diff --git a/reframe/core/pipeline.py b/reframe/core/pipeline.py
index 0d7b188b73..4f017f50eb 100644
--- a/reframe/core/pipeline.py
+++ b/reframe/core/pipeline.py
@@ -1126,7 +1126,7 @@ def check_performance(self):
             for tag, expr in self.perf_patterns.items():
                 value = evaluate(expr)
                 key = '%s:%s' % (self._current_partition.fullname, tag)
-                if not key in self.reference:
+                if key not in self.reference:
                     raise SanityError(
                         "tag `%s' not resolved in references for `%s'" %
                         (tag, self._current_partition.fullname))
@@ -1158,10 +1158,14 @@ def _copy_to_outputdir(self):
 
         # Copy files specified by the user
         for f in self.keep_files:
+            f_orig = f
             if not os.path.isabs(f):
                 f = os.path.join(self._stagedir, f)
 
-            shutil.copy(f, self.outputdir)
+            if os.path.isfile(f):
+                shutil.copy(f, self.outputdir)
+            elif os.path.isdir(f):
+                shutil.copytree(f, os.path.join(self.outputdir, f_orig))
 
     def cleanup(self, remove_files=False, unload_env=True):
         """The cleanup phase of the regression test pipeline.
diff --git a/unittests/test_pipeline.py b/unittests/test_pipeline.py
index 3edbc3047e..b23a2b4050 100644
--- a/unittests/test_pipeline.py
+++ b/unittests/test_pipeline.py
@@ -117,9 +117,10 @@ def test_hellocheck_local(self):
         test.valid_prog_environs = [self.progenv.name]
 
         # Test also the prebuild/postbuild functionality
-        test.prebuild_cmd  = ['touch prebuild']
-        test.postbuild_cmd = ['touch postbuild']
-        test.keep_files = ['prebuild', 'postbuild']
+        test.prebuild_cmd  = ['touch prebuild', 'mkdir prebuild_dir']
+        test.postbuild_cmd = ['touch postbuild', 'mkdir postbuild_dir']
+        test.keep_files = ['prebuild', 'postbuild',
+                           'prebuild_dir', 'postbuild_dir']
 
         # Force local execution of the test
         test.local = True