Index: server/core.c
===================================================================
--- server/core.c	(revision 1874808)
+++ server/core.c	(working copy)
@@ -2545,6 +2545,13 @@
                                "\"> path is invalid.", NULL);
         }
 
+        if (!ap_is_directory(cmd->temp_pool, cmd->path)) {
+          ap_log_perror(APLOG_MARK, APLOG_STARTUP, 0,
+                        cmd->temp_pool, APLOGNO(10231)
+                        "Warning: <Directory \"%s\"> does not exist or is not a directory",
+                        cmd->path);
+        }
+
         cmd->path = newpath;
         if (cmd->path[strlen(cmd->path) - 1] != '/')
             cmd->path = apr_pstrcat(cmd->pool, cmd->path, "/", NULL);