diff --git a/plugins/apps/subcommands/rename b/plugins/apps/subcommands/rename
index 7ad59b08d..34da3df31 100755
--- a/plugins/apps/subcommands/rename
+++ b/plugins/apps/subcommands/rename
@@ -13,11 +13,11 @@ apps_rename_cmd() {
   local NEW_APP="$3"
   local OLD_CACHE_DIR="$DOKKU_ROOT/$OLD_APP/cache"
 
-  mkdir -p "$DOKKU_ROOT/$NEW_APP"
   if [[ -d "$OLD_CACHE_DIR" ]] && ! rmdir "$OLD_CACHE_DIR"; then
     docker run "$DOKKU_GLOBAL_RUN_ARGS" --rm -v "$OLD_CACHE_DIR:/cache" "dokku/$OLD_APP" chmod 777 -R /cache
   fi
   rm -rf "$OLD_CACHE_DIR"
+  apps_create "$NEW_APP"
   cp -a "$DOKKU_ROOT/$OLD_APP/." "$DOKKU_ROOT/$NEW_APP"
   DOKKU_APPS_FORCE_DELETE=1 apps_destroy "$OLD_APP"
   [[ -f "$DOKKU_ROOT/$NEW_APP/URLS" ]] && sed -i -e "s/$OLD_APP/$NEW_APP/g" "$DOKKU_ROOT/$NEW_APP/URLS"