diff --git a/pipe/pipe.go b/pipe/pipe.go
index 1599efa19..6aa4f3588 100644
--- a/pipe/pipe.go
+++ b/pipe/pipe.go
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ var errCancelled = errors.New("walk cancelled")
 type SelectFunc func(item string, fi os.FileInfo) bool
 
 func walk(basedir, dir string, selectFunc SelectFunc, done <-chan struct{}, jobs chan<- Job, res chan<- Result) {
-	debug.Log("pipe.walk", "start on %v", dir)
+	debug.Log("pipe.walk", "start on %q, basedir %q", dir, basedir)
 
 	relpath, err := filepath.Rel(basedir, dir)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -158,15 +158,41 @@ func walk(basedir, dir string, selectFunc SelectFunc, done <-chan struct{}, jobs
 		walk(basedir, subpath, selectFunc, done, jobs, ch)
 	}
 
+	debug.Log("pipe.walk", "sending dirjob for %q, basedir %q", dir, basedir)
 	select {
 	case jobs <- Dir{basedir: basedir, path: relpath, info: info, Entries: entries, result: res}:
 	case <-done:
 	}
 }
 
+// cleanupPath is used to clean a path. For a normal path, a slice with just
+// the path is returned. For special cases such as "." and "/" the list of
+// names within those paths is returned.
+func cleanupPath(path string) ([]string, error) {
+	path = filepath.Clean(path)
+	if filepath.Dir(path) != path {
+		return []string{path}, nil
+	}
+
+	return readDirNames(path)
+}
+
 // Walk sends a Job for each file and directory it finds below the paths. When
 // the channel done is closed, processing stops.
-func Walk(paths []string, selectFunc SelectFunc, done chan struct{}, jobs chan<- Job, res chan<- Result) {
+func Walk(walkPaths []string, selectFunc SelectFunc, done chan struct{}, jobs chan<- Job, res chan<- Result) {
+	var paths []string
+
+	for _, p := range walkPaths {
+		ps, err := cleanupPath(p)
+		if err != nil {
+			fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "Readdirnames(%v): %v, skipping\n", p, err)
+			debug.Log("pipe.Walk", "Readdirnames(%v) returned error: %v, skipping", p, err)
+			continue
+		}
+
+		paths = append(paths, ps...)
+	}
+
 	debug.Log("pipe.Walk", "start on %v", paths)
 	defer func() {
 		debug.Log("pipe.Walk", "output channel closed")
diff --git a/pipe/pipe_test.go b/pipe/pipe_test.go
index 40ae8c0ce..2f43fac81 100644
--- a/pipe/pipe_test.go
+++ b/pipe/pipe_test.go
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import (
 	"io/ioutil"
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
+	"runtime"
 	"sync"
 	"testing"
 	"time"
@@ -53,6 +54,12 @@ func TestPipelineWalkerWithSplit(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Skipf("walkerpath not set, skipping TestPipelineWalker")
 	}
 
+	var err error
+	if !filepath.IsAbs(TestWalkerPath) {
+		TestWalkerPath, err = filepath.Abs(TestWalkerPath)
+		OK(t, err)
+	}
+
 	before, err := statPath(TestWalkerPath)
 	OK(t, err)
 
@@ -143,6 +150,12 @@ func TestPipelineWalker(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Skipf("walkerpath not set, skipping TestPipelineWalker")
 	}
 
+	var err error
+	if !filepath.IsAbs(TestWalkerPath) {
+		TestWalkerPath, err = filepath.Abs(TestWalkerPath)
+		OK(t, err)
+	}
+
 	before, err := statPath(TestWalkerPath)
 	OK(t, err)
 
@@ -421,6 +434,7 @@ func TestPipelineWalkerMultiple(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 
 	paths, err := filepath.Glob(filepath.Join(TestWalkerPath, "*"))
+	OK(t, err)
 
 	before, err := statPath(TestWalkerPath)
 	OK(t, err)
@@ -491,3 +505,95 @@ func TestPipelineWalkerMultiple(t *testing.T) {
 
 	Assert(t, before == after, "stats do not match, expected %v, got %v", before, after)
 }
+
+func dirsInPath(path string) int {
+	if path == "/" || path == "." || path == "" {
+		return 0
+	}
+
+	n := 0
+	for dir := path; dir != "/" && dir != "."; dir = filepath.Dir(dir) {
+		n++
+	}
+
+	return n
+}
+
+func TestPipeWalkerRoot(t *testing.T) {
+	if runtime.GOOS == "windows" {
+		t.Skipf("not running TestPipeWalkerRoot on %s", runtime.GOOS)
+		return
+	}
+
+	cwd, err := os.Getwd()
+	OK(t, err)
+
+	testPaths := []string{
+		string(filepath.Separator),
+		".",
+		cwd,
+	}
+
+	for _, path := range testPaths {
+		testPipeWalkerRootWithPath(path, t)
+	}
+}
+
+func testPipeWalkerRootWithPath(path string, t *testing.T) {
+	pattern := filepath.Join(path, "*")
+	rootPaths, err := filepath.Glob(pattern)
+	OK(t, err)
+
+	for i, p := range rootPaths {
+		rootPaths[i], err = filepath.Rel(path, p)
+		OK(t, err)
+	}
+
+	t.Logf("paths in %v (pattern %q) expanded to %v items", path, pattern, len(rootPaths))
+
+	done := make(chan struct{})
+	defer close(done)
+
+	jobCh := make(chan pipe.Job)
+	var jobs []pipe.Job
+
+	worker := func(wg *sync.WaitGroup) {
+		defer wg.Done()
+		for job := range jobCh {
+			jobs = append(jobs, job)
+		}
+	}
+
+	var wg sync.WaitGroup
+	wg.Add(1)
+	go worker(&wg)
+
+	filter := func(p string, fi os.FileInfo) bool {
+		p, err := filepath.Rel(path, p)
+		OK(t, err)
+		return dirsInPath(p) <= 1
+	}
+
+	resCh := make(chan pipe.Result, 1)
+	pipe.Walk([]string{path}, filter, done, jobCh, resCh)
+
+	wg.Wait()
+
+	t.Logf("received %d jobs", len(jobs))
+
+	for i, job := range jobs[:len(jobs)-1] {
+		path := job.Path()
+		if path == "." || path == ".." || path == string(filepath.Separator) {
+			t.Errorf("job %v has invalid path %q", i, path)
+		}
+	}
+
+	lastPath := jobs[len(jobs)-1].Path()
+	if lastPath != "" {
+		t.Errorf("last job has non-empty path %q", lastPath)
+	}
+
+	if len(jobs) < len(rootPaths) {
+		t.Errorf("want at least %v jobs, got %v for path %v\n", len(rootPaths), len(jobs), path)
+	}
+}