--- a/commandline.cpp
+++ b/commandline.cpp
@@ -642,30 +642,34 @@ bool CommandLine::Parse(int argc, char *argv[])
           }
           else
           {
-            // All other files must exist
+            // Originally, all specified files were supposed to exist, or the program
+            // would stop with an error message. This was not practical, for example in
+            // a directory with files appearing and disappearing (an active download directory).
+            // So the new rule is: when a specified file doesn't exist, it is silently skipped.
             if (!DiskFile::FileExists(filename))
             {
-              cerr << "The source file does not exist: " << filename << endl;
-              return false;
-            }
-
-            u64 filesize = DiskFile::GetFileSize(filename);
-
-            // Ignore all 0 byte files
-            if (filesize > 0)
-            {
-              extrafiles.push_back(ExtraFile(filename, filesize));
-
-              // track the total size of the source files and how
-              // big the largest one is.
-              totalsourcesize += filesize;
-              if (largestsourcesize < filesize)
-                largestsourcesize = filesize;
-            }
-            else
-            {
-              cout << "Skipping 0 byte file: " << filename << endl;
-            }
+				cout << "Ignoring non-existent source file: " << filename << endl;
+            }
+			else
+			{
+				u64 filesize = DiskFile::GetFileSize(filename);
+
+				// Ignore all 0 byte files
+				if (filesize > 0)
+				{
+				  extrafiles.push_back(ExtraFile(filename, filesize));
+
+				  // track the total size of the source files and how
+				  // big the largest one is.
+				  totalsourcesize += filesize;
+				  if (largestsourcesize < filesize)
+					largestsourcesize = filesize;
+				}
+				else
+				{
+				  cout << "Skipping 0 byte file: " << filename << endl;
+				}
+			} //end file exists
           }
 
           ++fn;