diff --git a/src/uu/cp/src/copydir.rs b/src/uu/cp/src/copydir.rs
index bef87e6aa9..cafb33fbaa 100644
--- a/src/uu/cp/src/copydir.rs
+++ b/src/uu/cp/src/copydir.rs
@@ -277,10 +277,18 @@ fn copy_direntry(
         entry_is_dir_no_follow
     };
 
+    // `exists()` resolves symlinks, so a destination entry that is itself a
+    // symlink to a directory would look like an already-existing directory and
+    // be descended into -- writing the source subtree through the link and out
+    // of the destination tree. GNU refuses this ("cannot overwrite
+    // non-directory ... with directory"), so treat a symlink at the destination
+    // as the non-directory it is.
+    let dest_is_symlink = entry.local_to_target.is_symlink();
+
     // If the source is a directory and the destination does not
     // exist, ...
-    if source_is_dir && !entry.local_to_target.exists() {
-        return if entry.target_is_file {
+    if source_is_dir && (dest_is_symlink || !entry.local_to_target.exists()) {
+        return if entry.target_is_file || dest_is_symlink {
             Err(translate!("cp-error-cannot-overwrite-non-directory-with-directory").into())
         } else {
             build_dir(
diff --git a/tests/by-util/test_cp.rs b/tests/by-util/test_cp.rs
index d37634602c..ae272b697a 100644
--- a/tests/by-util/test_cp.rs
+++ b/tests/by-util/test_cp.rs
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 // file that was distributed with this source code.
 
 // spell-checker:ignore (flags) reflink (fs) tmpfs (linux) filefrag rlimit Rlim NOFILE clob btrfs neve ROOTDIR USERDIR outfile subvolume uufs xattrs ELOOP
-// spell-checker:ignore bdfl hlsl IRWXO IRWXG nconfined matchpathcon libselinux-devel prwx doesnotexist reftests subdirs mksocket srwx
+// spell-checker:ignore bdfl hlsl IRWXO IRWXG nconfined matchpathcon libselinux-devel prwx doesnotexist reftests subdirs mksocket srwx dstlink
 #[cfg(unix)]
 use rstest::rstest;
 use uucore::display::Quotable;
@@ -6695,6 +6695,50 @@ fn test_cp_parents_symlink_permissions_file() {
     );
 }
 
+/// A destination subdirectory that is really a symlink must not be descended
+/// into: doing so writes the source subtree through the link and out of the
+/// destination tree. GNU refuses with "cannot overwrite non-directory ... with
+/// directory".
+#[test]
+#[cfg(unix)]
+fn test_cp_recursive_dest_subdir_symlink_not_followed() {
+    let scene = TestScenario::new(util_name!());
+    let at = &scene.fixtures;
+    at.mkdir_all("src/hooks");
+    at.write("src/hooks/payload", "PAYLOAD");
+    at.mkdir("dst");
+    at.mkdir("outside");
+    at.symlink_dir("../outside", "dst/hooks");
+
+    scene
+        .ucmd()
+        .args(&["-a", "src/.", "dst"])
+        .fails()
+        .stderr_contains("cannot overwrite non-directory");
+
+    assert!(
+        !at.file_exists("outside/payload"),
+        "cp wrote through the destination symlink and escaped the target tree"
+    );
+}
+
+/// A symlinked directory named as the *target* is still a legitimate
+/// destination -- only entries discovered inside the tree are refused.
+#[test]
+#[cfg(unix)]
+fn test_cp_recursive_target_dir_symlink_still_allowed() {
+    let scene = TestScenario::new(util_name!());
+    let at = &scene.fixtures;
+    at.mkdir_all("srcdir");
+    at.write("srcdir/f", "X");
+    at.mkdir("real");
+    at.symlink_dir("real", "dstlink");
+
+    scene.ucmd().args(&["-r", "srcdir", "dstlink/"]).succeeds();
+
+    assert!(at.file_exists("real/srcdir/f"));
+}
+
 /// Test the behavior of preserving permissions of parents when copying through
 /// a symlink when source is a dir.
 #[test]