diff --git a/tvix/eval/src/io.rs b/tvix/eval/src/io.rs
index 9acfd6eeb..abe0e0518 100644
--- a/tvix/eval/src/io.rs
+++ b/tvix/eval/src/io.rs
@@ -98,7 +98,8 @@ pub struct StdIO;
 #[cfg(feature = "impure")]
 impl EvalIO for StdIO {
     fn path_exists(&self, path: &Path) -> io::Result<bool> {
-        path.try_exists()
+        // In general, an IO error indicates the path doesn't exist
+        Ok(path.try_exists().unwrap_or(false))
     }
 
     fn open(&self, path: &Path) -> io::Result<Box<dyn io::Read>> {
diff --git a/tvix/eval/src/tests/tvix_tests/eval-okay-path-exists-child-of-file.exp b/tvix/eval/src/tests/tvix_tests/eval-okay-path-exists-child-of-file.exp
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..c508d5366
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tvix/eval/src/tests/tvix_tests/eval-okay-path-exists-child-of-file.exp
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+false
diff --git a/tvix/eval/src/tests/tvix_tests/eval-okay-path-exists-child-of-file.nix b/tvix/eval/src/tests/tvix_tests/eval-okay-path-exists-child-of-file.nix
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..8588f0bdd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tvix/eval/src/tests/tvix_tests/eval-okay-path-exists-child-of-file.nix
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+builtins.pathExists ("/dev/null/.")
\ No newline at end of file