diff --git a/swh/loader/cvs/loader.py b/swh/loader/cvs/loader.py
--- a/swh/loader/cvs/loader.py
+++ b/swh/loader/cvs/loader.py
@@ -139,7 +139,7 @@
         assert self.cvsroot_path
         assert self.server_style_cvsroot
         path = file_path(self.cvsroot_path, f.path)
-        wtpath = os.path.join(self.worktree_path, path)
+        wtpath = os.path.join(self.tempdir_path, path)
         self.log.info("rev %s state %s file %s" % (f.rev, f.state, f.path))
         if f.state == "dead":
             # remove this file from work tree
@@ -182,7 +182,7 @@
     ):
         assert self.cvsroot_path
         path = file_path(self.cvsroot_path, f.path)
-        wtpath = os.path.join(self.worktree_path, path)
+        wtpath = os.path.join(self.tempdir_path, path)
         self.log.info("rev %s state %s file %s" % (f.rev, f.state, f.path))
         if f.state == "dead":
             # remove this file from work tree
@@ -288,17 +288,16 @@
         if not have_cvsroot:
             raise NotFound("No CVSROOT directory found at %s" % url)
 
-        # mypy complains: List item 3 has incompatible type "Optional[str]";
-        # because self.cvsroot_path is an optional argument. We do however
-        # ensure that it is initialized if the loader is not passed a
-        # corresponding argument. Better ideas than ignoring types on this line?
+        assert self.cvsroot_path
         subprocess.run(
-            ["rsync", "-a", url, self.cvsroot_path]  # type: ignore
+            # Ensure that rsync will place files directly within our cvsroot
+            # directory by appending a "/" to our cvsroot path.
+            ["rsync", "-a", url, self.cvsroot_path + "/"]
         ).check_returncode()
 
     def prepare(self) -> None:
         self._last_revision = None
-        self.worktree_path = tempfile.mkdtemp(
+        self.tempdir_path = tempfile.mkdtemp(
             suffix="-%s" % os.getpid(),
             prefix=TEMPORARY_DIR_PREFIX_PATTERN,
             dir=self.temp_directory,
@@ -314,7 +313,7 @@
             raise NotFound("Invalid CVS origin URL '%s'" % self.origin_url)
         self.cvs_module_name = os.path.basename(url.path)
         self.server_style_cvsroot = os.path.dirname(url.path)
-        os.mkdir(os.path.join(self.worktree_path, self.cvs_module_name))
+        self.worktree_path = os.path.join(self.tempdir_path, self.cvs_module_name)
         if url.scheme == "file" or url.scheme == "rsync":
             # local CVS repository conversion
             if not self.cvsroot_path:
diff --git a/swh/loader/cvs/tests/test_loader.py b/swh/loader/cvs/tests/test_loader.py
--- a/swh/loader/cvs/tests/test_loader.py
+++ b/swh/loader/cvs/tests/test_loader.py
@@ -17,10 +17,10 @@
 from swh.model.model import Snapshot, SnapshotBranch, TargetType
 
 RUNBABY_SNAPSHOT = Snapshot(
-    id=hash_to_bytes("1cff69ab9bd70822d5e3006092f943ccaafdcf57"),
+    id=hash_to_bytes("e64667c400049f560a3856580e0d9e511ffa66c9"),
     branches={
         b"HEAD": SnapshotBranch(
-            target=hash_to_bytes("ef511d258fa55035c2bc2a5b05cad233cee1d328"),
+            target=hash_to_bytes("0f6db8ce49472d7829ddd6141f71c68c0d563f0e"),
             target_type=TargetType.REVISION,
         )
     },
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@
     stats = get_stats(loader.storage)
     assert stats == {
         "content": 5,
-        "directory": 2,
+        "directory": 1,
         "origin": 1,
         "origin_visit": 1,
         "release": 0,
@@ -116,10 +116,10 @@
 
 
 GREEK_SNAPSHOT = Snapshot(
-    id=hash_to_bytes("5e74af67d69dfd7aea0eb118154d062f71f50120"),
+    id=hash_to_bytes("c76f8b58a6dfbe6fccb9a85b695f914aa5c4a95a"),
     branches={
         b"HEAD": SnapshotBranch(
-            target=hash_to_bytes("e18b92f14cd5b3efb3fcb4ea46cfaf97f25f301b"),
+            target=hash_to_bytes("e138207ddd5e1965b5ab9a522bfc2e0ecd233b67"),
             target_type=TargetType.REVISION,
         )
     },
@@ -145,7 +145,7 @@
     stats = get_stats(loader.storage)
     assert stats == {
         "content": 8,
-        "directory": 20,
+        "directory": 13,
         "origin": 1,
         "origin_visit": 1,
         "release": 0,
@@ -182,7 +182,7 @@
     stats = get_stats(loader.storage)
     assert stats == {
         "content": 8,
-        "directory": 20,
+        "directory": 13,
         "origin": 1,
         "origin_visit": 1,
         "release": 0,
@@ -195,10 +195,10 @@
 
 
 GREEK_SNAPSHOT2 = Snapshot(
-    id=hash_to_bytes("048885ae2145ffe81588aea95dcf75c536ecdf26"),
+    id=hash_to_bytes("e3d2e8860286000f546c01aa2a3e1630170eb3b6"),
     branches={
         b"HEAD": SnapshotBranch(
-            target=hash_to_bytes("55eb1438c03588607ce4b8db8f45e8e23075951b"),
+            target=hash_to_bytes("f1ff9a3c7624b1be5e5d51f9ec0abf7dcddbf0b2"),
             target_type=TargetType.REVISION,
         )
     },
@@ -224,7 +224,7 @@
     stats = get_stats(loader.storage)
     assert stats == {
         "content": 8,
-        "directory": 20,
+        "directory": 13,
         "origin": 1,
         "origin_visit": 1,
         "release": 0,
@@ -255,7 +255,7 @@
     stats = get_stats(loader.storage)
     assert stats == {
         "content": 10,
-        "directory": 23,
+        "directory": 15,
         "origin": 1,
         "origin_visit": 2,
         "release": 0,
@@ -297,7 +297,7 @@
     stats = get_stats(loader.storage)
     assert stats == {
         "content": 5,
-        "directory": 2,
+        "directory": 1,
         "origin": 1,
         "origin_visit": 1,
         "release": 0,
@@ -310,10 +310,10 @@
 
 
 GREEK_SNAPSHOT3 = Snapshot(
-    id=hash_to_bytes("cd801546b0137c82f01b9b67848ba8261d64ebbb"),
+    id=hash_to_bytes("6e9910ed072662cb482d9017cbf5e1973e6dc09f"),
     branches={
         b"HEAD": SnapshotBranch(
-            target=hash_to_bytes("14980990790ce1921db953c4c9ae03dd8861e8d6"),
+            target=hash_to_bytes("d9f4837dc55a87d83730c6e277c88b67dae80272"),
             target_type=TargetType.REVISION,
         )
     },
@@ -348,7 +348,7 @@
     stats = get_stats(loader.storage)
     assert stats == {
         "content": 9,
-        "directory": 23,
+        "directory": 15,
         "origin": 1,
         "origin_visit": 1,
         "release": 0,
@@ -361,10 +361,10 @@
 
 
 GREEK_SNAPSHOT4 = Snapshot(
-    id=hash_to_bytes("26e943053ea9c5f961336a72328cac22026ed3b5"),
+    id=hash_to_bytes("a8593e9233601b31e012d36975f817d2c993d04b"),
     branches={
         b"HEAD": SnapshotBranch(
-            target=hash_to_bytes("ed784aff0e0743244bb1f30ba21c8abcd0d460ab"),
+            target=hash_to_bytes("51bb99655225c810ee259087fcae505899725360"),
             target_type=TargetType.REVISION,
         )
     },
@@ -396,7 +396,7 @@
     stats = get_stats(loader.storage)
     assert stats == {
         "content": 12,
-        "directory": 31,
+        "directory": 20,
         "origin": 1,
         "origin_visit": 1,
         "release": 0,
@@ -436,7 +436,7 @@
     stats = get_stats(loader.storage)
     assert stats == {
         "content": 12,
-        "directory": 31,
+        "directory": 20,
         "origin": 1,
         "origin_visit": 1,
         "release": 0,
@@ -449,10 +449,10 @@
 
 
 GREEK_SNAPSHOT5 = Snapshot(
-    id=hash_to_bytes("ee6faeaf50aa513c53c8ba29194116a5ef88add6"),
+    id=hash_to_bytes("6484ec9bfff677731cbb6d2bd5058dabfae952ed"),
     branches={
         b"HEAD": SnapshotBranch(
-            target=hash_to_bytes("4320f152cc61ed660d25fdeebc787b3099e55a96"),
+            target=hash_to_bytes("514b3bef07d56e393588ceda18cc1dfa2dc4e04a"),
             target_type=TargetType.REVISION,
         )
     },
@@ -484,7 +484,7 @@
     stats = get_stats(loader.storage)
     assert stats == {
         "content": 9,
-        "directory": 22,
+        "directory": 14,
         "origin": 1,
         "origin_visit": 1,
         "release": 0,
@@ -526,7 +526,7 @@
     stats = get_stats(loader.storage)
     assert stats == {
         "content": 9,
-        "directory": 22,
+        "directory": 14,
         "origin": 1,
         "origin_visit": 1,
         "release": 0,
@@ -539,10 +539,10 @@
 
 
 DINO_SNAPSHOT = Snapshot(
-    id=hash_to_bytes("417021c16e17c5e0038cf0e73dbf48a6142c8304"),
+    id=hash_to_bytes("6cf774cec1030ff3e9a301681303adb537855d09"),
     branches={
         b"HEAD": SnapshotBranch(
-            target=hash_to_bytes("df61a776c401a178cc796545849fc87bdadb2001"),
+            target=hash_to_bytes("b7d3ea1fa878d51323b5200ad2c6ee9d5b656f10"),
             target_type=TargetType.REVISION,
         )
     },
@@ -574,7 +574,7 @@
     stats = get_stats(loader.storage)
     assert stats == {
         "content": 38,
-        "directory": 105,
+        "directory": 70,
         "origin": 1,
         "origin_visit": 1,
         "release": 0,
@@ -616,7 +616,7 @@
     stats = get_stats(loader.storage)
     assert stats == {
         "content": 38,
-        "directory": 105,
+        "directory": 70,
         "origin": 1,
         "origin_visit": 1,
         "release": 0,
@@ -629,10 +629,10 @@
 
 
 DINO_SNAPSHOT2 = Snapshot(
-    id=hash_to_bytes("a9d6ce0b4f22dc4fd752ad4c25ec9ea71ed568d7"),
+    id=hash_to_bytes("afdeca6b8ec8f58367b4e014e2210233f1c5bf3d"),
     branches={
         b"HEAD": SnapshotBranch(
-            target=hash_to_bytes("150616a2a3206f00a73f2d6a017dde22c52e4a83"),
+            target=hash_to_bytes("84e428103d42b84713c77afb9420d667062f8676"),
             target_type=TargetType.REVISION,
         )
     },
@@ -664,7 +664,7 @@
     stats = get_stats(loader.storage)
     assert stats == {
         "content": 18,
-        "directory": 36,
+        "directory": 18,
         "origin": 1,
         "origin_visit": 1,
         "release": 0,
@@ -702,7 +702,7 @@
     stats = get_stats(loader.storage)
     assert stats == {
         "content": 18,
-        "directory": 36,
+        "directory": 18,
         "origin": 1,
         "origin_visit": 1,
         "release": 0,
@@ -713,10 +713,10 @@
 
 
 GREEK_SNAPSHOT6 = Snapshot(
-    id=hash_to_bytes("b4c9423b2711c181251deb458d4ab4a3172948ac"),
+    id=hash_to_bytes("859ae7ca5b31fee594c98abecdd41eff17cae079"),
     branches={
         b"HEAD": SnapshotBranch(
-            target=hash_to_bytes("f317c720e1929fec0afce10e6a8cfd24ef76dfc7"),
+            target=hash_to_bytes("fa48fb4551898cd8d3305cace971b3b95639e83e"),
             target_type=TargetType.REVISION,
         )
     },
@@ -750,7 +750,7 @@
     stats = get_stats(loader.storage)
     assert stats == {
         "content": 9,
-        "directory": 22,
+        "directory": 14,
         "origin": 1,
         "origin_visit": 1,
         "release": 0,
@@ -790,7 +790,7 @@
     stats = get_stats(loader.storage)
     assert stats == {
         "content": 9,
-        "directory": 22,
+        "directory": 14,
         "origin": 1,
         "origin_visit": 1,
         "release": 0,
@@ -837,7 +837,7 @@
 
     expected_stats = {
         "content": 9,
-        "directory": 22,
+        "directory": 14,
         "origin": 2,
         "origin_visit": 2,
         "release": 0,
@@ -856,16 +856,16 @@
     paths = get_head_revision_paths_info(loader)
     paths2 = get_head_revision_paths_info(loader2)
 
-    alpha = paths[b"greek-tree/alpha"]
-    alpha2 = paths2[b"greek-tree/alpha"]
+    alpha = paths[b"alpha"]
+    alpha2 = paths2[b"alpha"]
     assert alpha["sha1"] == alpha2["sha1"]
 
 
 GREEK_SNAPSHOT8 = Snapshot(
-    id=hash_to_bytes("b98a2744199723be827d48bad2f65ee1c2df7513"),
+    id=hash_to_bytes("5278a1f73ed0f804c68f72614a5f78ca5074ab9c"),
     branches={
         b"HEAD": SnapshotBranch(
-            target=hash_to_bytes("ee8be88b458b7fbca3037ab05e56552578e66faa"),
+            target=hash_to_bytes("b389258fec8151d719e79da80b5e5355a48ec8bc"),
             target_type=TargetType.REVISION,
         )
     },
@@ -899,7 +899,7 @@
     stats = get_stats(loader.storage)
     assert stats == {
         "content": 14,
-        "directory": 31,
+        "directory": 20,
         "origin": 1,
         "origin_visit": 1,
         "release": 0,
@@ -939,7 +939,7 @@
     stats = get_stats(loader.storage)
     assert stats == {
         "content": 14,
-        "directory": 31,
+        "directory": 20,
         "origin": 1,
         "origin_visit": 1,
         "release": 0,