diff --git a/src/wp-admin/includes/file.php b/src/wp-admin/includes/file.php
index 9928582c7a..0432c6b730 100644
--- a/src/wp-admin/includes/file.php
+++ b/src/wp-admin/includes/file.php
@@ -1776,6 +1776,10 @@ function copy_dir( $from, $to, $skip_list = array() ) {
 
 	$dirlist = $wp_filesystem->dirlist( $from );
 
+	if ( false === $dirlist ) {
+		return new WP_Error( 'dirlist_failed_copy_dir', __( 'Directory listing failed.' ), basename( $to ) );
+	}
+
 	$from = trailingslashit( $from );
 	$to   = trailingslashit( $to );
 
diff --git a/src/wp-admin/includes/update-core.php b/src/wp-admin/includes/update-core.php
index fea68cbad2..bbf233eb70 100644
--- a/src/wp-admin/includes/update-core.php
+++ b/src/wp-admin/includes/update-core.php
@@ -1352,6 +1352,10 @@ function _copy_dir( $from, $to, $skip_list = array() ) {
 
 	$dirlist = $wp_filesystem->dirlist( $from );
 
+	if ( false === $dirlist ) {
+		return new WP_Error( 'dirlist_failed__copy_dir', __( 'Directory listing failed.' ), basename( $to ) );
+	}
+
 	$from = trailingslashit( $from );
 	$to   = trailingslashit( $to );