diff --git a/__tests__/git.test.ts b/__tests__/git.test.ts
index 847b4071..2deb8c25 100644
--- a/__tests__/git.test.ts
+++ b/__tests__/git.test.ts
@@ -98,24 +98,64 @@ describe("git", () => {
         expect(execute).toBeCalledTimes(0);
         expect(call).toBe('Initialization step complete...')
     })
+
+    it("should not fail if root is used", async () => {
+      Object.assign(action, {
+        accessToken: '123',
+        build: '.',
+        pusher: {
+          name: 'asd',
+          email: 'as@cat'
+        }})
+
+        const call = await init()
+
+        expect(execute).toBeCalledTimes(3);
+        expect(call).toBe('Initialization step complete...')
+    })
   });
 
   describe('generateBranch', () => {
     it('should execute five commands', async () => {
       const call = await generateBranch();
-      expect(execute).toBeCalledTimes(5);
+      expect(execute).toBeCalledTimes(6);
       expect(call).toBe('Deployment branch creation step complete...')
     })
   })
 
   describe('deploy', () => {
     it('should execute five commands', async () => {
+      Object.assign(action, {
+        build: 'build',
+        gitHubToken: '123',
+        pusher: {
+          name: 'asd',
+          email: 'as@cat'
+        }})
+  
       const call = await deploy();
 
       // Includes the call to generateBranch
-      expect(execute).toBeCalledTimes(13);
+      expect(execute).toBeCalledTimes(14);
       expect(cp).toBeCalledTimes(1)
       expect(call).toBe('Commit step complete...')
     })
+
+    it('should execute six commands if root is used', async () => {
+      Object.assign(action, {
+        build: '.',
+        gitHubToken: '123',
+        pusher: {
+          name: 'asd',
+          email: 'as@cat'
+        }})
+  
+      const call = await deploy();
+
+      // Includes the call to generateBranch
+      expect(execute).toBeCalledTimes(15);
+      expect(cp).toBeCalledTimes(0)
+      expect(call).toBe('Commit step complete...')
+    })
   })
 });
diff --git a/lib/constants.js b/lib/constants.js
index 7d97c653..dbaa4339 100644
--- a/lib/constants.js
+++ b/lib/constants.js
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ const github = __importStar(require("@actions/github"));
 const { pusher, repository } = github.context.payload;
 exports.workspace = process.env.GITHUB_WORKSPACE;
 exports.folder = core.getInput("FOLDER", { required: true });
+exports.root = ".";
 // Required action data.
 exports.action = {
     build: exports.folder,
diff --git a/lib/git.js b/lib/git.js
index acbc6336..520d22db 100644
--- a/lib/git.js
+++ b/lib/git.js
@@ -29,11 +29,9 @@ function init() {
             if (!constants_1.action.accessToken && !constants_1.action.gitHubToken) {
                 return core.setFailed("You must provide the action with either a Personal Access Token or the GitHub Token secret in order to deploy.");
             }
-            /*if (action.build.startsWith("/") || action.build.startsWith("./")) {
-              return core.setFailed(
-                `The deployment folder cannot be prefixed with '/' or './'. Instead reference the folder name directly.`
-              );
-            }*/
+            if (constants_1.action.build.startsWith("/") || constants_1.action.build.startsWith("./")) {
+                return core.setFailed(`The deployment folder cannot be prefixed with '/' or './'. Instead reference the folder name directly.`);
+            }
             yield util_1.execute(`git init`, constants_1.workspace);
             yield util_1.execute(`git config user.name ${constants_1.action.pusher.name}`, constants_1.workspace);
             yield util_1.execute(`git config user.email ${constants_1.action.pusher.email}`, constants_1.workspace);
@@ -76,8 +74,8 @@ exports.generateBranch = generateBranch;
  */
 function deploy() {
     return __awaiter(this, void 0, void 0, function* () {
-        const temporaryDeploymentDirectory = 'gh-action-temp-deployment-folder';
-        const temporaryDeploymentBranch = 'gh-action-temp-deployment-branch';
+        const temporaryDeploymentDirectory = "gh-action-temp-deployment-folder";
+        const temporaryDeploymentBranch = "gh-action-temp-deployment-branch";
         /*
             Checks to see if the remote exists prior to deploying.
             If the branch doesn't exist it gets created here as an orphan.
@@ -94,7 +92,8 @@ function deploy() {
         /*
           Pushes all of the build files into the deployment directory.
           Allows the user to specify the root if '.' is provided. */
-        if (constants_1.action.build === '.') {
+        if (constants_1.action.build === constants_1.root) {
+            // rsync is executed here so the .git and temporary deployment directories don't get duplicated.
             yield util_1.execute(`rsync -av --progress ${constants_1.action.build}/. ${temporaryDeploymentDirectory} --exclude .git --exclude ${temporaryDeploymentDirectory}`, constants_1.workspace);
         }
         else {
diff --git a/src/constants.ts b/src/constants.ts
index 4d54b01c..12d9fe03 100644
--- a/src/constants.ts
+++ b/src/constants.ts
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ const { pusher, repository } = github.context.payload;
 
 export const workspace: any = process.env.GITHUB_WORKSPACE;
 export const folder = core.getInput("FOLDER", { required: true });
+export const root = ".";
 
 // Required action data.
 export const action = {
diff --git a/src/git.ts b/src/git.ts
index 90ac3e6a..dda23638 100644
--- a/src/git.ts
+++ b/src/git.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 import * as core from "@actions/core";
-import { cp, rmRF } from "@actions/io";
+import { cp } from "@actions/io";
 import { execute } from "./util";
-import { workspace, action, repositoryPath } from "./constants";
+import { workspace, action, root, repositoryPath } from "./constants";
 
 /** Generates the branch if it doesn't exist on the remote.
  * @returns {Promise}
@@ -14,11 +14,11 @@ export async function init(): Promise<any> {
       );
     }
 
-    /*if (action.build.startsWith("/") || action.build.startsWith("./")) {
+    if (action.build.startsWith("/") || action.build.startsWith("./")) {
       return core.setFailed(
         `The deployment folder cannot be prefixed with '/' or './'. Instead reference the folder name directly.`
       );
-    }*/
+    }
 
     await execute(`git init`, workspace);
     await execute(`git config user.name ${action.pusher.name}`, workspace);
@@ -60,8 +60,8 @@ export async function generateBranch(): Promise<any> {
  * @returns {Promise}
  */
 export async function deploy(): Promise<any> {
-  const temporaryDeploymentDirectory = 'gh-action-temp-deployment-folder'
-  const temporaryDeploymentBranch = 'gh-action-temp-deployment-branch'
+  const temporaryDeploymentDirectory = "gh-action-temp-deployment-folder";
+  const temporaryDeploymentBranch = "gh-action-temp-deployment-branch";
   /*
       Checks to see if the remote exists prior to deploying.
       If the branch doesn't exist it gets created here as an orphan.
@@ -86,15 +86,17 @@ export async function deploy(): Promise<any> {
   /*
     Pushes all of the build files into the deployment directory.
     Allows the user to specify the root if '.' is provided. */
-
-  if (action.build === '.') {
-    await execute(`rsync -av --progress ${action.build}/. ${temporaryDeploymentDirectory} --exclude .git --exclude ${temporaryDeploymentDirectory}`, workspace)
+  if (action.build === root) {
+    // rsync is executed here so the .git and temporary deployment directories don't get duplicated.
+    await execute(
+      `rsync -av --progress ${action.build}/. ${temporaryDeploymentDirectory} --exclude .git --exclude ${temporaryDeploymentDirectory}`,
+      workspace
+    );
   } else {
     await cp(`${action.build}/.`, temporaryDeploymentDirectory, {
       recursive: true,
       force: true
     });
-  
   }
 
   // Commits to GitHub.
@@ -111,7 +113,6 @@ export async function deploy(): Promise<any> {
     `git push --force ${repositoryPath} ${temporaryDeploymentBranch}:${action.branch}`,
     temporaryDeploymentDirectory
   );
-  
 
   return Promise.resolve("Commit step complete...");
 }