diff --git a/src/builder.rs b/src/builder.rs
index f2d29464..abdf2442 100644
--- a/src/builder.rs
+++ b/src/builder.rs
@@ -606,20 +606,16 @@ fn append_path_with_name(
     options: BuilderOptions,
 ) -> io::Result<()> {
     let stat = if options.follow {
-        fs::metadata(path).map_err(|err| {
-            io::Error::new(
-                err.kind(),
-                format!("{} when getting metadata for {}", err, path.display()),
-            )
-        })?
+        fs::metadata(path)
     } else {
-        fs::symlink_metadata(path).map_err(|err| {
-            io::Error::new(
-                err.kind(),
-                format!("{} when getting metadata for {}", err, path.display()),
-            )
-        })?
-    };
+        fs::symlink_metadata(path)
+    }
+    .map_err(|err| {
+        io::Error::new(
+            err.kind(),
+            format!("{} when getting metadata for {}", err, path.display()),
+        )
+    })?;
     let ar_name = name.unwrap_or(path);
     if stat.is_file() {
         append_file(dst, ar_name, &mut fs::File::open(path)?, options)
@@ -874,7 +870,18 @@ fn append_dir_all(
     src_path: &Path,
     options: BuilderOptions,
 ) -> io::Result<()> {
-    let mut stack = vec![(src_path.to_path_buf(), true, false)];
+    let src_metadata = if options.follow {
+        fs::metadata(src_path)
+    } else {
+        fs::symlink_metadata(src_path)
+    }?;
+    if !src_metadata.is_dir() {
+        return Err(io::Error::new(
+            io::ErrorKind::NotADirectory,
+            "append_dir_all() argument not a directory",
+        ));
+    }
+    let mut stack = vec![(src_path.to_path_buf(), true, src_metadata.is_symlink())];
     while let Some((src, is_dir, is_symlink)) = stack.pop() {
         let dest = path.join(src.strip_prefix(src_path).unwrap());
         // In case of a symlink pointing to a directory, is_dir is false, but src.is_dir() will return true