diff --git a/src/calibre/ebooks/conversion/plugins/html_input.py b/src/calibre/ebooks/conversion/plugins/html_input.py
index ed2f385a77..c1d85b2d37 100644
--- a/src/calibre/ebooks/conversion/plugins/html_input.py
+++ b/src/calibre/ebooks/conversion/plugins/html_input.py
@@ -269,7 +269,8 @@ class HTMLInput(InputFormatPlugin):
         q = os.path.normcase(get_long_path_name(link))
         if not q.startswith(self.root_dir_of_input):
             if not self.opts.allow_local_files_outside_root:
-                self.log.warn('Not adding {} as it is outside the document root: {}'.format(q, self.root_dir_of_input))
+                if os.path.exists(q):
+                    self.log.warn('Not adding {} as it is outside the document root: {}'.format(q, self.root_dir_of_input))
                 return None, None
         return link, frag