diff --git a/instruction.go b/instruction.go
index 12d5029..9b9316c 100644
--- a/instruction.go
+++ b/instruction.go
@@ -508,7 +508,32 @@ func ExpandPattern(source, workdir, target string, filesOnly bool) (links []Link
 	}
 	// Normalize path to convert backslashes to forward slashes before pattern processing
 	source = NormalizePath(source, workdir)
+
+	if !strings.ContainsAny(source, "*?[{") {
+		info, statErr := os.Stat(source)
+		if statErr != nil {
+			if os.IsNotExist(statErr) {
+				LogInfo("Literal source %s does not exist, skipping", FormatSourcePath(source))
+				return nil, nil
+			}
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to stat literal source %s: %w", source, statErr)
+		}
+
+		if filesOnly && info.IsDir() {
+			LogInfo("Files-only mode: skipping directory %s", FormatSourcePath(source))
+			return nil, nil
+		}
+
+		return []LinkInstruction{
+			{
+				Source: source,
+				Target: target,
+			},
+		}, nil
+	}
+
 	static, pattern := doublestar.SplitPattern(source)
+
 	if static == "" || static == "." {
 		static = workdir
 	}
@@ -520,8 +545,6 @@ func ExpandPattern(source, workdir, target string, filesOnly bool) (links []Link
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("error expanding pattern: %w", err)
 	}
 
-	singleMatch := len(files) == 1
-
 	for _, file := range files {
 		fullPath := filepath.Join(static, file)
 
@@ -531,18 +554,6 @@ func ExpandPattern(source, workdir, target string, filesOnly bool) (links []Link
 			continue
 		}
 
-		if singleMatch {
-			if info.IsDir() && filesOnly {
-				LogInfo("Files-only mode: skipping single matched directory %s", FormatSourcePath(fullPath))
-				continue
-			}
-			links = append(links, LinkInstruction{
-				Source: fullPath,
-				Target: target,
-			})
-			continue
-		}
-
 		if filesOnly && info.IsDir() {
 			LogInfo("Files-only mode: skipping directory %s", FormatSourcePath(fullPath))
 			continue
diff --git a/instruction_test.go b/instruction_test.go
index 644ef51..2f2d456 100644
--- a/instruction_test.go
+++ b/instruction_test.go
@@ -758,8 +758,8 @@ func TestGlobPatterns(t *testing.T) {
 		expectedMappings := map[string]string{
 			"src/file1.txt": "dst/txt/file1.txt",
 			"src/file2.txt": "dst/txt/file2.txt",
-			"src/file3.log": "dst/logs", // Single file - target is directory directly
-			"src/readme.md": "dst/docs", // Single file - target is directory directly
+			"src/file3.log": "dst/logs/file3.log",
+			"src/readme.md": "dst/docs/readme.md",
 		}
 
 		for sourceEnd, expectedTargetEnd := range expectedMappings {
@@ -1469,7 +1469,7 @@ func TestDestinationPathMapping(t *testing.T) {
 		instruction := instructions[0]
 		// Verify using path endings
 		assert.True(t, strings.HasSuffix(instruction.Source, "src/root.txt"))
-		assert.True(t, strings.HasSuffix(instruction.Target, "dst")) // Single file - target is directory directly
+		assert.True(t, strings.HasSuffix(instruction.Target, "dst/root.txt"))
 	})
 
 	t.Run("src/foo/*.txt -> dst should map src/foo/foo.txt to dst/foo.txt", func(t *testing.T) {
@@ -1486,7 +1486,7 @@ func TestDestinationPathMapping(t *testing.T) {
 		instruction := instructions[0]
 		// Verify using path endings
 		assert.True(t, strings.HasSuffix(instruction.Source, "src/foo/foo.txt"))
-		assert.True(t, strings.HasSuffix(instruction.Target, "dst")) // Single file - target is directory directly
+		assert.True(t, strings.HasSuffix(instruction.Target, "dst/foo.txt"))
 	})
 
 	t.Run("Complex nested pattern src/foo/**/bar/*.txt -> dst should preserve structure", func(t *testing.T) {