diff --git a/src/Illuminate/Console/Scheduling/Event.php b/src/Illuminate/Console/Scheduling/Event.php
index d07cf57249d5..43081ea343ea 100644
--- a/src/Illuminate/Console/Scheduling/Event.php
+++ b/src/Illuminate/Console/Scheduling/Event.php
@@ -475,7 +475,7 @@ protected function ensureOutputIsBeingCaptured()
      */
     protected function emailOutput(Mailer $mailer, $addresses, $onlyIfOutputExists = false)
     {
-        $text = file_exists($this->output) ? file_get_contents($this->output) : '';
+        $text = is_file($this->output) ? file_get_contents($this->output) : '';
 
         if ($onlyIfOutputExists && empty($text)) {
             return;
@@ -833,7 +833,7 @@ public function onFailureWithOutput(Closure $callback, $onlyIfOutputExists = fal
     protected function withOutputCallback(Closure $callback, $onlyIfOutputExists = false)
     {
         return function (Container $container) use ($callback, $onlyIfOutputExists) {
-            $output = $this->output && file_exists($this->output) ? file_get_contents($this->output) : '';
+            $output = $this->output && is_file($this->output) ? file_get_contents($this->output) : '';
 
             return $onlyIfOutputExists && empty($output)
                             ? null
diff --git a/src/Illuminate/Database/Console/Migrations/MigrateCommand.php b/src/Illuminate/Database/Console/Migrations/MigrateCommand.php
index dcc8ac045886..f547d8d5e80e 100755
--- a/src/Illuminate/Database/Console/Migrations/MigrateCommand.php
+++ b/src/Illuminate/Database/Console/Migrations/MigrateCommand.php
@@ -129,7 +129,7 @@ protected function loadSchemaState()
         // continue with the standard migration operation as normal without errors.
         if ($connection instanceof SQLiteConnection ||
             $connection instanceof SqlServerConnection ||
-            ! file_exists($path = $this->schemaPath($connection))) {
+            ! is_file($path = $this->schemaPath($connection))) {
             return;
         }
 
diff --git a/src/Illuminate/Database/Console/Seeds/SeederMakeCommand.php b/src/Illuminate/Database/Console/Seeds/SeederMakeCommand.php
index a0e006dd494d..aef7a77e6b1d 100644
--- a/src/Illuminate/Database/Console/Seeds/SeederMakeCommand.php
+++ b/src/Illuminate/Database/Console/Seeds/SeederMakeCommand.php
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ protected function getStub()
      */
     protected function resolveStubPath($stub)
     {
-        return file_exists($customPath = $this->laravel->basePath(trim($stub, '/')))
+        return is_file($customPath = $this->laravel->basePath(trim($stub, '/')))
             ? $customPath
             : __DIR__.$stub;
     }
diff --git a/src/Illuminate/Foundation/AliasLoader.php b/src/Illuminate/Foundation/AliasLoader.php
index 63f38913df1c..4f338050a121 100755
--- a/src/Illuminate/Foundation/AliasLoader.php
+++ b/src/Illuminate/Foundation/AliasLoader.php
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@ protected function loadFacade($alias)
      */
     protected function ensureFacadeExists($alias)
     {
-        if (file_exists($path = storage_path('framework/cache/facade-'.sha1($alias).'.php'))) {
+        if (is_file($path = storage_path('framework/cache/facade-'.sha1($alias).'.php'))) {
             return $path;
         }
 
diff --git a/src/Illuminate/Foundation/Application.php b/src/Illuminate/Foundation/Application.php
index ef97c132dad8..a19ba0892920 100755
--- a/src/Illuminate/Foundation/Application.php
+++ b/src/Illuminate/Foundation/Application.php
@@ -957,7 +957,7 @@ public function getCachedPackagesPath()
      */
     public function configurationIsCached()
     {
-        return file_exists($this->getCachedConfigPath());
+        return is_file($this->getCachedConfigPath());
     }
 
     /**
@@ -1048,7 +1048,7 @@ public function addAbsoluteCachePathPrefix($prefix)
      */
     public function isDownForMaintenance()
     {
-        return file_exists($this->storagePath().'/framework/down');
+        return is_file($this->storagePath().'/framework/down');
     }
 
     /**
diff --git a/src/Illuminate/Foundation/Bootstrap/LoadConfiguration.php b/src/Illuminate/Foundation/Bootstrap/LoadConfiguration.php
index 501a1eea45f5..babbcd3b8b3e 100644
--- a/src/Illuminate/Foundation/Bootstrap/LoadConfiguration.php
+++ b/src/Illuminate/Foundation/Bootstrap/LoadConfiguration.php
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ public function bootstrap(Application $app)
         // First we will see if we have a cache configuration file. If we do, we'll load
         // the configuration items from that file so that it is very quick. Otherwise
         // we will need to spin through every configuration file and load them all.
-        if (file_exists($cached = $app->getCachedConfigPath())) {
+        if (is_file($cached = $app->getCachedConfigPath())) {
             $items = require $cached;
 
             $loadedFromCache = true;
diff --git a/src/Illuminate/Foundation/Bootstrap/LoadEnvironmentVariables.php b/src/Illuminate/Foundation/Bootstrap/LoadEnvironmentVariables.php
index 1bf3f8b8442e..7cf414577a4a 100644
--- a/src/Illuminate/Foundation/Bootstrap/LoadEnvironmentVariables.php
+++ b/src/Illuminate/Foundation/Bootstrap/LoadEnvironmentVariables.php
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ protected function checkForSpecificEnvironmentFile($app)
      */
     protected function setEnvironmentFilePath($app, $file)
     {
-        if (file_exists($app->environmentPath().'/'.$file)) {
+        if (is_file($app->environmentPath().'/'.$file)) {
             $app->loadEnvironmentFrom($file);
 
             return true;
diff --git a/src/Illuminate/Foundation/ComposerScripts.php b/src/Illuminate/Foundation/ComposerScripts.php
index fcda187fd261..6a5f0df49199 100644
--- a/src/Illuminate/Foundation/ComposerScripts.php
+++ b/src/Illuminate/Foundation/ComposerScripts.php
@@ -54,11 +54,11 @@ protected static function clearCompiled()
     {
         $laravel = new Application(getcwd());
 
-        if (file_exists($servicesPath = $laravel->getCachedServicesPath())) {
+        if (is_file($servicesPath = $laravel->getCachedServicesPath())) {
             @unlink($servicesPath);
         }
 
-        if (file_exists($packagesPath = $laravel->getCachedPackagesPath())) {
+        if (is_file($packagesPath = $laravel->getCachedPackagesPath())) {
             @unlink($packagesPath);
         }
     }
diff --git a/src/Illuminate/Foundation/Console/ClearCompiledCommand.php b/src/Illuminate/Foundation/Console/ClearCompiledCommand.php
index 399a44dc5436..87ea044b823a 100644
--- a/src/Illuminate/Foundation/Console/ClearCompiledCommand.php
+++ b/src/Illuminate/Foundation/Console/ClearCompiledCommand.php
@@ -27,11 +27,11 @@ class ClearCompiledCommand extends Command
      */
     public function handle()
     {
-        if (file_exists($servicesPath = $this->laravel->getCachedServicesPath())) {
+        if (is_file($servicesPath = $this->laravel->getCachedServicesPath())) {
             @unlink($servicesPath);
         }
 
-        if (file_exists($packagesPath = $this->laravel->getCachedPackagesPath())) {
+        if (is_file($packagesPath = $this->laravel->getCachedPackagesPath())) {
             @unlink($packagesPath);
         }
 
diff --git a/src/Illuminate/Foundation/Console/DownCommand.php b/src/Illuminate/Foundation/Console/DownCommand.php
index 010f95eff2f9..2efe4c6c3c10 100644
--- a/src/Illuminate/Foundation/Console/DownCommand.php
+++ b/src/Illuminate/Foundation/Console/DownCommand.php
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ class DownCommand extends Command
     public function handle()
     {
         try {
-            if (file_exists(storage_path('framework/down'))) {
+            if (is_file(storage_path('framework/down'))) {
                 $this->comment('Application is already down.');
 
                 return 0;
diff --git a/src/Illuminate/Foundation/Console/UpCommand.php b/src/Illuminate/Foundation/Console/UpCommand.php
index ba02040511f8..159f9e1b7c21 100644
--- a/src/Illuminate/Foundation/Console/UpCommand.php
+++ b/src/Illuminate/Foundation/Console/UpCommand.php
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ class UpCommand extends Command
     public function handle()
     {
         try {
-            if (! file_exists(storage_path('framework/down'))) {
+            if (! is_file(storage_path('framework/down'))) {
                 $this->comment('Application is already up.');
 
                 return 0;
diff --git a/src/Illuminate/Foundation/Mix.php b/src/Illuminate/Foundation/Mix.php
index 271d7dbd6843..9a1eb7c95451 100644
--- a/src/Illuminate/Foundation/Mix.php
+++ b/src/Illuminate/Foundation/Mix.php
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ public function __invoke($path, $manifestDirectory = '')
             $manifestDirectory = "/{$manifestDirectory}";
         }
 
-        if (file_exists(public_path($manifestDirectory.'/hot'))) {
+        if (is_file(public_path($manifestDirectory.'/hot'))) {
             $url = rtrim(file_get_contents(public_path($manifestDirectory.'/hot')));
 
             if (Str::startsWith($url, ['http://', 'https://'])) {
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ public function __invoke($path, $manifestDirectory = '')
         $manifestPath = public_path($manifestDirectory.'/mix-manifest.json');
 
         if (! isset($manifests[$manifestPath])) {
-            if (! file_exists($manifestPath)) {
+            if (! is_file($manifestPath)) {
                 throw new Exception('The Mix manifest does not exist.');
             }
 
diff --git a/src/Illuminate/Foundation/PackageManifest.php b/src/Illuminate/Foundation/PackageManifest.php
index 9356cef026bb..202a8beb271d 100644
--- a/src/Illuminate/Foundation/PackageManifest.php
+++ b/src/Illuminate/Foundation/PackageManifest.php
@@ -102,11 +102,11 @@ protected function getManifest()
             return $this->manifest;
         }
 
-        if (! file_exists($this->manifestPath)) {
+        if (! is_file($this->manifestPath)) {
             $this->build();
         }
 
-        return $this->manifest = file_exists($this->manifestPath) ?
+        return $this->manifest = is_file($this->manifestPath) ?
             $this->files->getRequire($this->manifestPath) : [];
     }
 
@@ -154,7 +154,7 @@ protected function format($package)
      */
     protected function packagesToIgnore()
     {
-        if (! file_exists($this->basePath.'/composer.json')) {
+        if (! is_file($this->basePath.'/composer.json')) {
             return [];
         }
 
diff --git a/src/Illuminate/View/Component.php b/src/Illuminate/View/Component.php
index 865653c4b0e9..18dbe56375af 100644
--- a/src/Illuminate/View/Component.php
+++ b/src/Illuminate/View/Component.php
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ protected function createBladeViewFromString($factory, $contents)
             $directory = Container::getInstance()['config']->get('view.compiled')
         );
 
-        if (! file_exists($viewFile = $directory.'/'.sha1($contents).'.blade.php')) {
+        if (! is_file($viewFile = $directory.'/'.sha1($contents).'.blade.php')) {
             if (! is_dir($directory)) {
                 mkdir($directory, 0755, true);
             }