diff --git a/swh/vault/tests/test_to_disk.py b/swh/vault/tests/test_to_disk.py
index 842f081..71424e5 100644
--- a/swh/vault/tests/test_to_disk.py
+++ b/swh/vault/tests/test_to_disk.py
@@ -1,162 +1,184 @@
 # Copyright (C) 2020-2022  The Software Heritage developers
 # See the AUTHORS file at the top-level directory of this distribution
 # License: GNU General Public License version 3, or any later version
 # See top-level LICENSE file for more information
 
 import pytest
 
 from swh.model.from_disk import DentryPerms
 from swh.model.model import Content, Directory, DirectoryEntry, SkippedContent
 from swh.vault.to_disk import DirectoryBuilder, get_filtered_files_content
 
 
 def test_get_filtered_files_content(swh_storage):
     content = Content.from_data(b"foo bar")
     skipped_content = SkippedContent(
         sha1=None,
         sha1_git=b"c" * 20,
         sha256=None,
         blake2s256=None,
         length=42,
         status="absent",
         reason="for some reason",
     )
     swh_storage.content_add([content])
     swh_storage.skipped_content_add([skipped_content])
 
     files_data = [
         {
             "status": "visible",
             "sha1": content.sha1,
             "sha1_git": content.sha1_git,
             "target": content.sha1_git,
         },
         {
             "status": "absent",
             "target": skipped_content.sha1_git,
         },
     ]
 
     res = list(get_filtered_files_content(swh_storage, files_data))
 
     assert res == [
         {
             "content": content.data,
             "status": "visible",
             "sha1": content.sha1,
             "sha1_git": content.sha1_git,
             "target": content.sha1_git,
         },
         {
             "content": (
                 b"This content has not been retrieved in the "
                 b"Software Heritage archive due to its size."
             ),
             "status": "absent",
             "target": skipped_content.sha1_git,
         },
     ]
 
 
 def test_get_filtered_files_content__unknown_status(swh_storage):
     content = Content.from_data(b"foo bar")
     swh_storage.content_add([content])
 
     files_data = [
         {
             "status": "visible",
             "sha1": content.sha1,
             "sha1_git": content.sha1_git,
             "target": content.sha1_git,
         },
         {
             "status": "blah",
             "target": b"c" * 20,
         },
     ]
 
     with pytest.raises(AssertionError, match="unexpected status 'blah'"):
         list(get_filtered_files_content(swh_storage, files_data))
 
 
-def _fill_storage(swh_storage, exclude_cnt3=False):
+def _fill_storage(swh_storage, exclude_cnt3=False, exclude_dir1=False):
     cnt1 = Content.from_data(b"foo bar")
     cnt2 = Content.from_data(b"bar baz")
     cnt3 = Content.from_data(b"baz qux")
     dir1 = Directory(
         entries=(
             DirectoryEntry(
                 name=b"content1",
                 type="file",
                 target=cnt1.sha1_git,
                 perms=DentryPerms.content,
             ),
             DirectoryEntry(
                 name=b"content2",
                 type="file",
                 target=cnt2.sha1_git,
                 perms=DentryPerms.content,
             ),
         )
     )
     dir2 = Directory(
         entries=(
             DirectoryEntry(
                 name=b"content3",
                 type="file",
                 target=cnt3.sha1_git,
                 perms=DentryPerms.content,
             ),
             DirectoryEntry(
                 name=b"subdirectory",
                 type="dir",
                 target=dir1.id,
                 perms=DentryPerms.directory,
             ),
         )
     )
     if exclude_cnt3:
         swh_storage.content_add([cnt1, cnt2])
     else:
         swh_storage.content_add([cnt1, cnt2, cnt3])
-    swh_storage.directory_add([dir1, dir2])
+    if exclude_dir1:
+        swh_storage.directory_add([dir2])
+    else:
+        swh_storage.directory_add([dir1, dir2])
 
     return dir2
 
 
 def test_directory_builder(swh_storage, tmp_path):
     dir2 = _fill_storage(swh_storage)
 
     root = tmp_path / "root"
     builder = DirectoryBuilder(swh_storage, bytes(root), dir2.id)
 
     assert not root.exists()
 
     builder.build()
 
     assert root.is_dir()
     assert set(root.glob("**/*")) == {
         root / "subdirectory",
         root / "subdirectory" / "content1",
         root / "subdirectory" / "content2",
         root / "content3",
     }
 
     assert (root / "subdirectory" / "content1").open().read() == "foo bar"
     assert (root / "subdirectory" / "content2").open().read() == "bar baz"
     assert (root / "content3").open().read() == "baz qux"
 
 
 def test_directory_builder_missing_content(swh_storage, tmp_path):
     dir2 = _fill_storage(swh_storage, exclude_cnt3=True)
 
     root = tmp_path / "root"
     builder = DirectoryBuilder(swh_storage, bytes(root), dir2.id)
 
     assert not root.exists()
 
     builder.build()
 
     assert root.is_dir()
 
     assert "This content is missing" in (root / "content3").open().read()
+
+
+def test_directory_builder_missing_directory(swh_storage, tmp_path):
+    dir2 = _fill_storage(swh_storage, exclude_dir1=True)
+
+    root = tmp_path / "root"
+    builder = DirectoryBuilder(swh_storage, bytes(root), dir2.id)
+
+    assert not root.exists()
+
+    builder.build()
+
+    assert root.is_dir()
+    assert set(root.glob("**/*")) == {
+        root / "subdirectory",
+        root / "content3",
+    }
+
+    assert (root / "content3").open().read() == "baz qux"