diff --git a/changes/ticket20486 b/changes/ticket20486
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..9c1bb1e67f716ca2d7f37523aec31383e8fd0fe5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changes/ticket20486
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+  o Documentation (Onion Services):
+     - tor's man page incorrectly states that HiddenServiceDir must already
+       exist. This is not true. Fixes 20486.
diff --git a/doc/tor.1.txt b/doc/tor.1.txt
index 221c79825788bb46a114156fb3716999bc1c1104..1d7958d8c920053edfaa6b9a0cae66ee1eaa977d 100644
--- a/doc/tor.1.txt
+++ b/doc/tor.1.txt
@@ -2334,9 +2334,9 @@ The following options are used to configure a hidden service.
 [[HiddenServiceDir]] **HiddenServiceDir** __DIRECTORY__::
     Store data files for a hidden service in DIRECTORY. Every hidden service
     must have a separate directory. You may use this option  multiple times to
-    specify multiple services. DIRECTORY must be an existing directory.
+    specify multiple services. If DIRECTORY does not exist, Tor will create it.
     (Note: in current versions of Tor, if DIRECTORY is a relative path,
-    it will be relative to current
+    it will be relative to the current
     working directory of Tor instance, not to its DataDirectory.  Do not
     rely on this behavior; it is not guaranteed to remain the same in future
     versions.)