diff --git a/cdist/conf/type/__key_value/explorer/state b/cdist/conf/type/__key_value/explorer/state
index 8bdd3a1d..6dfb2031 100755
--- a/cdist/conf/type/__key_value/explorer/state
+++ b/cdist/conf/type/__key_value/explorer/state
@@ -24,6 +24,12 @@ export key="$(cat "$__object/parameter/key" 2>/dev/null \
 export state="$(cat "$__object/parameter/state" 2>/dev/null \
    || echo "present")"
 file="$(cat "$__object/parameter/file")"
+
+if [ ! -f "$file" ]; then
+    echo "nosuchfile"
+    exit
+fi
+
 export delimiter="$(cat "$__object/parameter/delimiter")"
 export value="$(cat "$__object/parameter/value" 2>/dev/null \
    || echo "__CDIST_NOTSET__")"
diff --git a/cdist/conf/type/__key_value/gencode-remote b/cdist/conf/type/__key_value/gencode-remote
index 62cc745d..ad216f51 100755
--- a/cdist/conf/type/__key_value/gencode-remote
+++ b/cdist/conf/type/__key_value/gencode-remote
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ fi
 case "$state_should" in
     absent)
         case "$state_is" in
-            absent)
+            absent|nosuchfile)
                 # nothing to do
             ;;
             wrongformat|wrongvalue|present)
@@ -58,6 +58,9 @@ case "$state_should" in
     ;;
     present)
         case "$state_is" in
+            nosuchfile)
+                echo created >> "$__messages_out"
+            ;;
             absent)
                 echo inserted >> "$__messages_out"
             ;;
@@ -104,7 +107,11 @@ export exact_delimiter="$exact_delimiter"
 
 tmpfile=\$(mktemp "${file}.cdist.XXXXXXXXXX")
 # preserve ownership and permissions by copying existing file over tmpfile
-cp -p "$file" "\$tmpfile"
+if [ -f "$file" ]; then
+    cp -p "$file" "\$tmpfile"
+else
+    touch "$file"
+fi
 awk -f - "$file" >"\$tmpfile" <<"AWK_EOF"
 BEGIN {
     # import variables in a secure way ..
diff --git a/cdist/conf/type/__key_value/man.text b/cdist/conf/type/__key_value/man.text
index dabfe928..de2d7d65 100644
--- a/cdist/conf/type/__key_value/man.text
+++ b/cdist/conf/type/__key_value/man.text
@@ -53,6 +53,8 @@ inserted::
     A new line was inserted
 changed::
     An existing line was changed
+created::
+    A new line was inserted in a new file
 
 
 EXAMPLES