diff --git a/src/cp/cp.rs b/src/cp/cp.rs
index 7d48d42be..b3255dd9b 100644
--- a/src/cp/cp.rs
+++ b/src/cp/cp.rs
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@ pub fn uumain(args: Vec<String>) -> i32 {
     opts.optflag("h", "help", "display this help and exit");
     opts.optflag("v", "version", "output version information and exit");
     opts.optopt("t", "target-directory", "copy all SOURCE arguments into DIRECTORY", "DEST");
+    opts.optflag("T", "no-target-directory", "Treat DEST as a regular file and not a directory");
 
     let matches = match opts.parse(&args[1..]) {
         Ok(m) => m,
@@ -99,7 +100,7 @@ fn copy(matches: getopts::Matches) {
         //the argument to the -t/--target-directory= options
         let path = Path::new(&dest_str);
         if !path.is_dir() && matches.opt_present("target-directory") {
-            show_error!("Argument to -t/--target-directory must be a directory");
+            show_error!("Target {} is not a directory", matches.opt_str("target-directory").unwrap());
             panic!()
         } else {
             path
@@ -108,6 +109,10 @@ fn copy(matches: getopts::Matches) {
     };
 
     assert!(sources.len() >= 1);
+    if matches.opt_present("no-target-directory") && dest.is_dir() {
+        show_error!("Can't overwrite directory {} with non-directory", dest.display());
+        panic!()
+    }
 
     if sources.len() == 1 {
         let source = Path::new(&sources[0]);