diff --git a/copy/copy.go b/copy/copy.go
index 558c553f..f8cc0a43 100644
--- a/copy/copy.go
+++ b/copy/copy.go
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ func Copy(ctx context.Context, srcRoot, src, dstRoot, dst string, opts ...Opt) e
 		return err
 	}
 
-	c, err := newCopier(dstRoot, ci.Chown, ci.Utime, ci.Mode, ci.XAttrErrorHandler, ci.IncludePatterns, ci.ExcludePatterns, ci.ChangeFunc)
+	c, err := newCopier(dstRoot, ci.Chown, ci.Utime, ci.Mode, ci.XAttrErrorHandler, ci.IncludePatterns, ci.ExcludePatterns, ci.AlwaysReplaceExistingDestPaths, ci.ChangeFunc)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
@@ -172,7 +172,11 @@ type CopyInfo struct {
 	IncludePatterns []string
 	// Exclude files/dir matching any of these patterns (even if they match an include pattern)
 	ExcludePatterns []string
-	ChangeFunc      fsutil.ChangeFunc
+	// If true, any source path that overwrite existing destination paths will always replace
+	// the existing destination path, even if they are of different types (e.g. a directory will
+	// replace any existing symlink or file)
+	AlwaysReplaceExistingDestPaths bool
+	ChangeFunc                     fsutil.ChangeFunc
 }
 
 type Opt func(*CopyInfo)
@@ -227,16 +231,17 @@ func WithChangeNotifier(fn fsutil.ChangeFunc) Opt {
 }
 
 type copier struct {
-	chown                 Chowner
-	utime                 *time.Time
-	mode                  *int
-	inodes                map[uint64]string
-	xattrErrorHandler     XAttrErrorHandler
-	includePatternMatcher *patternmatcher.PatternMatcher
-	excludePatternMatcher *patternmatcher.PatternMatcher
-	parentDirs            []parentDir
-	changefn              fsutil.ChangeFunc
-	root                  string
+	chown                          Chowner
+	utime                          *time.Time
+	mode                           *int
+	inodes                         map[uint64]string
+	xattrErrorHandler              XAttrErrorHandler
+	includePatternMatcher          *patternmatcher.PatternMatcher
+	excludePatternMatcher          *patternmatcher.PatternMatcher
+	parentDirs                     []parentDir
+	changefn                       fsutil.ChangeFunc
+	root                           string
+	alwaysReplaceExistingDestPaths bool
 }
 
 type parentDir struct {
@@ -245,7 +250,7 @@ type parentDir struct {
 	copied  bool
 }
 
-func newCopier(root string, chown Chowner, tm *time.Time, mode *int, xeh XAttrErrorHandler, includePatterns, excludePatterns []string, changeFunc fsutil.ChangeFunc) (*copier, error) {
+func newCopier(root string, chown Chowner, tm *time.Time, mode *int, xeh XAttrErrorHandler, includePatterns, excludePatterns []string, alwaysReplaceExistingDestPaths bool, changeFunc fsutil.ChangeFunc) (*copier, error) {
 	if xeh == nil {
 		xeh = func(dst, src, key string, err error) error {
 			return err
@@ -271,15 +276,16 @@ func newCopier(root string, chown Chowner, tm *time.Time, mode *int, xeh XAttrEr
 	}
 
 	return &copier{
-		root:                  root,
-		inodes:                map[uint64]string{},
-		chown:                 chown,
-		utime:                 tm,
-		xattrErrorHandler:     xeh,
-		mode:                  mode,
-		includePatternMatcher: includePatternMatcher,
-		excludePatternMatcher: excludePatternMatcher,
-		changefn:              changeFunc,
+		root:                           root,
+		inodes:                         map[uint64]string{},
+		chown:                          chown,
+		utime:                          tm,
+		xattrErrorHandler:              xeh,
+		mode:                           mode,
+		includePatternMatcher:          includePatternMatcher,
+		excludePatternMatcher:          excludePatternMatcher,
+		changefn:                       changeFunc,
+		alwaysReplaceExistingDestPaths: alwaysReplaceExistingDestPaths,
 	}, nil
 }
 
@@ -324,6 +330,10 @@ func (c *copier) copy(ctx context.Context, src, srcComponents, target string, ov
 	}
 
 	if include {
+		if err := c.removeTargetIfNeeded(src, target, fi, targetFi); err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+
 		if err := c.createParentDirs(src, srcComponents, target, overwriteTargetMetadata); err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
@@ -440,6 +450,21 @@ func (c *copier) exclude(path string, fi os.FileInfo, parentExcludeMatchInfo pat
 	return m, matchInfo, nil
 }
 
+func (c *copier) removeTargetIfNeeded(src, target string, srcFi, targetFi os.FileInfo) error {
+	if !c.alwaysReplaceExistingDestPaths {
+		return nil
+	}
+	if targetFi == nil {
+		// already doesn't exist
+		return nil
+	}
+	if srcFi.IsDir() && targetFi.IsDir() {
+		// directories are merged, not replaced
+		return nil
+	}
+	return os.RemoveAll(target)
+}
+
 // Delayed creation of parent directories when a file or dir matches an include
 // pattern.
 func (c *copier) createParentDirs(src, srcComponents, target string, overwriteTargetMetadata bool) error {
diff --git a/copy/copy_test.go b/copy/copy_test.go
index e77d54e7..425ade68 100644
--- a/copy/copy_test.go
+++ b/copy/copy_test.go
@@ -359,6 +359,60 @@ func TestCopySymlinks(t *testing.T) {
 	require.Equal(t, "foo.txt", link)
 }
 
+func TestCopyWithAlwaysReplaceExistingDestPaths(t *testing.T) {
+	destDir := t.TempDir()
+	require.NoError(t, fstest.Apply(
+		fstest.CreateDir("root", 0755),
+		fstest.CreateDir("root/overwritedir", 0755),
+		fstest.CreateFile("root/overwritedir/subfile", nil, 0755),
+		fstest.CreateFile("root/overwritefile", nil, 0755),
+		fstest.Symlink("dir", "root/overwritesymlink"),
+		fstest.CreateDir("root/dir", 0755),
+		fstest.CreateFile("root/dir/dirfile1", nil, 0755),
+		fstest.CreateDir("root/dir/overwritesubdir", 0755),
+		fstest.CreateFile("root/dir/overwritesubfile", nil, 0755),
+		fstest.Symlink("dirfile1", "root/dir/overwritesymlink"),
+	).Apply(destDir))
+
+	srcDir := t.TempDir()
+	require.NoError(t, fstest.Apply(
+		fstest.CreateDir("root", 0755),
+		fstest.CreateFile("root/overwritedir", nil, 0755),
+		fstest.CreateDir("root/overwritefile", 0755),
+		fstest.CreateFile("root/overwritefile/foo", nil, 0755),
+		fstest.CreateDir("root/overwritesymlink", 0755),
+		fstest.CreateDir("root/dir", 0755),
+		fstest.CreateFile("root/dir/dirfile2", nil, 0755),
+		fstest.CreateFile("root/dir/overwritesubdir", nil, 0755),
+		fstest.CreateDir("root/dir/overwritesubfile", 0755),
+		fstest.CreateDir("root/dir/overwritesymlink", 0755),
+	).Apply(srcDir))
+
+	expectedDir := t.TempDir()
+	require.NoError(t, fstest.Apply(
+		fstest.CreateDir("root", 0755),
+		fstest.CreateFile("root/overwritedir", nil, 0755),
+		fstest.CreateDir("root/overwritefile", 0755),
+		fstest.CreateFile("root/overwritefile/foo", nil, 0755),
+		fstest.CreateDir("root/overwritesymlink", 0755),
+		fstest.CreateDir("root/dir", 0755),
+		fstest.CreateFile("root/dir/dirfile1", nil, 0755),
+		fstest.CreateFile("root/dir/dirfile2", nil, 0755),
+		fstest.CreateFile("root/dir/overwritesubdir", nil, 0755),
+		fstest.CreateDir("root/dir/overwritesubfile", 0755),
+		fstest.CreateDir("root/dir/overwritesymlink", 0755),
+	).Apply(expectedDir))
+
+	err := Copy(context.TODO(), srcDir, "root", destDir, "root", WithCopyInfo(CopyInfo{
+		AlwaysReplaceExistingDestPaths: true,
+		CopyDirContents:                true,
+	}))
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	err = fstest.CheckDirectoryEqual(destDir, expectedDir)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+}
+
 func testCopy(t *testing.T, apply fstest.Applier, exp string) error {
 	t1 := t.TempDir()
 	t2 := t.TempDir()