Index: src/files.c
===================================================================
--- src/files.c	(revision 5595)
+++ src/files.c	(working copy)
@@ -38,17 +38,29 @@
 {
     char *parentdir;
     struct stat parentinfo;
-    bool validity = TRUE;
+    bool validity = FALSE;
 
     if (strrchr(filename, '/') == NULL)
 	parentdir = mallocstrcpy(NULL, ".");
     else
 	parentdir = dirname(mallocstrcpy(NULL, filename));
 
-    if (stat(parentdir, &parentinfo) == -1 || !S_ISDIR(parentinfo.st_mode)) {
-	statusbar(_("Directory '%s' does not exist"), parentdir);
-	validity = FALSE;
+    if (stat(parentdir, &parentinfo) == -1) {
+	if (errno == ENOENT)
+	    statusbar(_("Path '%s' does not exist"), parentdir);
+	else
+	    statusbar(_("Path '%s': %s"), parentdir, strerror(errno));
 	beep();
+    } else if (!S_ISDIR(parentinfo.st_mode)) {
+	statusbar(_("Path '%s' is not a directory"), parentdir);
+	beep();
+    } else {
+	if (access(parentdir, X_OK) != -1)
+	    validity = TRUE;
+	else {
+	    statusbar(_("Path '%s' is not accessible"), parentdir);
+	    beep();
+	}
     }
 
     free(parentdir);