diff --git a/src/blob.c b/src/blob.c
index 07c4d92c8..ad0f4ac62 100644
--- a/src/blob.c
+++ b/src/blob.c
@@ -185,6 +185,12 @@ int git_blob__create_from_paths(
 		(error = git_repository_odb(&odb, repo)) < 0)
 		goto done;
 
+	if (S_ISDIR(st.st_mode)) {
+		giterr_set(GITERR_ODB, "cannot create blob from '%s'; it is a directory", content_path);
+		error = GIT_EDIRECTORY;
+		goto done;
+	}
+
 	if (out_st)
 		memcpy(out_st, &st, sizeof(st));
 
diff --git a/tests/index/bypath.c b/tests/index/bypath.c
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..08c9934ea
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/index/bypath.c
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+#include "clar_libgit2.h"
+#include "repository.h"
+#include "../submodule/submodule_helpers.h"
+
+static git_repository *g_repo;
+static git_index *g_idx;
+
+void test_index_bypath__initialize(void)
+{
+	g_repo = setup_fixture_submod2();
+	cl_git_pass(git_repository_index__weakptr(&g_idx, g_repo));
+}
+
+void test_index_bypath__cleanup(void)
+{
+	g_repo = NULL;
+	g_idx = NULL;
+}
+
+void test_index_bypath__add_directory(void)
+{
+	cl_git_fail_with(GIT_EDIRECTORY, git_index_add_bypath(g_idx, "just_a_dir"));
+}
diff --git a/tests/submodule/add.c b/tests/submodule/add.c
index 01625d3aa..c3b3e6364 100644
--- a/tests/submodule/add.c
+++ b/tests/submodule/add.c
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 #include "submodule_helpers.h"
 #include "config/config_helpers.h"
 #include "fileops.h"
+#include "repository.h"
 
 static git_repository *g_repo = NULL;