diff --git a/js/grunt/deployDev.js b/js/grunt/deployDev.js
index cbc367dc4..498a9fdeb 100644
--- a/js/grunt/deployDev.js
+++ b/js/grunt/deployDev.js
@@ -65,20 +65,30 @@ module.exports = function( grunt, buildConfig, callback ) {
    * scp file to dev server, and call commitAndPushDependenciesJSON if not testing
    */
   var scp = function() {
-    // create remote version directory if it does not exist
-    deployUtil.exec( grunt, 'ssh ' + deployConfig.devUsername + '@' + server + ' \'mkdir -p ' + versionPath + '\'', function() {
-      // add group write permissions to the remote version directory if they don't exist
-      deployUtil.exec( grunt, 'ssh ' + deployConfig.devUsername + '@' + server + ' \'chmod -R g+w ' + versionPath + '\'', function() {
-        // copy the local build directory contents to the remote version directory
-        deployUtil.exec( grunt, 'scp -r ' + ChipperConstants.BUILD_DIR + '/* ' + deployConfig.devUsername + '@' + server + ':' + versionPath, function() {
-          if ( test ) {
-            finish();
-          }
-          else {
-            deployUtil.commitAndPushDependenciesJSON( grunt, finish );
-          }
+    // Check if directory exists
+    deployUtil.exec( grunt, 'ssh ' + deployConfig.devUsername + '@' + server + ' \'file ' + versionPath + '\'', function( err, stdout, stderr ) {
+      // If the directory does not exist proceed
+      if ( stdout.indexOf('No such file or directory') >= 0 ) {
+        // create remote version directory if it does not exist
+        deployUtil.exec( grunt, 'ssh ' + deployConfig.devUsername + '@' + server + ' \'mkdir -p ' + versionPath + '\'', function() {
+          // add group write permissions to the remote version directory if they don't exist
+          deployUtil.exec( grunt, 'ssh ' + deployConfig.devUsername + '@' + server + ' \'chmod -R g+w ' + versionPath + '\'', function() {
+            // copy the local build directory contents to the remote version directory
+            deployUtil.exec( grunt, 'scp -r ' + ChipperConstants.BUILD_DIR + '/* ' + deployConfig.devUsername + '@' + server + ':' + versionPath, function() {
+              if ( test ) {
+                finish();
+              }
+              else {
+                deployUtil.commitAndPushDependenciesJSON( grunt, finish );
+              }
+            } );
+          } );
         } );
-      } );
+      }
+        // If the directory does exist then bail
+      else {
+        grunt.fail.fatal('Directory ' + server + ':' + versionPath + ' already exists.  If you intend to replace the content then remove the directory manually from ' + server + '.' );
+      }
     } );
   };
 
diff --git a/js/grunt/deployUtil.js b/js/grunt/deployUtil.js
index c86148053..ca276548b 100644
--- a/js/grunt/deployUtil.js
+++ b/js/grunt/deployUtil.js
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ var exec = function( grunt, command, callback ) {
   child_process.exec( command, function( err, stdout, stderr ) {
     grunt.log.debug( stdout );
     grunt.log.debug( stderr );
-    callback();
+    callback( err, stdout, stderr );
   } );
 };
 
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ var commitAndPushDependenciesJSON = function( grunt, callback ) {
 };
 
 var getDependenciesList = function( grunt ) {
-  
+
   var dependencies;
   if ( grunt.file.exists( DEPENDENCIES_JSON ) ) {
     dependencies = grunt.file.readJSON( DEPENDENCIES_JSON );
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@ var getDependenciesList = function( grunt ) {
  * @param callback
  */
 var checkForUncommittedChanges = function( grunt, callback ) {
-  
+
   // get of list of this sim's dependencies
   var dependenciesList = getDependenciesList( grunt );
 
@@ -126,7 +126,7 @@ var checkForUncommittedChanges = function( grunt, callback ) {
  * @param callback
  */
 var checkForUnpushedChanges = function( grunt, callback ) {
-  
+
   // get of list of this sim's dependencies
   var dependenciesList = getDependenciesList( grunt );
 
@@ -179,7 +179,7 @@ var checkForUnpushedChanges = function( grunt, callback ) {
  * @param callback
  */
 var verifyDependenciesCheckedOut = function( grunt, callback ) {
-  
+
   grunt.log.debug( 'verifying that correct dependencies are checked out' );
 
   var deployConfig = getDeployConfig( grunt, global.phet.chipper.fs );