diff --git a/src/apply_indexchanges.rs b/src/apply_indexchanges.rs
index d204700..7d13e31 100755
--- a/src/apply_indexchanges.rs
+++ b/src/apply_indexchanges.rs
@@ -100,20 +100,22 @@ pub fn apply_indexchanges_int(
     );
     for (i, change) in changes.iter().enumerate() {
         match change {
-            IndexChange::AddDir(dir, _) => {
-                let ok = if let Some(target) = target {
-                    let t = target.join(dir);
-                    if let Err(e) = fs::create_dir_all(&t) {
-                        eprintln!("\n[warn] couldn't create directory {t:?}: {e}");
-                        false
+            IndexChange::AddDir(dir, make_new, _) => {
+                if *make_new {
+                    let ok = if let Some(target) = target {
+                        let t = target.join(dir);
+                        if let Err(e) = fs::create_dir_all(&t) {
+                            eprintln!("\n[warn] couldn't create directory {t:?}: {e}");
+                            false
+                        } else {
+                            true
+                        }
                     } else {
                         true
+                    };
+                    if ok {
+                        fs::create_dir_all(&index.join(dir))?;
                     }
-                } else {
-                    true
-                };
-                if ok {
-                    fs::create_dir_all(&index.join(dir))?;
                 }
             }
             IndexChange::AddFile(file, index_file) => {
diff --git a/src/indexchanges.rs b/src/indexchanges.rs
index 326ab91..217912b 100755
--- a/src/indexchanges.rs
+++ b/src/indexchanges.rs
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ use crate::indexfile::IndexFile;
 #[derive(Debug)]
 pub enum IndexChange {
     /// Ensure a directory with this path exists (at least if all its parent directories exist).
-    AddDir(PathBuf, u64),
+    AddDir(PathBuf, bool, u64),
     /// Add or update a file
     AddFile(PathBuf, IndexFile),
     /// Remove a file
diff --git a/src/main.rs b/src/main.rs
index 5abd729..5f641c7 100755
--- a/src/main.rs
+++ b/src/main.rs
@@ -108,14 +108,15 @@ fn main() {
         }
         fn show_change(change: &IndexChange, rev: bool) {
             match change {
-                IndexChange::AddDir(v, s) => {
+                IndexChange::AddDir(v, new, s) => {
                     let mut path_str = v.display().to_string();
                     if !path_str.ends_with(['/', '\\']) {
                         path_str.push('/');
                     }
                     eprintln!(
-                        "{}>>  {}    [{:.2} GiB]",
+                        " {}{} {}    [{:.2} GiB]",
                         if rev { "^" } else { "v" },
+                        if *new { ">>" } else { "> " },
                         path_str,
                         *s as f64 / (1024 * 1024 * 1024) as f64
                     );
@@ -138,7 +139,7 @@ fn main() {
         eprintln!(" - - - - -");
         let add_dir_count = changes
             .iter()
-            .filter(|c| matches!(c, IndexChange::AddDir(..)))
+            .filter(|c| matches!(c, IndexChange::AddDir(_, true, _)))
             .count();
         eprintln!(
             " {}>> add directory | {add_dir_count}x",
diff --git a/src/update_index.rs b/src/update_index.rs
index ba001c5..03fe28d 100755
--- a/src/update_index.rs
+++ b/src/update_index.rs
@@ -91,20 +91,22 @@ fn rec(
     let mut total_size = 0;
     // used to find removals
     let index_rel_path = index_files.join(rel_path);
-    let mut index_entries = match fs::read_dir(&index_rel_path) {
-        Err(_) => HashMap::new(),
-        Ok(e) => e
-            .into_iter()
-            .filter_map(|v| v.ok())
-            .map(|v| {
-                Ok((
-                    v.file_name(),
-                    v.file_type()
-                        .map_err(|e| ("getting file type".to_owned(), v.path(), e))?
-                        .is_dir(),
-                ))
-            })
-            .collect::<Result<_, (String, PathBuf, io::Error)>>()?,
+    let (mut index_entries, dir_is_new) = match fs::read_dir(&index_rel_path) {
+        Err(_) => (HashMap::new(), true),
+        Ok(e) => (
+            e.into_iter()
+                .filter_map(|v| v.ok())
+                .map(|v| {
+                    Ok((
+                        v.file_name(),
+                        v.file_type()
+                            .map_err(|e| ("getting file type".to_owned(), v.path(), e))?
+                            .is_dir(),
+                    ))
+                })
+                .collect::<Result<_, (String, PathBuf, io::Error)>>()?,
+            false,
+        ),
     };
     // compare source files with index
     let source_files_path = source.join(rel_path);
@@ -182,10 +184,14 @@ fn rec(
         }
     }
     // combine everything
-    let changes = [IndexChange::AddDir(rel_path.to_path_buf(), total_size)]
-        .into_iter()
-        .chain(removals.into_iter())
-        .chain(ichanges.into_iter().flat_map(|(_, v)| v))
-        .collect();
+    let changes = [IndexChange::AddDir(
+        rel_path.to_path_buf(),
+        dir_is_new,
+        total_size,
+    )]
+    .into_iter()
+    .chain(removals.into_iter())
+    .chain(ichanges.into_iter().flat_map(|(_, v)| v))
+    .collect();
     Ok((total_size, changes))
 }