diff --git a/src/System.Management.Automation/namespaces/FileSystemProvider.cs b/src/System.Management.Automation/namespaces/FileSystemProvider.cs
index 5fe799ae0b2..62ccb423a78 100644
--- a/src/System.Management.Automation/namespaces/FileSystemProvider.cs
+++ b/src/System.Management.Automation/namespaces/FileSystemProvider.cs
@@ -6366,6 +6366,14 @@ public IContentReader GetContentReader(string path)
 
             try
             {
+                if (Directory.Exists(path))
+                {
+                    string errMsg = StringUtil.Format(SessionStateStrings.GetContainerContentException, path);
+                    ErrorRecord error = new ErrorRecord(new InvalidOperationException(errMsg), "GetContainerContentException", ErrorCategory.InvalidOperation, null);
+                    WriteError(error);
+                    return stream;
+                }
+
                 // Users can't both read as bytes, and specify a delimiter
                 if (delimiterSpecified)
                 {
@@ -6514,6 +6522,14 @@ public IContentWriter GetContentWriter(string path)
 
             try
             {
+                if (Directory.Exists(path))
+                {
+                    string errMsg = StringUtil.Format(SessionStateStrings.WriteContainerContentException, path);
+                    ErrorRecord error = new ErrorRecord(new InvalidOperationException(errMsg), "WriteContainerContentException", ErrorCategory.InvalidOperation, null);
+                    WriteError(error);
+                    return stream;
+                }
+
                 stream = new FileSystemContentReaderWriter(path, streamName, filemode, FileAccess.Write, FileShare.Write, encoding, usingByteEncoding, false, this, false, suppressNewline);
             }
             catch (PathTooLongException pathTooLong)
diff --git a/src/System.Management.Automation/resources/SessionStateStrings.resx b/src/System.Management.Automation/resources/SessionStateStrings.resx
index 855c7975e30..c0ced013dea 100644
--- a/src/System.Management.Automation/resources/SessionStateStrings.resx
+++ b/src/System.Management.Automation/resources/SessionStateStrings.resx
@@ -279,6 +279,12 @@
   <data name="GetContentWriterDynamicParametersProviderException" xml:space="preserve">
     <value>The dynamic parameters for the GetContentWriter operation cannot be retrieved for the '{0}' provider for path '{1}'. {2}</value>
   </data>
+  <data name="GetContainerContentException" xml:space="preserve">
+    <value>Unable to get content because it is a directory: '{0}'. Please use 'Get-ChildItem' instead.</value>
+  </data>
+  <data name="WriteContainerContentException" xml:space="preserve">
+    <value>Unable to write content because it is a directory: '{0}'.</value>
+  </data>   
   <data name="LocationUndoStackIsEmpty" xml:space="preserve">
     <value>There is no location history left to navigate backwards.</value>
   </data>
diff --git a/test/powershell/Modules/Microsoft.PowerShell.Management/Add-Content.Tests.ps1 b/test/powershell/Modules/Microsoft.PowerShell.Management/Add-Content.Tests.ps1
index f6f76089a7b..53ad2499bdd 100644
--- a/test/powershell/Modules/Microsoft.PowerShell.Management/Add-Content.Tests.ps1
+++ b/test/powershell/Modules/Microsoft.PowerShell.Management/Add-Content.Tests.ps1
@@ -40,6 +40,10 @@ Describe "Add-Content cmdlet tests" -Tags "CI" {
       { Add-Content -Path $() -Value "ShouldNotWorkBecausePathIsInvalid" -ErrorAction Stop } | Should -Throw -ErrorId "ParameterArgumentValidationErrorNullNotAllowed,Microsoft.PowerShell.Commands.AddContentCommand"
     }
 
+    It "Should throw an error on a directory" { 
+      { Add-Content -Path . -Value "WriteContainerContentException" -ErrorAction Stop } | Should -Throw -ErrorId "WriteContainerContentException,Microsoft.PowerShell.Commands.AddContentCommand"
+    }
+
     #[BugId(BugDatabase.WindowsOutOfBandReleases, 906022)]
     It "should throw 'NotSupportedException' when you add-content to an unsupported provider" -Skip:($IsLinux -Or $IsMacOS) {
       { Add-Content -Path HKLM:\\software\\microsoft -Value "ShouldNotWorkBecausePathIsUnsupported" -ErrorAction Stop } | Should -Throw -ErrorId "NotSupported,Microsoft.PowerShell.Commands.AddContentCommand"
diff --git a/test/powershell/Modules/Microsoft.PowerShell.Management/Get-Content.Tests.ps1 b/test/powershell/Modules/Microsoft.PowerShell.Management/Get-Content.Tests.ps1
index dfb389e024f..aa1650e0711 100644
--- a/test/powershell/Modules/Microsoft.PowerShell.Management/Get-Content.Tests.ps1
+++ b/test/powershell/Modules/Microsoft.PowerShell.Management/Get-Content.Tests.ps1
@@ -24,9 +24,9 @@ Describe "Get-Content" -Tags "CI" {
         Remove-Item -Path $testPath2 -Force
     }
 
-    It "Should throw an error on a directory  " {
+    It "Should throw an error on a directory" {
         { Get-Content . -ErrorAction Stop } |
-            Should -Throw -ErrorId "GetContentReaderUnauthorizedAccessError,Microsoft.PowerShell.Commands.GetContentCommand"
+            Should -Throw -ErrorId "GetContainerContentException,Microsoft.PowerShell.Commands.GetContentCommand"
     }
 
     It "Should return an Object when listing only a single line and the correct information from a file" {