diff --git a/src/local.ts b/src/local.ts
index cd70e38..5bcc46b 100644
--- a/src/local.ts
+++ b/src/local.ts
@@ -50,6 +50,8 @@ export const getLocalEntityList = async (
     } else {
       throw Error(`unexpected ${entry}`);
     }
+
+    local.push(r);
   }
 
   if (syncConfigDir) {
diff --git a/src/main.ts b/src/main.ts
index bcdc281..30a3fc3 100644
--- a/src/main.ts
+++ b/src/main.ts
@@ -240,7 +240,7 @@ export default class RemotelySavePlugin extends Plugin {
         () => self.saveSettings()
       );
       const remoteEntityList = await client.listAllFromRemote();
-      // log.debug(remoteEntityList);
+      log.debug(remoteEntityList);
 
       if (this.settings.currLogLevel === "info") {
         // pass
@@ -269,7 +269,7 @@ export default class RemotelySavePlugin extends Plugin {
         this.app.vault.configDir,
         this.manifest.id
       );
-      // log.info(localEntityList);
+      log.debug(localEntityList);
 
       if (this.settings.currLogLevel === "info") {
         // pass
@@ -281,7 +281,7 @@ export default class RemotelySavePlugin extends Plugin {
         this.db,
         this.vaultRandomID
       );
-      // log.info(prevSyncEntityList);
+      log.debug(prevSyncEntityList);
 
       if (this.settings.currLogLevel === "info") {
         // pass
diff --git a/src/misc.ts b/src/misc.ts
index 69b0122..eaa0e88 100644
--- a/src/misc.ts
+++ b/src/misc.ts
@@ -76,17 +76,16 @@ export const getFolderLevels = (x: string, addEndingSlash: boolean = false) => {
 
 export const mkdirpInVault = async (thePath: string, vault: Vault) => {
   // log.info(thePath);
-
-  // as of 2020219,
-  // Obsidian can create the folder recursively
-  // but the path should not end with '/'
-  if (thePath === "/" || thePath === "") {
-    return;
+  const foldersToBuild = getFolderLevels(thePath);
+  // log.info(foldersToBuild);
+  for (const folder of foldersToBuild) {
+    const r = await vault.adapter.exists(folder);
+    // log.info(r);
+    if (!r) {
+      log.info(`mkdir ${folder}`);
+      await vault.adapter.mkdir(folder);
+    }
   }
-  let thePathNoEnding = thePath.endsWith("/")
-    ? thePath.slice(0, thePath.length - 1)
-    : thePath;
-  await vault.adapter.mkdir(thePathNoEnding);
 };
 
 /**
diff --git a/src/sync.ts b/src/sync.ts
index 7693d14..cff90a6 100644
--- a/src/sync.ts
+++ b/src/sync.ts
@@ -442,6 +442,8 @@ export const getSyncPlanInplace = async (
       // folder
       // folder doesn't worry about mtime and size, only check their existences
       if (keptFolder.has(key)) {
+        // parent should also be kept
+        keptFolder.add(getParentFolder(key));
         // should fill the missing part
         if (local !== undefined && remote !== undefined) {
           mixedEntry.decisionBranch = 101;
@@ -731,7 +733,9 @@ const splitThreeStepsOnEntityMappings = (
       val.decision === "folder_existed_remote" ||
       val.decision === "folder_to_be_created"
     ) {
+      log.debug(`splitting folder: key=${key},val=${JSON.stringify(val)}`);
       const level = atWhichLevel(key);
+      log.debug(`atWhichLevel: ${level}`);
       if (folderCreationOps[level - 1] === undefined) {
         folderCreationOps[level - 1] = [val];
       } else {
@@ -891,6 +895,11 @@ export const doActualSync = async (
   log.debug(`concurrency === ${concurrency}`);
   const { folderCreationOps, deletionOps, uploadDownloads, realTotalCount } =
     splitThreeStepsOnEntityMappings(mixedEntityMappings);
+  log.debug(`folderCreationOps: ${JSON.stringify(folderCreationOps)}`);
+  log.debug(`deletionOps: ${JSON.stringify(deletionOps)}`);
+  log.debug(`uploadDownloads: ${JSON.stringify(uploadDownloads)}`);
+  log.debug(`realTotalCount: ${JSON.stringify(realTotalCount)}`);
+
   const nested = [folderCreationOps, deletionOps, uploadDownloads];
   const logTexts = [
     `1. create all folders from shadowest to deepest, also check undefined decision`,