diff --git a/plugins/docker/docker.plugin.zsh b/plugins/docker/docker.plugin.zsh
index c738f315c..88687438e 100644
--- a/plugins/docker/docker.plugin.zsh
+++ b/plugins/docker/docker.plugin.zsh
@@ -48,6 +48,11 @@ fi
 0="${${ZERO:-${0:#$ZSH_ARGZERO}}:-${(%):-%N}}"
 0="${${(M)0:#/*}:-$PWD/$0}"
 
+# Make sure the cache directory exists; when the plugin is loaded by a
+# standalone plugin manager (e.g. antigen) the core is not sourced, so
+# $ZSH_CACHE_DIR/completions may not have been created yet (#13679).
+[[ -d "$ZSH_CACHE_DIR/completions" ]] || mkdir -p "$ZSH_CACHE_DIR/completions"
+
 # If the completion file doesn't exist yet, we need to autoload it and
 # bind it to `docker`. Otherwise, compinit will have already done that.
 if [[ ! -f "$ZSH_CACHE_DIR/completions/_docker" ]]; then