diff --git a/src/create.jl b/src/create.jl
index 639958f..2663a5c 100644
--- a/src/create.jl
+++ b/src/create.jl
@@ -54,7 +54,9 @@ function rewrite_tarball(
             end
             node = node′
         end
-        node[name] = (hdr, position(old_tar))
+        if !(hdr.type == :directory && get(node, name, nothing) isa Dict)
+            node[name] = (hdr, position(old_tar))
+        end
         skip_data(old_tar, hdr.size)
     end
     write_tarball(new_tar, tree, buf=buf) do node, tar_path
diff --git a/src/extract.jl b/src/extract.jl
index dbd6da3..56e0a82 100644
--- a/src/extract.jl
+++ b/src/extract.jl
@@ -63,14 +63,16 @@ function extract_tarball(
     paths = read_tarball(predicate, tar; buf=buf, skeleton=skeleton) do hdr, parts
         # get the file system version of the path
         sys_path = reduce(joinpath, init=root, parts)
-        # delete anything that's there already
-        ispath(sys_path) && rm(sys_path, force=true, recursive=true)
         # ensure dirname(sys_path) is a directory
         dir = dirname(sys_path)
         st = stat(dir)
         if !isdir(st)
             ispath(st) && rm(dir, force=true, recursive=true)
             mkpath(dir)
+        else
+            st = lstat(sys_path)
+            hdr.type == :directory && isdir(st) && return # from callback
+            ispath(st) && rm(sys_path, force=true, recursive=true)
         end
         # create the path
         if hdr.type == :directory
@@ -214,7 +216,9 @@ function git_tree_hash(
             node = node′
         end
         if hdr.type == :directory
-            node[name] = Dict{String,Any}()
+            if !(get(node, name, nothing) isa Dict)
+                node[name] = Dict{String,Any}()
+            end
             return
         end
         if hdr.type == :symlink
diff --git a/test/runtests.jl b/test/runtests.jl
index f9ea1aa..2a5bf15 100644
--- a/test/runtests.jl
+++ b/test/runtests.jl
@@ -188,6 +188,38 @@ if @isdefined(gtar)
     end
 end
 
+@testset "directory after contents" begin
+    # create and hash a reference tarball
+    tarball, io = mktemp()
+    # executable files: hashing works on Windows + old Julia version
+    Tar.write_header(io, Tar.Header("dir/file", :file, 0o755, 0, ""))
+    Tar.write_header(io, Tar.Header("file", :file, 0o755, 0, ""))
+    close(io)
+    hash = Tar.tree_hash(tarball)
+    rm(tarball)
+    # create a version with directory entries after contents
+    tarball, io = mktemp()
+    Tar.write_header(io, Tar.Header("file", :file, 0o755, 0, ""))
+    Tar.write_header(io, Tar.Header(".", :directory, 0o755, 0, ""))
+    Tar.write_header(io, Tar.Header("dir/file", :file, 0o755, 0, ""))
+    Tar.write_header(io, Tar.Header("dir", :directory, 0o755, 0, ""))
+    close(io)
+    # check extract
+    tree = Tar.extract(tarball)
+    check_tree_hash(hash, tree)
+    # check tree_hash
+    @test Tar.tree_hash(tarball) == hash
+    # check rewrite
+    tarball′ = Tar.rewrite(tarball)
+    @test Tar.list(tarball′) == [
+        Tar.Header("dir/file", :file, 0o755, 0, "")
+        Tar.Header("file", :file, 0o755, 0, "")
+    ]
+    # cleanup
+    rm(tarball′)
+    rm(tarball)
+end
+
 @testset "symlink attacks" begin
     # not dangerous but still not allowed
     tarball, io = mktemp()