diff --git a/bin/cp/cp.c b/bin/cp/cp.c
--- a/bin/cp/cp.c
+++ b/bin/cp/cp.c
@@ -260,22 +260,6 @@
 	    &to_stat)));
 }
 
-/* Does the right thing based on -R + -H/-L/-P */
-static int
-copy_stat(const char *path, struct stat *sb)
-{
-
-	/*
-	 * For -R -H/-P, we need to lstat() instead; copy() cares about the link
-	 * itself rather than the target if we're not following links during the
-	 * traversal.
-	 */
-	if (!Rflag || Lflag)
-		return (stat(path, sb));
-	return (lstat(path, sb));
-}
-
-
 static int
 copy(char *argv[], enum op type, int fts_options, struct stat *root_stat)
 {
@@ -403,7 +387,6 @@
 					continue;
 				}
 
-
 				if (asprintf(&recurse_path, "%s/%s", to.p_path,
 				    rootname) == -1)
 					err(1, "asprintf");
@@ -452,30 +435,21 @@
 			continue;
 		}
 
-		/* Not an error but need to remember it happened. */
-		if (copy_stat(to.p_path, &to_stat) == -1)
-			dne = 1;
-		else {
-			if (to_stat.st_dev == curr->fts_statp->st_dev &&
-			    to_stat.st_ino == curr->fts_statp->st_ino) {
-				warnx("%s and %s are identical (not copied).",
-				    to.p_path, curr->fts_path);
-				badcp = rval = 1;
-				if (S_ISDIR(curr->fts_statp->st_mode))
-					(void)fts_set(ftsp, curr, FTS_SKIP);
-				continue;
-			}
-			if (!S_ISDIR(curr->fts_statp->st_mode) &&
-			    S_ISDIR(to_stat.st_mode)) {
-				warnx("cannot overwrite directory %s with "
-				    "non-directory %s",
-				    to.p_path, curr->fts_path);
-				badcp = rval = 1;
-				continue;
-			}
-			dne = 0;
+		/* Check if source and destination are identical. */
+		if (stat(to.p_path, &to_stat) == 0 &&
+		    to_stat.st_dev == curr->fts_statp->st_dev &&
+		    to_stat.st_ino == curr->fts_statp->st_ino) {
+			warnx("%s and %s are identical (not copied).",
+			    to.p_path, curr->fts_path);
+			badcp = rval = 1;
+			if (S_ISDIR(curr->fts_statp->st_mode))
+				(void)fts_set(ftsp, curr, FTS_SKIP);
+			continue;
 		}
 
+		/* Not an error but need to remember it happened. */
+		dne = lstat(to.p_path, &to_stat) != 0;
+
 		switch (curr->fts_statp->st_mode & S_IFMT) {
 		case S_IFLNK:
 			/* Catch special case of a non-dangling symlink. */
diff --git a/bin/cp/tests/cp_test.sh b/bin/cp/tests/cp_test.sh
--- a/bin/cp/tests/cp_test.sh
+++ b/bin/cp/tests/cp_test.sh
@@ -363,6 +363,35 @@
 	atf_check -o inline:"foo\n" readlink bar
 }
 
+atf_test_case directory_to_symlink
+directory_to_symlink_body()
+{
+	mkdir -p foo
+	ln -s .. foo/bar
+	mkdir bar
+	touch bar/baz
+	atf_check -s not-exit:0 -e match:"Not a directory" \
+	    cp -R bar foo
+	atf_check -s not-exit:0 -e match:"Not a directory" \
+	    cp -r bar foo
+}
+
+atf_test_case overwrite_directory
+overwrite_directory_body()
+{
+	mkdir -p foo/bar/baz
+	touch bar
+	atf_check -s not-exit:0 -e match:"Is a directory" \
+	    cp bar foo
+	rm bar
+	mkdir bar
+	touch bar/baz
+	atf_check -s not-exit:0 -e match:"Is a directory" \
+	    cp -R bar foo
+	atf_check -s not-exit:0 -e match:"Is a directory" \
+	    cp -r bar foo
+}
+
 atf_init_test_cases()
 {
 	atf_add_test_case basic
@@ -388,4 +417,6 @@
 	atf_add_test_case symlink
 	atf_add_test_case symlink_exists
 	atf_add_test_case symlink_exists_force
+	atf_add_test_case directory_to_symlink
+	atf_add_test_case overwrite_directory
 }