diff --git a/builder.py b/builder.py
index 5c8b4ea..1a33270 100644
--- a/builder.py
+++ b/builder.py
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import sys, os, random, errno
+import sys, os, random, errno, stat
 import vars, jwack, state
 from helpers import log, log_, debug2, err, unlink, close_on_exec
 
@@ -122,7 +122,7 @@ class BuildJob:
         before_tmp = os.fstat(f.fileno())
         after_tmp = _try_stat(tmpname)
         after_where = os.lseek(f.fileno(), 0, os.SEEK_CUR)
-        if after_t != before_t:
+        if after_t != before_t and not stat.S_ISDIR(after_t.st_mode):
             err('%r modified %r directly!\n' % (self.argv[2], t))
             err('...you should update $3 (a temp file) instead of $1.\n')
             rv = 206
diff --git a/t/clean.do b/t/clean.do
index 20f1ef3..27c473d 100644
--- a/t/clean.do
+++ b/t/clean.do
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
 redo example/clean curse/clean deps/clean "space dir/clean"
 rm -f c c.c c.c.c c.c.c.b c.c.c.b.b d mode1
 rm -f hello [by]ellow *.o *~ .*~ CC LD passfail
-
+rm -rf makedir
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/t/makedir.do b/t/makedir.do
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a110c2f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/t/makedir.do
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+[ -e "$1" ] && rmdir $1
+mkdir $1
diff --git a/t/test.do b/t/test.do
index 9b94af4..898fd6c 100644
--- a/t/test.do
+++ b/t/test.do
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
 redo-ifchange all
 ./hello >&2
 redo deltest deltest2 test.args test2.args passfailtest \
-	curse/test deps/test "space dir/test" modetest
+	curse/test deps/test "space dir/test" modetest makedir