diff --git a/tasks/build.yml b/tasks/build.yml
index acab150..d29d498 100644
--- a/tasks/build.yml
+++ b/tasks/build.yml
@@ -60,6 +60,29 @@
       Seriatim binary path exists but is not a regular file:
       {{ seriatim_binary_path }}. Move the unexpected object before rerunning the role.
 
+- name: Inspect Seriatim build state directory
+  ansible.builtin.stat:
+    path: "{{ seriatim_build_state_dir }}"
+  register: seriatim_build_state_dir_stat
+
+- name: Remove malformed Seriatim build state directory object
+  ansible.builtin.file:
+    path: "{{ seriatim_build_state_dir }}"
+    state: absent
+  when:
+    - seriatim_build_state_dir_stat.stat.exists or
+      (seriatim_build_state_dir_stat.stat.islnk | default(false))
+    - not (seriatim_build_state_dir_stat.stat.isdir | default(false))
+
+- name: Create missing Seriatim build state directory
+  ansible.builtin.file:
+    path: "{{ seriatim_build_state_dir }}"
+    state: directory
+    owner: root
+    group: root
+    mode: "0755"
+  when: not (seriatim_build_state_dir_stat.stat.isdir | default(false))
+
 - name: Inspect Seriatim build input state
   ansible.builtin.stat:
     path: "{{ seriatim_build_state_dir }}/build-inputs.json"
diff --git a/tests/integration b/tests/integration
index ebaba0e..8554e8f 100755
--- a/tests/integration
+++ b/tests/integration
@@ -94,6 +94,39 @@ run_converge \
   tee "$test_tmp/custom-path-repeat.log"
 require_clean_recap "$test_tmp/custom-path-repeat.log"
 
+sudo rm -rf -- "$custom_state"
+sudo install -o root -g root -m 0644 /dev/null "$custom_state"
+run_converge \
+  -e "seriatim_binary_path=$custom_binary" \
+  -e "seriatim_build_state_dir=$custom_state" |
+  tee "$test_tmp/state-file-repair.log"
+require_changed_recap "$test_tmp/state-file-repair.log"
+test -d "$custom_state"
+test ! -L "$custom_state"
+run_converge \
+  -e "seriatim_binary_path=$custom_binary" \
+  -e "seriatim_build_state_dir=$custom_state" |
+  tee "$test_tmp/state-file-repair-repeat.log"
+require_clean_recap "$test_tmp/state-file-repair-repeat.log"
+
+redirected_state="$test_tmp/redirected-build-state"
+sudo rm -rf -- "$custom_state"
+sudo install -d -o root -g root -m 0755 "$redirected_state"
+sudo ln -s "$redirected_state" "$custom_state"
+run_converge \
+  -e "seriatim_binary_path=$custom_binary" \
+  -e "seriatim_build_state_dir=$custom_state" |
+  tee "$test_tmp/state-link-repair.log"
+require_changed_recap "$test_tmp/state-link-repair.log"
+test -d "$custom_state"
+test ! -L "$custom_state"
+test -z "$(find "$redirected_state" -mindepth 1 -maxdepth 1 -print -quit)"
+run_converge \
+  -e "seriatim_binary_path=$custom_binary" \
+  -e "seriatim_build_state_dir=$custom_state" |
+  tee "$test_tmp/state-link-repair-repeat.log"
+require_clean_recap "$test_tmp/state-link-repair-repeat.log"
+
 baseline_binary=$(binary_digest)
 baseline_state=$(state_digest)
 for scenario in \