diff --git a/spring-boot-project/spring-boot/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/sql/init/AbstractScriptDatabaseInitializer.java b/spring-boot-project/spring-boot/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/sql/init/AbstractScriptDatabaseInitializer.java
index 2955439bf620..830e47a2acdd 100644
--- a/spring-boot-project/spring-boot/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/sql/init/AbstractScriptDatabaseInitializer.java
+++ b/spring-boot-project/spring-boot/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/sql/init/AbstractScriptDatabaseInitializer.java
@@ -122,7 +122,7 @@ private List<Resource> getScripts(List<String> locations, String type, ScriptLoc
 				location = location.substring(OPTIONAL_LOCATION_PREFIX.length());
 			}
 			for (Resource resource : doGetResources(location, locationResolver)) {
-				if (resource.exists()) {
+				if (resource.isReadable()) {
 					resources.add(resource);
 				}
 				else if (!optional) {
diff --git a/spring-boot-project/spring-boot/src/test/java/org/springframework/boot/sql/init/AbstractScriptDatabaseInitializerTests.java b/spring-boot-project/spring-boot/src/test/java/org/springframework/boot/sql/init/AbstractScriptDatabaseInitializerTests.java
index 81702612e789..d46d3221e85f 100644
--- a/spring-boot-project/spring-boot/src/test/java/org/springframework/boot/sql/init/AbstractScriptDatabaseInitializerTests.java
+++ b/spring-boot-project/spring-boot/src/test/java/org/springframework/boot/sql/init/AbstractScriptDatabaseInitializerTests.java
@@ -44,6 +44,16 @@ void whenDatabaseIsInitializedThenSchemaAndDataScriptsAreApplied() {
 		assertThat(numberOfEmbeddedRows("SELECT COUNT(*) FROM EXAMPLE")).isOne();
 	}
 
+	@Test
+	void whenDatabaseIsInitializedWithDirectoryLocationsThenFailureIsHelpful() {
+		DatabaseInitializationSettings settings = new DatabaseInitializationSettings();
+		settings.setSchemaLocations(Arrays.asList("/org/springframework/boot/sql/init"));
+		settings.setDataLocations(Arrays.asList("/org/springframework/boot/sql/init"));
+		T initializer = createEmbeddedDatabaseInitializer(settings);
+		assertThatIllegalStateException().isThrownBy(initializer::initializeDatabase)
+			.withMessage("No schema scripts found at location '/org/springframework/boot/sql/init'");
+	}
+
 	@Test
 	void whenContinueOnErrorIsFalseThenInitializationFailsOnError() {
 		DatabaseInitializationSettings settings = new DatabaseInitializationSettings();