diff --git a/bin/is b/bin/is
index 6f40c945749328492f913f81f9b9acd33e464c3c..8be4e7526d075dd3fe1865dcdb8a037a4ac8f653 100755
--- a/bin/is
+++ b/bin/is
@@ -144,6 +144,14 @@ def c_del(parser, args):
                 raise Exception("Abort")
         repo.delete(img.name, img.version)
 
+def c_extract(parser, args):
+    '''
+    Extract an image package inside a directory
+    '''
+    repoman = load_repositories(args)
+    img, repo = select_image(args.image, repoman)
+    img.extract(args.directory, payload=args.payload, force=args.force)
+
 def c_get(parser, args):
     '''
     Get a remove image in current directory
@@ -325,6 +333,16 @@ p_del.add_argument("-f", "--force", action="store_true", default=False,
                    help="delete image without confirmation")
 p_del.set_defaults(func=c_del)
 
+# extract command parser
+p_extract = subparsers.add_parser("extract", help=c_extract.__doc__.lower())
+p_extract.add_argument("-p", action="store_true", dest="payload", default=False,
+                       help="extract payload")
+p_extract.add_argument("-f", "--force", action="store_true", default=False,
+                       help="overwrite existing directories")
+p_extract.add_argument("image", help="image to extract")
+p_extract.add_argument("directory", help="directory where image will be extracted")
+p_extract.set_defaults(func=c_extract)
+
 # get command parser
 p_get = subparsers.add_parser("get", help=c_get.__doc__.lower())
 p_get.set_defaults(func=c_get)
diff --git a/installsystems/image.py b/installsystems/image.py
index 621735bcf4fcd63ab3bc2e233b440e8bc3946613..9fae13be0d8d4c8d08fe0bbb8cfe6ef519e985a4 100644
--- a/installsystems/image.py
+++ b/installsystems/image.py
@@ -461,6 +461,25 @@ class PackageImage(Image):
             arrow(filename)
             out(self._tarball.get_str(filename))
 
+    def extract(self, directory, force=False, payload=False):
+        '''
+        Extract content of the image inside a repository
+        '''
+        # check destination
+        if not os.path.isdir(directory):
+            istools.mkdir(directory)
+        if not force and len(os.listdir(directory)) != 0:
+            raise Exception("%s is not empty" % directory)
+        # extract content
+        arrow("Extracting image in %s" % directory)
+        self._tarball.extractall(directory)
+        # launch payload extract
+        if payload:
+            for payname in self.payload:
+                dest = os.path.join(directory, "payload", payname)
+                arrow("Extracting payload %s in %s" % (payname, dest))
+                self.payload[payname].extract(dest, force=force)
+
     def run_parser(self, **kwargs):
         '''
         Run parser scripts
@@ -658,7 +677,7 @@ class Payload(object):
             if not force and len(os.listdir(dest)) > 0:
                 raise Exception("Directory %s is not empty (need force)" % dest)
         else:
-            os.mkdir(dest)
+            istools.mkdir(dest)
         # try to open payload file
         try:
             fo = istools.uopen(self.path)
@@ -688,6 +707,9 @@ class Payload(object):
         # if dest is a directory try to create file inside
         if os.path.isdir(dest):
             dest = os.path.join(dest, self.name)
+        # try to create leading directories
+        elif not os.path.exists(os.path.dirname(dest)):
+            istools.mkdir(os.path.dirname(dest))
         # check validity of dest
         if os.path.exists(dest):
             if os.path.isdir(dest):
diff --git a/installsystems/tools.py b/installsystems/tools.py
index e061d08cef85b5f3a734c3d541c2ea0e77b0ca27..1630dabf95d06101f9860a1c83f3342087f53bf1 100644
--- a/installsystems/tools.py
+++ b/installsystems/tools.py
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ def mkdir(path, uid=None, gid=None, mode=None):
     '''
     Create a directory and set rights
     '''
-    os.mkdir(path)
+    os.makedirs(path)
     chrights(path, uid, gid, mode)
 
 def chrights(path, uid=None, gid=None, mode=None, mtime=None):