diff --git a/src/main/java/org/junit/rules/TemporaryFolder.java b/src/main/java/org/junit/rules/TemporaryFolder.java
index fe0ac38b0f90..1a6a77060805 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/junit/rules/TemporaryFolder.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/junit/rules/TemporaryFolder.java
@@ -206,8 +206,13 @@ public File newFolder(String... paths) throws IOException {
 
             lastMkdirsCallSuccessful = file.mkdirs();
             if (!lastMkdirsCallSuccessful && !file.isDirectory()) {
-                throw new IOException(
-                        "could not create a folder with the path \'" + relativePath.getPath() + "\'");
+                if (file.exists()) {
+                    throw new IOException(
+                            "a file with the path \'" + relativePath.getPath() + "\' exists");
+                } else {
+                    throw new IOException(
+                            "could not create a folder with the path \'" + relativePath.getPath() + "\'");
+                }
             }
         }
         if (!lastMkdirsCallSuccessful) {
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/junit/rules/TemporaryFolderUsageTest.java b/src/test/java/org/junit/rules/TemporaryFolderUsageTest.java
index 925408fa0818..8213e39ede49 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/junit/rules/TemporaryFolderUsageTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/junit/rules/TemporaryFolderUsageTest.java
@@ -89,6 +89,17 @@ public void newFolderWithGivenFolderThrowsIOExceptionIfFileExists() throws IOExc
         File file = new File(tempFolder.getRoot(), "level1");
         assertTrue("Could not create" + file, file.createNewFile());
 
+        thrown.expect(IOException.class);
+        thrown.expectMessage("a file with the path 'level1' exists");
+        tempFolder.newFolder("level1");
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void newFolderWithGivenFolderThrowsIOExceptionWhenFolderCannotBeCreated() throws IOException {
+        tempFolder.create();
+        assertTrue("Could not make folder " + tempFolder.getRoot() + " read only.",
+                tempFolder.getRoot().setReadOnly());
+
         thrown.expect(IOException.class);
         thrown.expectMessage("could not create a folder with the path 'level1'");
         tempFolder.newFolder("level1");