diff --git a/src/actions.rs b/src/actions.rs
index a61e01b..c8e7f6b 100644
--- a/src/actions.rs
+++ b/src/actions.rs
@@ -1,11 +1,12 @@
 use std::path::Path;
 
 use anyhow::{Context, Result};
+
 use crossterm::style::Stylize;
 use handlebars::Handlebars;
 
 use crate::config::{SymbolicTarget, TemplateTarget, Variables};
-use crate::difference;
+use crate::difference::{self, diff_nonempty, generate_template_diff, print_diff};
 use crate::filesystem::{Filesystem, SymlinkComparison, TemplateComparison};
 
 #[cfg_attr(test, mockall::automock)]
@@ -533,7 +534,29 @@ pub fn update_template(
                 .context("perform template cache")?;
             Ok(true)
         }
-        TemplateComparison::Changed | TemplateComparison::TargetNotRegularFile => {
+        TemplateComparison::Changed => {
+            // At this point, we're not sure if there's a difference between the rendered source
+            // and target, only that the target has been modified in some way.
+            let diff = generate_template_diff(source, target, handlebars, variables, false)
+                .context("diff source and target")?;
+            if diff_nonempty(&diff) {
+                error!(
+                    "Updating template {:?} -> {:?} but {}. Skipping",
+                    source, target.target, comparison
+                );
+                if log_enabled!(log::Level::Info) {
+                    info!("Refusing because of the following changes in target location: ");
+                    print_diff(diff, diff_context_lines);
+                }
+                Ok(false)
+            } else {
+                perform_template_deploy(source, cache, target, fs, handlebars, variables)
+                    .context("perform template cache")?;
+                Ok(true)
+            }
+        }
+
+        TemplateComparison::TargetNotRegularFile => {
             error!(
                 "Updating template {:?} -> {:?} but {}. Skipping.",
                 source, target.target, comparison
diff --git a/src/difference.rs b/src/difference.rs
index 9cd9256..3d217f8 100644
--- a/src/difference.rs
+++ b/src/difference.rs
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ pub fn print_template_diff(
     diff_context_lines: usize,
 ) {
     if log_enabled!(log::Level::Info) {
-        match generate_diff(source, target, handlebars, variables) {
+        match generate_template_diff(source, target, handlebars, variables, true) {
             Ok(diff) => {
                 if diff_nonempty(&diff) {
                     info!(
@@ -41,11 +41,12 @@ pub fn print_template_diff(
     }
 }
 
-pub fn generate_diff(
+pub fn generate_template_diff(
     source: &Path,
     target: &TemplateTarget,
     handlebars: &Handlebars<'_>,
     variables: &Variables,
+    source_to_target: bool,
 ) -> Result<Diff> {
     let file_contents = fs::read_to_string(source).context("read template source file")?;
     let file_contents = target.apply_actions(file_contents);
@@ -56,7 +57,11 @@ pub fn generate_diff(
     let target_contents =
         fs::read_to_string(&target.target).context("read template target file")?;
 
-    let diff_result = diff::lines(&target_contents, &rendered);
+    let diff_result = if source_to_target {
+        diff::lines(&target_contents, &rendered)
+    } else {
+        diff::lines(&rendered, &target_contents)
+    };
 
     Ok(diff_result.into_iter().map(to_owned_diff_result).collect())
 }
@@ -186,7 +191,7 @@ fn print_hunk(mut left_line: usize, mut right_line: usize, hunk: Diff, max_digit
     }
 }
 
-fn print_diff(diff: Diff, extra_lines: usize) {
+pub fn print_diff(diff: Diff, extra_lines: usize) {
     let mut diff = hunkify_diff(diff, extra_lines);
 
     let last_hunk = diff.pop().expect("at least one hunk");