diff --git a/files/public.go b/files/public.go
index a9753003..9929d86d 100644
--- a/files/public.go
+++ b/files/public.go
@@ -97,12 +97,18 @@ func (storage *PublishedStorage) PutFile(path string, sourceFilename string) err
 
 // Remove removes single file under public path
 func (storage *PublishedStorage) Remove(path string) error {
+	if len(path) <= 0 {
+		panic("trying to remove empty path")
+	}
 	filepath := filepath.Join(storage.rootPath, path)
 	return os.Remove(filepath)
 }
 
 // RemoveDirs removes directory structure under public path
 func (storage *PublishedStorage) RemoveDirs(path string, progress aptly.Progress) error {
+	if len(path) <= 0 {
+		panic("trying to remove the root directory")
+	}
 	filepath := filepath.Join(storage.rootPath, path)
 	if progress != nil {
 		progress.Printf("Removing %s...\n", filepath)
diff --git a/files/public_test.go b/files/public_test.go
index 3ffe3121..38a5093e 100644
--- a/files/public_test.go
+++ b/files/public_test.go
@@ -320,3 +320,19 @@ func (s *PublishedStorageSuite) TestLinkFromPool(c *C) {
 	err = s.storageCopySize.LinkFromPool(filepath.Join("", "pool", "main", "m/mars-invaders"), "mars-invaders_1.03.deb", pool, srcPoolPath, sourceChecksum, false)
 	c.Check(err, IsNil)
 }
+
+func (s *PublishedStorageSuite) TestRootRemove(c *C) {
+	// Prevent deletion of the root directory by passing empty subpaths.
+
+	pwd := c.MkDir()
+
+	// Symlink
+	linkedDir := filepath.Join(pwd, "linkedDir")
+	os.Symlink(s.root, linkedDir)
+	linkStorage := NewPublishedStorage(linkedDir, "", "")
+	c.Assert(func() { linkStorage.Remove("") }, PanicMatches, "trying to remove empty path")
+
+	// Actual dir
+	dirStorage := NewPublishedStorage(pwd, "", "")
+	c.Assert(func() { dirStorage.RemoveDirs("", nil) }, PanicMatches, "trying to remove the root directory")
+}