diff --git a/lib/Overload/FileCheck.pm b/lib/Overload/FileCheck.pm
index 5034976..b0180e5 100644
--- a/lib/Overload/FileCheck.pm
+++ b/lib/Overload/FileCheck.pm
@@ -356,7 +356,15 @@ sub _check_from_stat {
         k => sub { _xs_unmock_op($optype); _to_bool( scalar -k _ ) },    # sticky bit
 
         # Heuristic text/binary checks (use glob _ to pass the cached stat)
-        T => sub { return CHECK_IS_NULL unless @stat; _xs_unmock_op($optype); _to_bool( scalar -T *_ ) },   # ASCII or UTF-8 text (heuristic)
+        T => sub {                                                         # ASCII or UTF-8 text (heuristic)
+            return CHECK_IS_NULL unless @stat;                             # file not found
+            # Directories are always "text" in Perl (like -B, which also
+            # returns true for dirs).  Short-circuit to avoid opening a
+            # possibly non-existent path on disk for the heuristic check.
+            return CHECK_IS_TRUE if _check_mode_type( $stat[ST_MODE], S_IFDIR ) == CHECK_IS_TRUE;
+            _xs_unmock_op($optype);
+            return _to_bool( scalar -T *_ );
+        },
         B => sub {                                                         # binary file (opposite of -T)
             return CHECK_IS_NULL unless @stat;                             # file not found
             # Check directory via mode bits directly instead of calling the
@@ -368,7 +376,7 @@ sub _check_from_stat {
 
         # Existence and size (computed directly from cached stat)
         e => sub { return CHECK_IS_NULL unless scalar @stat; CHECK_IS_TRUE },  # file exists (stat success implies existence)
-        s => sub { $stat[ST_SIZE] },                                       # nonzero size (returns bytes); fallback breaks on symlinks
+        s => sub { return CHECK_IS_NULL unless @stat; $stat[ST_SIZE] },    # nonzero size (returns bytes); fallback breaks on symlinks
 
         # File type checks via mode bits (using @stat — follows symlinks)
         f => sub { _check_mode_type( $stat[ST_MODE],  S_IFREG ) },       # plain file
diff --git a/t/T-directory-check.t b/t/T-directory-check.t
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..aeee15f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/t/T-directory-check.t
@@ -0,0 +1,68 @@
+#!/usr/bin/perl -w
+
+# Verify that the -T handler in _check_from_stat correctly short-circuits
+# for directories (returning true) without attempting to open the path on
+# disk for a heuristic check.  This matches the -B handler behavior —
+# in Perl, both -T and -B return true for directories.
+
+use strict;
+use warnings;
+
+use Test2::Bundle::Extended;
+use Test2::Tools::Explain;
+use Test2::Plugin::NoWarnings;
+
+use Overload::FileCheck q(:all);
+
+my $stat_call_count = 0;
+
+mock_all_from_stat(
+    sub {
+        my ( $op, $file ) = @_;
+
+        return FALLBACK_TO_REAL_OP unless defined $file;
+        return FALLBACK_TO_REAL_OP unless $file =~ m{^MOCK/};
+
+        $stat_call_count++;
+
+        if ( $file eq 'MOCK/a-directory' ) {
+            return stat_as_directory();
+        }
+
+        if ( $file eq 'MOCK/regular-file' ) {
+            return stat_as_file( size => 100 );
+        }
+
+        return [];    # file not found
+    }
+);
+
+# -T on a mocked directory: should return true (directories are "text" in Perl)
+# and should NOT attempt to open the path for heuristic content check
+$stat_call_count = 0;
+my $result = -T 'MOCK/a-directory';
+is $stat_call_count, 1, '-T on directory triggers stat callback exactly once';
+ok $result, '-T on directory returns true (Perl convention: dirs are text)';
+
+# -B on a mocked directory: same behavior for symmetry verification
+$stat_call_count = 0;
+$result = -B 'MOCK/a-directory';
+is $stat_call_count, 1, '-B on directory triggers stat callback exactly once';
+ok $result, '-B on directory returns true';
+
+# -T on a non-existent mocked file: should return undef (CHECK_IS_NULL)
+$stat_call_count = 0;
+$result = -T 'MOCK/no-such-file';
+is $stat_call_count, 1, '-T on non-existent file triggers stat callback exactly once';
+ok !defined($result) || !$result, '-T on non-existent file is falsy';
+
+# -s on a non-existent mocked file: should return undef (CHECK_IS_NULL)
+$stat_call_count = 0;
+$result = -s 'MOCK/no-such-file';
+is $stat_call_count, 1, '-s on non-existent file triggers stat callback exactly once';
+ok !defined($result), '-s on non-existent file returns undef';
+
+unmock_all_file_checks();
+unmock_stat();
+
+done_testing;