diff --git a/framework/CHANGELOG.md b/framework/CHANGELOG.md
index 6bf54622d7..633bd5a65f 100644
--- a/framework/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/framework/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ Yii Framework 2 Change Log
 2.0.16 under development
 ------------------------
 
+- Bug #16822: Create config dir recursively in message/config (Groonya)
 - Bug #16580: Delete unused php message files in MessageController if `$removeUnused` option is on (Groonya)
 - Bug #16022: Fix UniqueValidator for PostgreSQL. Checks the uniqueness of keys in `jsonb` field (lav45)
 - Bug #16903: Fixed 'yii\validators\NumberValidator' method 'isNotNumber' returns false for true/false value (annechko)
diff --git a/framework/console/controllers/MessageController.php b/framework/console/controllers/MessageController.php
index 16f4defb99..bd460ae8a7 100644
--- a/framework/console/controllers/MessageController.php
+++ b/framework/console/controllers/MessageController.php
@@ -218,6 +218,8 @@ class MessageController extends \yii\console\Controller
     public function actionConfig($filePath)
     {
         $filePath = Yii::getAlias($filePath);
+        $dir = dirname($filePath);
+
         if (file_exists($filePath)) {
             if (!$this->confirm("File '{$filePath}' already exists. Do you wish to overwrite it?")) {
                 return ExitCode::OK;
@@ -241,7 +243,7 @@ return $array;
 
 EOD;
 
-        if (file_put_contents($filePath, $content, LOCK_EX) === false) {
+        if (FileHelper::createDirectory($dir) === false || file_put_contents($filePath, $content, LOCK_EX) === false) {
             $this->stdout("Configuration file was NOT created: '{$filePath}'.\n\n", Console::FG_RED);
             return ExitCode::UNSPECIFIED_ERROR;
         }
diff --git a/tests/framework/console/controllers/BaseMessageControllerTest.php b/tests/framework/console/controllers/BaseMessageControllerTest.php
index 2c7e6515d6..28812bc602 100644
--- a/tests/framework/console/controllers/BaseMessageControllerTest.php
+++ b/tests/framework/console/controllers/BaseMessageControllerTest.php
@@ -153,6 +153,13 @@ abstract class BaseMessageControllerTest extends TestCase
             "Unable to create config file from template. Command output:\n\n" . $out);
     }
 
+    public function testActionConfigSubDir()
+    {
+        $configFileName = Yii::getAlias('@yiiunit/runtime/not_existing_subdir') . DIRECTORY_SEPARATOR . 'message_controller_test_config-' . md5(uniqid()) . '.php';
+        $out = $this->runMessageControllerAction('config', [$configFileName]);
+        $this->assertFileExists($configFileName, "Unable to create config file in subdirectory. Command output:\n\n" . $out);
+    }
+
     public function testConfigFileNotExist()
     {
         $this->expectException('yii\\console\\Exception');