diff --git a/bin/cp/cp.c b/bin/cp/cp.c
--- a/bin/cp/cp.c
+++ b/bin/cp/cp.c
@@ -296,6 +296,11 @@
 		sep = strchr(to.base, '\0');
 		sep[0] = '/';
 		sep[1] = '\0';
+	} else {
+		/*
+		 * We will create the destination directory imminently.
+		 */
+		to.dir = -1;
 	}
 
 	if ((ftsp = fts_open(argv, fts_options, NULL)) == NULL)
@@ -633,8 +638,9 @@
 	}
 	if (errno)
 		err(1, "fts_read");
-	fts_close(ftsp);
-	close(to.dir);
+	(void)fts_close(ftsp);
+	if (to.dir != AT_FDCWD && to.dir >= 0)
+		(void)close(to.dir);
 	free(recpath);
 	return (rval);
 }