diff --git a/easybuild/framework/easyblock.py b/easybuild/framework/easyblock.py
index 6c2b43fa49..2caf3a6b95 100644
--- a/easybuild/framework/easyblock.py
+++ b/easybuild/framework/easyblock.py
@@ -2907,6 +2907,10 @@ def fix_shebang(self):
                     for path in paths:
                         # check whether file should be patched by checking whether it has a shebang we want to tweak;
                         # this also helps to skip binary files we may be hitting (but only with Python 3)
+                        if os.path.isdir(path):
+                            self.log.debug("Skipping shebang fix for directory '%s'", path)
+                            continue
+
                         try:
                             contents = read_file(path, mode='r')
                             should_patch = shebang_regex.match(contents)
diff --git a/test/framework/toy_build.py b/test/framework/toy_build.py
index 0cc1eccbb2..287126784d 100644
--- a/test/framework/toy_build.py
+++ b/test/framework/toy_build.py
@@ -3183,58 +3183,60 @@ def test_fix_shebang(self):
             "    'cp -a %(installdir)s/bin/toy %(installdir)s/bin/toy.sh',",
 
             # hardcoded path to bin/python
-            "   'echo \"#!/usr/bin/python\\n# test\" > %(installdir)s/bin/t1.py',",
+            "    'echo \"#!/usr/bin/python\\n# test\" > %(installdir)s/bin/t1.py',",
             # hardcoded path to bin/python3.6
-            "   'echo \"#!/software/Python/3.6.6-foss-2018b/bin/python3.6\\n# test\" > %(installdir)s/bin/t2.py',",
+            "    'echo \"#!/software/Python/3.6.6-foss-2018b/bin/python3.6\\n# test\" > %(installdir)s/bin/t2.py',",
             # already OK, should remain the same
-            "   'echo \"#!/usr/bin/env python\\n# test\" > %(installdir)s/bin/t3.py',",
+            "    'echo \"#!/usr/bin/env python\\n# test\" > %(installdir)s/bin/t3.py',",
             # space after #! + 'env python3'
-            "   'echo \"#! /usr/bin/env python3\\n# test\" > %(installdir)s/bin/t4.py',",
+            "    'echo \"#! /usr/bin/env python3\\n# test\" > %(installdir)s/bin/t4.py',",
             # 'env python3.6'
-            "   'echo \"#!/usr/bin/env python3.6\\n# test\" > %(installdir)s/bin/t5.py',",
+            "    'echo \"#!/usr/bin/env python3.6\\n# test\" > %(installdir)s/bin/t5.py',",
             # shebang with space, should strip the space
-            "   'echo \"#! /usr/bin/env python\\n# test\" > %(installdir)s/bin/t6.py',",
+            "    'echo \"#! /usr/bin/env python\\n# test\" > %(installdir)s/bin/t6.py',",
             # no shebang python
-            "   'echo \"# test\" > %(installdir)s/bin/t7.py',",
+            "    'echo \"# test\" > %(installdir)s/bin/t7.py',",
             # shebang bash
-            "   'echo \"#!/usr/bin/env bash\\n# test\" > %(installdir)s/bin/b1.sh',",
+            "    'echo \"#!/usr/bin/env bash\\n# test\" > %(installdir)s/bin/b1.sh',",
+            # directory, should be skipped (not crash)
+            "    'mkdir %(installdir)s/bin/testdir',",
 
             # tests for perl shebang
             # hardcoded path to bin/perl
-            "   'echo \"#!/usr/bin/perl\\n# test\" > %(installdir)s/bin/t1.pl',",
+            "    'echo \"#!/usr/bin/perl\\n# test\" > %(installdir)s/bin/t1.pl',",
             # hardcoded path to bin/perl5
-            "   'echo \"#!/software/Perl/5.28.1-GCCcore-7.3.0/bin/perl5\\n# test\" > %(installdir)s/bin/t2.pl',",
+            "    'echo \"#!/software/Perl/5.28.1-GCCcore-7.3.0/bin/perl5\\n# test\" > %(installdir)s/bin/t2.pl',",
             # already OK, should remain the same
-            "   'echo \"#!/usr/bin/env perl\\n# test\" > %(installdir)s/bin/t3.pl',",
+            "    'echo \"#!/usr/bin/env perl\\n# test\" > %(installdir)s/bin/t3.pl',",
             # hardcoded perl with extra arguments
-            "   'echo \"#!/usr/bin/perl -w\\n# test\" > %(installdir)s/bin/t4.pl',",
+            "    'echo \"#!/usr/bin/perl -w\\n# test\" > %(installdir)s/bin/t4.pl',",
             # space after #! + 'env perl5'
-            "   'echo \"#!/usr/bin/env perl5\\n# test\" > %(installdir)s/bin/t5.pl',",
+            "    'echo \"#!/usr/bin/env perl5\\n# test\" > %(installdir)s/bin/t5.pl',",
             # shebang with space, should strip the space
-            "   'echo \"#! /usr/bin/env perl\\n# test\" > %(installdir)s/bin/t6.pl',",
+            "    'echo \"#! /usr/bin/env perl\\n# test\" > %(installdir)s/bin/t6.pl',",
             # no shebang perl
-            "   'echo \"# test\" > %(installdir)s/bin/t7.pl',",
+            "    'echo \"# test\" > %(installdir)s/bin/t7.pl',",
             # shebang bash
-            "   'echo \"#!/usr/bin/env bash\\n# test\" > %(installdir)s/bin/b2.sh',",
+            "    'echo \"#!/usr/bin/env bash\\n# test\" > %(installdir)s/bin/b2.sh',",
 
             # tests for bash shebang
             # hardcoded path to bin/bash
-            "   'echo \"#!/bin/bash\\n# test\" > %(installdir)s/bin/t1.sh',",
+            "    'echo \"#!/bin/bash\\n# test\" > %(installdir)s/bin/t1.sh',",
             # hardcoded path to usr/bin/bash
-            "   'echo \"#!/usr/bin/bash\\n# test\" > %(installdir)s/bin/t2.sh',",
+            "    'echo \"#!/usr/bin/bash\\n# test\" > %(installdir)s/bin/t2.sh',",
             # already OK, should remain the same
-            "   'echo \"#!/usr/bin/env bash\\n# test\" > %(installdir)s/bin/t3.sh',",
+            "    'echo \"#!/usr/bin/env bash\\n# test\" > %(installdir)s/bin/t3.sh',",
             # shebang with space, should strip the space
-            "   'echo \"#! /usr/bin/env bash\\n# test\" > %(installdir)s/bin/t4.sh',",
+            "    'echo \"#! /usr/bin/env bash\\n# test\" > %(installdir)s/bin/t4.sh',",
             # no shebang sh
-            "   'echo \"# test\" > %(installdir)s/bin/t5.sh',",
+            "    'echo \"# test\" > %(installdir)s/bin/t5.sh',",
             # shebang python
-            "   'echo \"#!/usr/bin/env python\\n# test\" > %(installdir)s/bin/b1.py',",
+            "    'echo \"#!/usr/bin/env python\\n# test\" > %(installdir)s/bin/b1.py',",
             # shebang perl
-            "   'echo \"#!/usr/bin/env perl\\n# test\" > %(installdir)s/bin/b1.pl',",
-
+            "    'echo \"#!/usr/bin/env perl\\n# test\" > %(installdir)s/bin/b1.pl',",
             "]",
             "fix_python_shebang_for = ['bin/t1.py', 'bin/t*.py', 'nosuchdir/*.py', 'bin/toy.python', 'bin/b1.sh']",
+            "fix_python_shebang_for += ['bin/testdir']",
             "fix_perl_shebang_for = ['bin/t*.pl', 'bin/b2.sh', 'bin/toy.perl']",
             "fix_bash_shebang_for = ['bin/t*.sh', 'bin/b1.py', 'bin/b1.pl', 'bin/toy.sh']",
         ])