diff --git a/cmd/download.go b/cmd/download.go
index e4c19377b..7bf278bff 100644
--- a/cmd/download.go
+++ b/cmd/download.go
@@ -64,6 +64,10 @@ func runDownload(cfg config.Config, flags *pflag.FlagSet, args []string) error {
 	metadata := download.payload.metadata()
 	dir := metadata.Exercise(usrCfg.GetString("workspace")).MetadataDir()
 
+	if _, err = os.Stat(dir); !download.forceoverwrite && err == nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("directory '%s' already exists, use --force to overwrite", dir)
+	}
+
 	if err := os.MkdirAll(dir, os.FileMode(0755)); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
@@ -103,7 +107,6 @@ func runDownload(cfg config.Config, flags *pflag.FlagSet, args []string) error {
 			continue
 		}
 
-		// TODO: handle collisions
 		path := sf.relativePath()
 		dir := filepath.Join(metadata.Dir, filepath.Dir(path))
 		if err = os.MkdirAll(dir, os.FileMode(0755)); err != nil {
@@ -133,7 +136,8 @@ type download struct {
 	token, apibaseurl, workspace string
 
 	// optional
-	track, team string
+	track, team    string
+	forceoverwrite bool
 
 	payload *downloadPayload
 }
@@ -158,6 +162,11 @@ func newDownload(flags *pflag.FlagSet, usrCfg *viper.Viper) (*download, error) {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
+	d.forceoverwrite, err = flags.GetBool("force")
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
 	d.token = usrCfg.GetString("token")
 	d.apibaseurl = usrCfg.GetString("apibaseurl")
 	d.workspace = usrCfg.GetString("workspace")
@@ -354,6 +363,7 @@ func setupDownloadFlags(flags *pflag.FlagSet) {
 	flags.StringP("track", "t", "", "the track ID")
 	flags.StringP("exercise", "e", "", "the exercise slug")
 	flags.StringP("team", "T", "", "the team slug")
+	flags.BoolP("force", "F", false, "overwrite existing exercise directory")
 }
 
 func init() {
diff --git a/cmd/download_test.go b/cmd/download_test.go
index 2eb0418df..676d90518 100644
--- a/cmd/download_test.go
+++ b/cmd/download_test.go
@@ -209,6 +209,108 @@ func TestDownload(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestDownloadToExistingDirectory(t *testing.T) {
+	co := newCapturedOutput()
+	co.override()
+	defer co.reset()
+
+	testCases := []struct {
+		exerciseDir string
+		flags       map[string]string
+	}{
+		{
+			exerciseDir: filepath.Join("bogus-track", "bogus-exercise"),
+			flags:       map[string]string{"exercise": "bogus-exercise", "track": "bogus-track"},
+		},
+		{
+			exerciseDir: filepath.Join("teams", "bogus-team", "bogus-track", "bogus-exercise"),
+			flags:       map[string]string{"exercise": "bogus-exercise", "track": "bogus-track", "team": "bogus-team"},
+		},
+	}
+
+	for _, tc := range testCases {
+		tmpDir, err := ioutil.TempDir("", "download-cmd")
+		defer os.RemoveAll(tmpDir)
+		assert.NoError(t, err)
+
+		err = os.MkdirAll(filepath.Join(tmpDir, tc.exerciseDir), os.FileMode(0755))
+		assert.NoError(t, err)
+
+		ts := fakeDownloadServer("true", "")
+		defer ts.Close()
+
+		v := viper.New()
+		v.Set("workspace", tmpDir)
+		v.Set("apibaseurl", ts.URL)
+		v.Set("token", "abc123")
+
+		cfg := config.Config{
+			UserViperConfig: v,
+		}
+		flags := pflag.NewFlagSet("fake", pflag.PanicOnError)
+		setupDownloadFlags(flags)
+		for name, value := range tc.flags {
+			flags.Set(name, value)
+		}
+
+		err = runDownload(cfg, flags, []string{})
+
+		if assert.Error(t, err) {
+			assert.Regexp(t, "directory '.+' already exists", err.Error())
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+func TestDownloadToExistingDirectoryWithForce(t *testing.T) {
+	co := newCapturedOutput()
+	co.override()
+	defer co.reset()
+
+	testCases := []struct {
+		exerciseDir string
+		flags       map[string]string
+	}{
+		{
+			exerciseDir: filepath.Join("bogus-track", "bogus-exercise"),
+			flags:       map[string]string{"exercise": "bogus-exercise", "track": "bogus-track"},
+		},
+		{
+			exerciseDir: filepath.Join("teams", "bogus-team", "bogus-track", "bogus-exercise"),
+			flags:       map[string]string{"exercise": "bogus-exercise", "track": "bogus-track", "team": "bogus-team"},
+		},
+	}
+
+	for _, tc := range testCases {
+		tmpDir, err := ioutil.TempDir("", "download-cmd")
+		defer os.RemoveAll(tmpDir)
+		assert.NoError(t, err)
+
+		err = os.MkdirAll(filepath.Join(tmpDir, tc.exerciseDir), os.FileMode(0755))
+		assert.NoError(t, err)
+
+		ts := fakeDownloadServer("true", "")
+		defer ts.Close()
+
+		v := viper.New()
+		v.Set("workspace", tmpDir)
+		v.Set("apibaseurl", ts.URL)
+		v.Set("token", "abc123")
+
+		cfg := config.Config{
+			UserViperConfig: v,
+		}
+		flags := pflag.NewFlagSet("fake", pflag.PanicOnError)
+		setupDownloadFlags(flags)
+		for name, value := range tc.flags {
+			flags.Set(name, value)
+		}
+		flags.Set("force", "true")
+
+		err = runDownload(cfg, flags, []string{})
+		assert.NoError(t, err)
+	}
+}
+
 func fakeDownloadServer(requestor, teamSlug string) *httptest.Server {
 	mux := http.NewServeMux()
 	server := httptest.NewServer(mux)