diff --git a/tools/copy_to_directory/main.go b/tools/copy_to_directory/main.go
index aadf7481d..9518f05ec 100644
--- a/tools/copy_to_directory/main.go
+++ b/tools/copy_to_directory/main.go
@@ -157,6 +157,26 @@ func (w *walker) copyDir(cfg *config, srcPaths pathSet, file fileInfo) error {
 			return err
 		}
 
+		f := fileInfo{
+			Package:       file.Package,
+			Path:          p,
+			RootPath:      file.RootPath,
+			ShortPath:     path.Join(file.ShortPath, r),
+			Workspace:     file.Workspace,
+			WorkspacePath: path.Join(file.WorkspacePath, r),
+			Hardlink:      file.Hardlink,
+			FileInfo:      info,
+		}
+
+		outputPath, err := w.calculateOutputPath(cfg, f)
+		if err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("failed to calculate output path %s: %w", file.WorkspacePath, err)
+		}
+		if outputPath == "" {
+			// this path is excluded
+			return nil
+		}
+
 		if info.Mode()&os.ModeSymlink == os.ModeSymlink {
 			// symlink to directories are intentionally never followed by filepath.Walk to avoid infinite recursion
 			linkPath, err := common.Realpath(p)
@@ -174,9 +194,12 @@ func (w *walker) copyDir(cfg *config, srcPaths pathSet, file fileInfo) error {
 			if err != nil {
 				return fmt.Errorf("failed to stat file %s pointed to by symlink %s: %w", linkPath, p, err)
 			}
+			f.Path = linkPath
+			f.FileInfo = stat
+
 			if stat.IsDir() {
 				// symlink points to a directory
-				f := fileInfo{
+				f = fileInfo{
 					Package:       file.Package,
 					Path:          linkPath,
 					RootPath:      file.RootPath,
@@ -187,34 +210,10 @@ func (w *walker) copyDir(cfg *config, srcPaths pathSet, file fileInfo) error {
 					FileInfo:      stat,
 				}
 				return w.copyDir(cfg, srcPaths, f)
-			} else {
-				// symlink points to a regular file
-				f := fileInfo{
-					Package:       file.Package,
-					Path:          linkPath,
-					RootPath:      file.RootPath,
-					ShortPath:     path.Join(file.ShortPath, r),
-					Workspace:     file.Workspace,
-					WorkspacePath: path.Join(file.WorkspacePath, r),
-					Hardlink:      file.Hardlink,
-					FileInfo:      stat,
-				}
-				return w.copyPath(cfg, f)
 			}
 		}
 
-		// a regular file
-		f := fileInfo{
-			Package:       file.Package,
-			Path:          p,
-			RootPath:      file.RootPath,
-			ShortPath:     path.Join(file.ShortPath, r),
-			Workspace:     file.Workspace,
-			WorkspacePath: path.Join(file.WorkspacePath, r),
-			Hardlink:      file.Hardlink,
-			FileInfo:      info,
-		}
-		return w.copyPath(cfg, f)
+		return w.copyPath(cfg, f, outputPath)
 	})
 }
 
@@ -305,16 +304,7 @@ func (w *walker) calculateOutputPath(cfg *config, file fileInfo) (string, error)
 	return path.Join(cfg.Dst, outputPath), nil
 }
 
-func (w *walker) copyPath(cfg *config, file fileInfo) error {
-	outputPath, err := w.calculateOutputPath(cfg, file)
-	if err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("failed to calculate output path %s: %w", file.WorkspacePath, err)
-	}
-	if outputPath == "" {
-		// this path is excluded
-		return nil
-	}
-
+func (w *walker) copyPath(cfg *config, file fileInfo, outputPath string) error {
 	// add this file to the copy Paths
 	dup, exists := copySet[outputPath]
 	if exists {
@@ -329,7 +319,7 @@ func (w *walker) copyPath(cfg *config, file fileInfo) error {
 
 	outputDir := path.Dir(outputPath)
 	if !mkdirSet[outputDir] {
-		if err = os.MkdirAll(outputDir, os.ModePerm); err != nil {
+		if err := os.MkdirAll(outputDir, os.ModePerm); err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
 		// https://pkg.go.dev/path#Dir
@@ -353,9 +343,28 @@ func (w *walker) copyPaths(cfg *config) error {
 		if err != nil {
 			return fmt.Errorf("failed to lstat file %s: %w", file.Path, err)
 		}
+		file.FileInfo = info
 
+		// if file is a directory, then short-circuit without calculating the output path
+		if file.FileInfo.IsDir() {
+			if err := w.copyDir(cfg, nil, file); err != nil {
+				return err
+			}
+			continue
+		}
+
+		outputPath, err := w.calculateOutputPath(cfg, file)
+		if err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("failed to calculate output path %s: %w", file.WorkspacePath, err)
+		}
+		if outputPath == "" {
+			// this path is excluded
+			continue
+		}
+
+		// if file is a symlink, resolve its realpath
 		if info.Mode()&os.ModeSymlink == os.ModeSymlink {
-			// On Windows, filepath.WalkDir doesn't like directory symlinks so we must
+			// on Windows, filepath.WalkDir doesn't like directory symlinks so we must
 			// call filepath.WalkDir on the realpath
 			realpath, err := common.Realpath(file.Path)
 			if err != nil {
@@ -370,19 +379,19 @@ func (w *walker) copyPaths(cfg *config) error {
 			}
 			file.Realpath = realpath
 			file.FileInfo = stat
-		} else {
-			file.FileInfo = info
-		}
 
-		if file.FileInfo.IsDir() {
-			if err := w.copyDir(cfg, nil, file); err != nil {
-				return err
-			}
-		} else {
-			if err := w.copyPath(cfg, file); err != nil {
-				return err
+			if file.FileInfo.IsDir() {
+				// symlink points to a directory
+				if err := w.copyDir(cfg, nil, file); err != nil {
+					return err
+				}
+				continue
 			}
 		}
+
+		if err := w.copyPath(cfg, file, outputPath); err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
 	}
 	return nil
 }