diff --git a/wal/wal.go b/wal/wal.go
index 1f55173f0..77fefb7bb 100644
--- a/wal/wal.go
+++ b/wal/wal.go
@@ -89,11 +89,18 @@ func Create(dirpath string, metadata []byte) (*WAL, error) {
 		return nil, os.ErrExist
 	}
 
-	if err := os.MkdirAll(dirpath, privateDirMode); err != nil {
+	// keep temporary wal directory so WAL initialization appears atomic
+	tmpdirpath := path.Clean(dirpath) + ".tmp"
+	if fileutil.Exist(tmpdirpath) {
+		if err := os.RemoveAll(tmpdirpath); err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
+	}
+	if err := os.MkdirAll(tmpdirpath, privateDirMode); err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
-	p := path.Join(dirpath, walName(0, 0))
+	p := path.Join(tmpdirpath, walName(0, 0))
 	f, err := fileutil.LockFile(p, os.O_WRONLY|os.O_CREATE, 0600)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
@@ -109,7 +116,6 @@ func Create(dirpath string, metadata []byte) (*WAL, error) {
 		dir:      dirpath,
 		metadata: metadata,
 		encoder:  newEncoder(f, 0),
-		fp:       newFilePipeline(dirpath, segmentSizeBytes),
 	}
 	w.locks = append(w.locks, f)
 	if err := w.saveCrc(0); err != nil {
@@ -121,6 +127,15 @@ func Create(dirpath string, metadata []byte) (*WAL, error) {
 	if err := w.SaveSnapshot(walpb.Snapshot{}); err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
+
+	if err := os.RemoveAll(dirpath); err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	if err := os.Rename(tmpdirpath, dirpath); err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
+	w.fp = newFilePipeline(w.dir, segmentSizeBytes)
 	return w, nil
 }
 
diff --git a/wal/wal_test.go b/wal/wal_test.go
index 9045c557d..49fbddefe 100644
--- a/wal/wal_test.go
+++ b/wal/wal_test.go
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ func TestNew(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
 	gd := make([]byte, off)
-	f, err := os.Open(w.tail().Name())
+	f, err := os.Open(path.Join(p, path.Base(w.tail().Name())))
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
@@ -600,3 +600,39 @@ func TestTailWriteNoSlackSpace(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 	w.Close()
 }
+
+// TestRestartCreateWal ensures that an interrupted WAL initialization is clobbered on restart
+func TestRestartCreateWal(t *testing.T) {
+	p, err := ioutil.TempDir(os.TempDir(), "waltest")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	defer os.RemoveAll(p)
+
+	// make temporary directory so it looks like initialization is interrupted
+	tmpdir := path.Clean(p) + ".tmp"
+	if err = os.Mkdir(p+".tmp", 0755); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if _, err = os.OpenFile(path.Join(tmpdir, "test"), os.O_WRONLY|os.O_CREATE, 0600); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	w, werr := Create(p, []byte("abc"))
+	if werr != nil {
+		t.Fatal(werr)
+	}
+	w.Close()
+	if Exist(tmpdir) {
+		t.Fatalf("got %q exists, expected it to not exist", tmpdir)
+	}
+
+	if w, err = OpenForRead(p, walpb.Snapshot{}); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	defer w.Close()
+
+	if meta, _, _, rerr := w.ReadAll(); rerr != nil || string(meta) != "abc" {
+		t.Fatalf("got error %v and meta %q, expected nil and %q", rerr, meta, "abc")
+	}
+}