diff --git a/mhcflurry/class1_affinity_prediction/train_allele_specific_models_command.py b/mhcflurry/class1_affinity_prediction/train_allele_specific_models_command.py
index 6e03489d2993ea8fdba1120617551bd0abac5f3e..6f0aa97529613321e2f3986a9d38201f3bd27983 100644
--- a/mhcflurry/class1_affinity_prediction/train_allele_specific_models_command.py
+++ b/mhcflurry/class1_affinity_prediction/train_allele_specific_models_command.py
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 Train Class1 single allele models.
 
 """
+import os
 import sys
 import argparse
 import json
@@ -81,7 +82,7 @@ def run(argv=sys.argv[1:]):
     allele_counts = df.allele.value_counts()
 
     if args.allele:
-        alleles = args.allelle
+        alleles = args.allele
         df = df.ix[df.allele.isin(alleles)]
     else:
         alleles = list(allele_counts.ix[
@@ -93,6 +94,11 @@ def run(argv=sys.argv[1:]):
 
     predictor = Class1AffinityPredictor()
 
+    if args.out_models_dir and not os.path.exists(args.out_models_dir):
+        print("Attempting to create directory: %s" % args.out_models_dir)
+        os.mkdir(args.out_models_dir)
+        print("Done.")
+
     for (h, hyperparameters) in enumerate(hyperparameters_lst):
         n_models = hyperparameters.pop("n_models")