diff --git a/fs/ntfs/super.c b/fs/ntfs/super.c
index 5ae8de09b271..18e2902531f9 100644
--- a/fs/ntfs/super.c
+++ b/fs/ntfs/super.c
@@ -2092,10 +2092,15 @@ static bool load_system_files(ntfs_volume *vol)
 	// TODO: Initialize security.
 	/* Get the extended system files' directory inode. */
 	vol->extend_ino = ntfs_iget(sb, FILE_Extend);
-	if (IS_ERR(vol->extend_ino) || is_bad_inode(vol->extend_ino)) {
+	if (IS_ERR(vol->extend_ino) || is_bad_inode(vol->extend_ino) ||
+	    !S_ISDIR(vol->extend_ino->i_mode)) {
+		static const char *es1 = "$Extend is not a directory";
+		static const char *es2 = "Failed to load $Extend";
+		const char *es = !S_ISDIR(vol->extend_ino->i_mode) ? es1 : es2;
+
 		if (!IS_ERR(vol->extend_ino))
 			iput(vol->extend_ino);
-		ntfs_error(sb, "Failed to load $Extend.");
+		ntfs_error(sb, "%s.", es);
 		goto iput_sec_err_out;
 	}
 #ifdef NTFS_RW