diff --git a/scanner/github.go b/scanner/github.go
index 6fcec42..c4c32c3 100644
--- a/scanner/github.go
+++ b/scanner/github.go
@@ -191,25 +191,24 @@ Retry:
 		return fmt.Errorf("[%s]: failed to get publiccode.yml: %w", *repo.FullName, err)
 	}
 
-	if file.DownloadURL == nil {
+	// GetContents returns no file content and no error when the path is a directory.
+	if file == nil || file.DownloadURL == nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("[%s]: failed to get publiccode.yml: not a regular file?", *repo.FullName)
 	}
 
-	if file != nil {
-		canonicalURL, err := url.Parse(*repo.CloneURL)
-		if err != nil {
-			return fmt.Errorf("failed to get canonical repo URL for %s: %w", url.String(), err)
-		}
+	canonicalURL, err := url.Parse(*repo.CloneURL)
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("failed to get canonical repo URL for %s: %w", url.String(), err)
+	}
 
-		repositories <- common.Repository{
-			Name:         *repo.FullName,
-			FileRawURL:   *file.DownloadURL,
-			URL:          url,
-			CanonicalURL: *canonicalURL,
-			GitBranch:    *repo.DefaultBranch,
-			Publisher:    publisher,
-			Headers:      make(map[string]string),
-		}
+	repositories <- common.Repository{
+		Name:         *repo.FullName,
+		FileRawURL:   *file.DownloadURL,
+		URL:          url,
+		CanonicalURL: *canonicalURL,
+		GitBranch:    *repo.DefaultBranch,
+		Publisher:    publisher,
+		Headers:      make(map[string]string),
 	}
 
 	return nil
diff --git a/scanner/github_test.go b/scanner/github_test.go
index f6a0f36..bbf7f5d 100644
--- a/scanner/github_test.go
+++ b/scanner/github_test.go
@@ -85,3 +85,76 @@ func TestGitHubScannerScanKeepsNotFoundContentError(t *testing.T) {
 
 	assert.ErrorIs(t, err, ErrPubliccodeNotFound)
 }
+
+func githubContentsResponse(body string) *http.Response {
+	return &http.Response{
+		StatusCode: http.StatusOK,
+		Header:     make(http.Header),
+		Body:       io.NopCloser(strings.NewReader(body)),
+	}
+}
+
+func TestGitHubScannerScanRejectsPubliccodeDirectory(t *testing.T) {
+	scanner := newGitHubScannerForTransport(roundTripperFunc(func(request *http.Request) (*http.Response, error) {
+		switch request.URL.Path {
+		case "/repos/org/repository":
+			return githubRepositoryResponse(), nil
+		case "/repos/org/repository/contents/publiccode.yml":
+			return githubContentsResponse(`[{
+				"type": "file",
+				"name": "README.md",
+				"path": "publiccode.yml/README.md",
+				"download_url": "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/org/repository/main/publiccode.yml/README.md"
+			}]`), nil
+		default:
+			t.Fatalf("unexpected request path %q", request.URL.Path)
+			return nil, nil
+		}
+	}))
+
+	repositoryURL, err := url.Parse("https://github.com/org/repository")
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	repositories := make(chan common.Repository, 1)
+	err = scanner.Scan(*repositoryURL, common.Publisher{}, repositories)
+
+	require.Error(t, err)
+	assert.NotErrorIs(t, err, ErrPubliccodeNotFound)
+	assert.Empty(t, repositories)
+}
+
+func TestGitHubScannerScanSendsRegularPubliccodeFile(t *testing.T) {
+	const downloadURL = "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/org/repository/main/publiccode.yml"
+
+	scanner := newGitHubScannerForTransport(roundTripperFunc(func(request *http.Request) (*http.Response, error) {
+		switch request.URL.Path {
+		case "/repos/org/repository":
+			return githubRepositoryResponse(), nil
+		case "/repos/org/repository/contents/publiccode.yml":
+			return githubContentsResponse(`{
+				"type": "file",
+				"name": "publiccode.yml",
+				"path": "publiccode.yml",
+				"download_url": "` + downloadURL + `"
+			}`), nil
+		default:
+			t.Fatalf("unexpected request path %q", request.URL.Path)
+			return nil, nil
+		}
+	}))
+
+	repositoryURL, err := url.Parse("https://github.com/org/repository")
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	repositories := make(chan common.Repository, 1)
+	err = scanner.Scan(*repositoryURL, common.Publisher{}, repositories)
+
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	require.Len(t, repositories, 1)
+
+	repository := <-repositories
+	assert.Equal(t, "org/repository", repository.Name)
+	assert.Equal(t, downloadURL, repository.FileRawURL)
+	assert.Equal(t, "https://github.com/org/repository.git", repository.CanonicalURL.String())
+	assert.Equal(t, "main", repository.GitBranch)
+}