diff --git a/tag.sh b/tag.sh
index dc1b7df..dd5576c 100755
--- a/tag.sh
+++ b/tag.sh
@@ -150,6 +150,7 @@ add_path() {
     COLUMN="filename,path"
     FILES=()
     for FILE in "$@"; do
+        [ ! -f "$FILE" ] && fail "File '$FILE' does not exist in the specified path."
         local FILENAME=$(basename "$FILE")
         local FILEPATH=$(realpath $(dirname "$FILE"))
         file_exists_in_db "$FILE" && fail "File '$FILE' already exists in database."
diff --git a/tests/basic.sh b/tests/basic.sh
index d00a04e..7964be2 100755
--- a/tests/basic.sh
+++ b/tests/basic.sh
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ oneTimeTearDown() {
     # runs one-time teardown two times
     # see https://github.com/kward/shunit2/issues/112
     [ -f "$DB_FILE" ] && rm "$DB_FILE"
+    rm "$FILENAME"
 }
 
 testDbCreated() {
@@ -27,7 +28,13 @@ testTagAdded() {
     assertEquals $RESULT "hello"
 }
 
+testFailAddingNonexistentFile() {
+    tag --db "$DB_FILE" import "$FILENAME" 2>/dev/null
+    assertEquals "$?" 1
+}
+
 testFilenameAdded() {
+    touch "$FILENAME"
     tag --db "$DB_FILE" add path "$FILENAME" >/dev/null
     RESULT=$(sqlite3 "$DB_FILE" "SELECT filename from files WHERE filename = '$FILENAME'")
     assertEquals "$RESULT" "$FILENAME"