diff --git a/docs/refguide.xml b/docs/refguide.xml
index 54b0b70ad..83351639d 100644
--- a/docs/refguide.xml
+++ b/docs/refguide.xml
@@ -2285,7 +2285,7 @@ way.</para>
 
       <varlistentry>
         <term>
-          <option>--script <replaceable>filename</replaceable>|<replaceable>category</replaceable>|<replaceable>directory</replaceable>|<replaceable>expression</replaceable><optional>,...</optional></option>
+          <option>--script <replaceable>filename</replaceable>|<replaceable>category</replaceable>|<replaceable>directory</replaceable>/|<replaceable>expression</replaceable><optional>,...</optional></option>
           <indexterm><primary><option>--script</option></primary></indexterm>
         </term>
 
@@ -2329,7 +2329,7 @@ executable, followed by <filename>../share/nmap</filename> (not searched on Wind
 </para>
 
 <para>
-When a directory name is given, Nmap loads every file in the directory
+When a directory name ending in <literal>/</literal> is given, Nmap loads every file in the directory
 whose name ends with <filename>.nse</filename>. All other files are
 ignored and directories are not searched recursively. When a filename is
 given, it does not have to have the <filename>.nse</filename> extension;
diff --git a/docs/scripting.xml b/docs/scripting.xml
index 549bcd4f9..1027549ca 100644
--- a/docs/scripting.xml
+++ b/docs/scripting.xml
@@ -627,7 +627,7 @@ Black Hat Briefings in 2010.</para>
      <varlistentry>
         <term>
           <indexterm><primary><option>--script</option></primary></indexterm>
-          <option>--script <replaceable>filename</replaceable>|<replaceable>category</replaceable>|<replaceable>directory</replaceable>|<replaceable>expression</replaceable><optional>,...</optional></option></term>
+          <option>--script <replaceable>filename</replaceable>|<replaceable>category</replaceable>|<replaceable>directory</replaceable>/|<replaceable>expression</replaceable><optional>,...</optional></option></term>
 
 <listitem>
 
@@ -676,7 +676,7 @@ executable, followed by <filename>../share/nmap</filename> (not searched on Wind
 </para>
 
 <para>
-When a directory name is given, Nmap loads every file in the directory
+When a directory name ending in <literal>/</literal> is given, Nmap loads every file in the directory
 whose name ends with <filename>.nse</filename>. All other files are
 ignored and directories are not searched recursively. When a filename is
 given, it does not have to have the <filename>.nse</filename> extension;
diff --git a/nse_main.cc b/nse_main.cc
index 9d84d4d20..7b028d420 100644
--- a/nse_main.cc
+++ b/nse_main.cc
@@ -271,7 +271,8 @@ static int l_protect_xml(lua_State *L)
 static int nse_fetch (lua_State *L, int (*fetch)(char *, size_t, const char *))
 {
   char path[MAXPATHLEN];
-  switch (fetch(path, sizeof(path), luaL_checkstring(L, 1)))
+  const char *input = luaL_checkstring(L, 1);
+  switch (fetch(path, sizeof(path), input))
   {
     case 0: // no such path
       lua_pushnil(L);
@@ -282,7 +283,12 @@ static int nse_fetch (lua_State *L, int (*fetch)(char *, size_t, const char *))
       lua_pushstring(L, path);
       break;
     case 2: // directory returned
-      lua_pushliteral(L, "directory");
+      if (input[strlen(input) - 1] == '/') {
+        lua_pushliteral(L, "directory");
+      }
+      else {
+        lua_pushliteral(L, "bare_directory");
+      }
       lua_pushstring(L, path);
       break;
     default:
diff --git a/nse_main.lua b/nse_main.lua
index 1afa26f23..cdf691959 100644
--- a/nse_main.lua
+++ b/nse_main.lua
@@ -817,6 +817,8 @@ local function get_chosen_scripts (rules)
         if not (cnse.scriptversion and rule == "version") then
           error("'"..rule.."' did not match a category, filename, or directory");
         end
+      elseif t == "bare_directory" then
+        error("directory '"..path.."' found, but will not match without '/'")
       elseif t == "file" and not files_loaded[path] then
         script_params.selection = "file path";
         script_params.verbosity = true;