diff --git a/crates/spfs/src/env.rs b/crates/spfs/src/env.rs
index 5c93569429..eb4a28311b 100644
--- a/crates/spfs/src/env.rs
+++ b/crates/spfs/src/env.rs
@@ -283,6 +283,8 @@ where
     }
 
     /// Check if the identified directory is an active mount point.
+    ///
+    /// Returns false in the case where the path or its parent do not exist.
     async fn is_mounted<P: Into<PathBuf>>(&self, target: P) -> Result<bool> {
         let target = target.into();
         let parent = match target.parent() {
@@ -292,11 +294,9 @@ where
 
         // A new thread created while holding _guard will be inside the same
         // mount namespace...
-        let stat_parent_thread =
-            std::thread::spawn(move || nix::sys::stat::stat(&parent).map_err(Error::from));
+        let stat_parent_thread = std::thread::spawn(move || nix::sys::stat::stat(&parent));
 
-        let stat_target_thread =
-            std::thread::spawn(move || nix::sys::stat::stat(&target).map_err(Error::from));
+        let stat_target_thread = std::thread::spawn(move || nix::sys::stat::stat(&target));
 
         let (st_parent, st_target) = tokio::task::spawn_blocking(move || {
             let st_parent = stat_parent_thread.join();
@@ -306,9 +306,22 @@ where
         .await?;
 
         let st_parent =
-            st_parent.map_err(|_| Error::String("Failed to stat parent".to_owned()))??;
+            match st_parent.map_err(|_| Error::String("Failed to stat parent".to_owned()))? {
+                // the parent not existing means the child also doesn't exist
+                // and so cannot be considered as mounted
+                Err(nix::errno::Errno::ENOENT) => {
+                    return Ok(false);
+                }
+                r => r?,
+            };
         let st_target =
-            st_target.map_err(|_| Error::String("Failed to stat target".to_owned()))??;
+            match st_target.map_err(|_| Error::String("Failed to stat target".to_owned()))? {
+                // a non-existent directory is considered not mounted
+                Err(nix::errno::Errno::ENOENT) => {
+                    return Ok(false);
+                }
+                r => r?,
+            };
 
         Ok(st_target.st_dev != st_parent.st_dev)
     }
@@ -346,8 +359,8 @@ where
             ));
         }
 
-        if self.is_mounted("/spfs").await? {
-            res = mount(NONE, "/spfs", NONE, MsFlags::MS_PRIVATE, NONE);
+        if self.is_mounted(SPFS_DIR).await? {
+            res = mount(NONE, SPFS_DIR, NONE, MsFlags::MS_PRIVATE, NONE);
             if let Err(err) = res {
                 return Err(Error::wrap_nix(
                     err,