).isWritable();
+        }
+    }
+
     return false;
 }
 
@@ -532,7 +548,7 @@
     if (filePath().isEmpty())
         return KConfigBase::NoAccess;
 
-    if (KStandardDirs::checkAccess(filePath(), W_OK))
+    if (isWritable())
         return KConfigBase::ReadWrite;
 
     return KConfigBase::ReadOnly;