diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 233d83c..8786e05 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ obj += src/path.o
 obj += src/strbuf.o
 obj += src/xalloc.o
 obj += src/die.o
+obj += src/file.o
 
 obj += src/inotify.o
 obj += src/event.o
diff --git a/src/file.c b/src/file.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8c629cb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/file.c
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+
+#include <sys/types.h>
+#include <sys/stat.h>
+#include <unistd.h>
+#include "util.h"
+
+int file_exists(const char *path) {
+
+    struct stat st;
+
+    if (stat(path, &st) < 0)
+        return 0;
+
+    return S_ISREG(st.st_mode);
+}
diff --git a/src/util.h b/src/util.h
index 79c527a..66e0da1 100644
--- a/src/util.h
+++ b/src/util.h
@@ -11,12 +11,10 @@
 #ifndef __COMMON_UTIL_H
 #define __COMMON_UTIL_H
 
-#include <unistd.h>
-
 void die(const char *, ...);
 
 void die_errno(const char *);
 
-#define file_exists(s) (access((s), F_OK) == 0)
+int file_exists(const char *);
 
 #endif /* __COMMOT_UTIL_H */