diff --git a/libmuttonserver.go b/libmuttonserver.go
index 97d8645..6f2c313 100644
--- a/libmuttonserver.go
+++ b/libmuttonserver.go
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ func main() {
 		// stdin[0] is evaluated after fallthrough
 		// stdin[1] is expected to be the OLD incomplete target location with FSPath representing path separators - always pass in UNIX format
 		// stdin[2] is expected to be the NEW incomplete target location with FSPath representing path separators - always pass in UNIX format
-		sync.RenameLocal(strings.ReplaceAll(stdin[1], sync.FSPath, "/"), strings.ReplaceAll(stdin[2], sync.FSPath, "/"))
+		sync.RenameLocal(strings.ReplaceAll(stdin[1], sync.FSPath, "/"), strings.ReplaceAll(stdin[2], sync.FSPath, "/"), true)
 		fallthrough // fallthrough to add the old entry to the deletions directory
 	case "shear":
 		// shear an entry from the server and add it to the deletions directory
diff --git a/mutn.go b/mutn.go
index e658f7a..538533d 100644
--- a/mutn.go
+++ b/mutn.go
@@ -98,7 +98,8 @@ func main() {
 					case "note", "-n":
 						field = 4
 					case "rename", "-r":
-						cli.RenameCli(args[1]) // pass the incomplete path as the server and all clients (reading from the deletions directory) will have a different home directory
+						backend.TargetIsFile(targetLocation, true, 0) // ensure location exists before prompting for new location
+						cli.RenameCli(args[1])                        // pass the incomplete path as the server and all clients (reading from the deletions directory) will have a different home directory
 					default:
 						cli.HelpEdit()
 					}