diff --git a/src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/skyframe/ArtifactFunction.java b/src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/skyframe/ArtifactFunction.java
index 8e3adbe..326e331 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/skyframe/ArtifactFunction.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/skyframe/ArtifactFunction.java
@@ -637,6 +637,11 @@
     }
 
     @Override
+    protected boolean emitEmptyDirectoryNodes() {
+      return true;
+    }
+
+    @Override
     protected String errorInfo() {
       return "Directory artifact " + artifact.prettyPrint();
     }
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/skyframe/FilesetTraversalRequest.java b/src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/skyframe/FilesetTraversalRequest.java
index 650c21b..e98ff06 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/skyframe/FilesetTraversalRequest.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/skyframe/FilesetTraversalRequest.java
@@ -65,6 +65,11 @@
   }
 
   @Override
+  protected boolean emitEmptyDirectoryNodes() {
+    return false;
+  }
+
+  @Override
   protected final String errorInfo() {
     return String.format(
         "Fileset '%s' traversing %s '%s'",
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/skyframe/RecursiveFilesystemTraversalFunction.java b/src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/skyframe/RecursiveFilesystemTraversalFunction.java
index a50cc3f..de37dd5 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/skyframe/RecursiveFilesystemTraversalFunction.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/skyframe/RecursiveFilesystemTraversalFunction.java
@@ -620,6 +620,9 @@
       paths = NestedSetBuilder.<ResolvedFile>stableOrder().addTransitive(children).add(root);
     } else {
       root = ResolvedFileFactory.directory(rootInfo.realPath);
+      if (traversal.emitEmptyDirectoryNodes() && paths.isEmpty()) {
+        paths.add(root);
+      }
     }
     return RecursiveFilesystemTraversalValue.of(root, paths.build());
   }
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/skyframe/TraversalRequest.java b/src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/skyframe/TraversalRequest.java
index 55871f1..2073b72 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/skyframe/TraversalRequest.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/skyframe/TraversalRequest.java
@@ -53,6 +53,14 @@
   protected abstract boolean skipTestingForSubpackage();
 
   /**
+   * Whether to emit nodes for empty directories.
+   *
+   * <p>If this returns false, empty directories will not be represented in the result of the
+   * traversal.
+   */
+  protected abstract boolean emitEmptyDirectoryNodes();
+
+  /**
    * Returns information to be attached to any error messages that may be reported.
    *
    * <p>This is purely informational and is not considered in equality.