diff --git a/lib/walk.js b/lib/walk.js
index abebff6..9ee9927 100644
--- a/lib/walk.js
+++ b/lib/walk.js
@@ -17,7 +17,9 @@
     var emitter = new EventEmitter()
       , q = []
       , queue = [q]
-      , curpath;
+      , curpath
+      , firstRun = true
+      ;
 
     function readdirHandler(err, files) {
       var fnodeGroups = TypeEmitter.createNodeGroups();
@@ -69,27 +71,45 @@
         });
       }
 
+      function readFiles() {
+        if (!files || 0 == files.length) {
+          return next();
+        }
+
+        // TODO could allow user to selectively stat
+        // and don't stat if there are no stat listeners
+        emitter.emit('names', curpath, files, noop);
+
+        if (sync) {
+          files.forEach(function (items) {
+            filesHandler(noop, items);
+          });
+          postFilesHandler();
+        } else {
+          forEachAsync(files, filesHandler).then(postFilesHandler);
+        }
+      }
+
       if (err) {
-        emitter.emit('directoryError', curpath, { error: err }, noop);
+        if (!firstRun) {
+          emitter.emit('directoryError', curpath, { error: err }, noop);
+          readFiles();
+          return;
+        }
+
+        firstRun = false;
+        fs.lstat(curpath, function (e, stat) {
+          if (stat) {
+            files = [curpath.replace(/.*\//, '')];
+            curpath = curpath.replace(files[0], '');
+          }
+          readFiles();
+        })
         //emitter.emit('error', curpath, { error: err });
+        return;
       }
 
-      if (!files || 0 == files.length) {
-        return next();
-      }
-
-      // TODO could allow user to selectively stat
-      // and don't stat if there are no stat listeners
-      emitter.emit('names', curpath, files, noop);
-
-      if (sync) {
-        files.forEach(function (items) {
-          filesHandler(noop, items);
-        });
-        postFilesHandler();
-      } else {
-        forEachAsync(files, filesHandler).then(postFilesHandler);
-      }
+      readFiles();
     }
 
     function walkSync() {
@@ -105,11 +125,6 @@
     }
 
     function walk() { 
-      if (sync) {
-        walkSync();
-        return;
-      }
-
       fs.readdir(curpath, readdirHandler);
     }
     
@@ -132,6 +147,7 @@
     curpath = pathname;
 
     if (sync) {
+      walk = walkSync;
       process.nextTick(walk);
     } else {
       walk();