diff --git a/src/wp-admin/includes/class-wp-filesystem-ftpext.php b/src/wp-admin/includes/class-wp-filesystem-ftpext.php
index 541079d7b3..c869ec0dc9 100644
--- a/src/wp-admin/includes/class-wp-filesystem-ftpext.php
+++ b/src/wp-admin/includes/class-wp-filesystem-ftpext.php
@@ -316,14 +316,16 @@ class WP_Filesystem_FTPext extends WP_Filesystem_Base {
 	 * @param string $file
 	 * @return bool
 	 */
-	public function exists($file) {
-		$list = @ftp_rawlist( $this->link, '-a ' . $file );
+	public function exists( $file ) {
+		$path = dirname( $file );
+		$filename = basename( $file );
 
-		if ( empty( $list ) && $this->is_dir( $file ) ) {
-			return true; // File is an empty directory.
+		$file_list = @ftp_nlist( $this->link, '-a ' . $path );
+		if ( $file_list ) {
+			$file_list = array_map( 'basename', $file_list );
 		}
 
-		return !empty($list); //empty list = no file, so invert.
+		return $file_list && in_array( $filename, $file_list );
 	}
 
 	/**