diff --git a/sbysrc/sby.py b/sbysrc/sby.py
index 5052128..20ae345 100644
--- a/sbysrc/sby.py
+++ b/sbysrc/sby.py
@@ -412,6 +412,17 @@ if (workdir is not None) and (len(tasknames) != 1):
     print("ERROR: Exactly one task is required when workdir is specified. Specify the task or use --prefix instead of -d.", file=sys.stderr)
     sys.exit(1)
 
+# Check there are no files in this dir or any of its subdirs
+def check_dirtree_empty_of_files(dir):
+    list = os.listdir(dir)
+    if list:
+        for fn in list:
+            child_dir = os.path.join(dir, fn)
+            if os.path.isdir(child_dir) and check_dirtree_empty_of_files(child_dir):
+                continue
+            return False
+    return True
+
 def start_task(taskloop, taskname):
     sbyconfig, _, _, _ = read_sbyconfig(sbydata, taskname)
 
@@ -446,10 +457,10 @@ def start_task(taskloop, taskname):
 
         if reusedir:
             pass
-        elif os.path.isdir(my_workdir):
+        elif os.path.isdir(my_workdir) and not check_dirtree_empty_of_files(my_workdir):
             print(f"ERROR: Directory '{my_workdir}' already exists, use -f to overwrite the existing directory.")
             sys.exit(1)
-        else:
+        elif not os.path.isdir(my_workdir):
             os.makedirs(my_workdir)
 
     else:
diff --git a/sbysrc/sby_core.py b/sbysrc/sby_core.py
index 76812ae..b27d1a5 100644
--- a/sbysrc/sby_core.py
+++ b/sbysrc/sby_core.py
@@ -920,10 +920,11 @@ class SbyTask(SbyConfig):
     def makedirs(self, path):
         if self.reusedir and os.path.isdir(path):
             rmtree(path, ignore_errors=True)
-        os.makedirs(path)
+        if not os.path.isdir(path):
+            os.makedirs(path)
 
     def copy_src(self):
-        os.makedirs(self.workdir + "/src")
+        self.makedirs(self.workdir + "/src")
 
         for dstfile, lines in self.verbatim_files.items():
             dstfile = self.workdir + "/src/" + dstfile