diff --git a/beets/ui/commands.py b/beets/ui/commands.py
index 7e2095dd1..db34ed872 100755
--- a/beets/ui/commands.py
+++ b/beets/ui/commands.py
@@ -1481,13 +1481,18 @@ def move_items(lib, dest, query, copy, album, pretend, export=False,
                                for obj in objs])
     else:
         if export:
+
             if album:
                 for obj in objs:
                     for item in obj.items():
+                        # Create necessary ancestry for the copy.
+                        util.mkdirall(item.destination(basedir=dest))
                         util.copy(item.path, item.destination(basedir=dest))
             else:
-                for item in objs:
-                    util.copy(item.path, item.destination(basedir=dest))
+                for obj in objs:
+                    # Create necessary ancestry for the copy.
+                    util.mkdirall(obj.destination(basedir=dest))
+                    util.copy(obj.path, obj.destination(basedir=dest))
         if confirm:
             objs = ui.input_select_objects(
                 u'Really %s' % act, objs,
diff --git a/test/test_ui.py b/test/test_ui.py
index 0f5ad5d67..33266d379 100644
--- a/test/test_ui.py
+++ b/test/test_ui.py
@@ -543,6 +543,8 @@ class ExportTest(_common.TestCase):
         self.assertExists(self.i.path)
         self.assertExists(self.itempath)
 
+
+
     def test_pretend_move_item(self):
         self._move(dest=self.otherdir, pretend=True)
         self.i.load()