diff --git a/jedi/api/project.py b/jedi/api/project.py
index 415543144..8c438f26e 100644
--- a/jedi/api/project.py
+++ b/jedi/api/project.py
@@ -366,8 +366,11 @@ def __repr__(self):
 
 def _is_potential_project(path):
     for name in _CONTAINS_POTENTIAL_PROJECT:
-        if path.joinpath(name).exists():
-            return True
+        try:
+            if path.joinpath(name).exists():
+                return True
+        except OSError:
+            continue
     return False
 
 
diff --git a/jedi/inference/sys_path.py b/jedi/inference/sys_path.py
index 48b9ac897..e701686f5 100644
--- a/jedi/inference/sys_path.py
+++ b/jedi/inference/sys_path.py
@@ -171,8 +171,11 @@ def _get_paths_from_buildout_script(inference_state, buildout_script_path):
 
 def _get_parent_dir_with_file(path: Path, filename):
     for parent in path.parents:
-        if parent.joinpath(filename).is_file():
-            return parent
+        try:
+            if parent.joinpath(filename).is_file():
+                return parent
+        except OSError:
+            continue
     return None
 
 
diff --git a/test/test_api/test_project.py b/test/test_api/test_project.py
index c8533618d..9ca4686ca 100644
--- a/test/test_api/test_project.py
+++ b/test/test_api/test_project.py
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 from ..helpers import get_example_dir, set_cwd, root_dir, test_dir
 from jedi import Interpreter
 from jedi.api import Project, get_default_project
+from jedi.api.project import _is_potential_project, _CONTAINS_POTENTIAL_PROJECT
 
 
 def test_django_default_project(Script):
@@ -160,3 +161,21 @@ def test_complete_search(Script, string, completions, all_scopes):
     project = Project(test_dir)
     defs = project.complete_search(string, all_scopes=all_scopes)
     assert [d.complete for d in defs] == completions
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    'path,expected', [
+        (Path(__file__).parents[2], True), # The path of the project
+        (Path(__file__).parents[1], False), # The path of the tests, not a project
+        (Path.home(), None)
+    ]
+)
+def test_is_potential_project(path, expected):
+
+    if expected is None:
+        try:
+            expected = _CONTAINS_POTENTIAL_PROJECT in os.listdir(path)
+        except OSError:
+            expected = False
+
+    assert _is_potential_project(path) == expected