diff --git a/HISTORY.md b/HISTORY.md
index 53389a8..ff29acc 100644
--- a/HISTORY.md
+++ b/HISTORY.md
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ unreleased
 ==========
 
   * Send non-chunked response for `OPTIONS`
+  * Stat parent directory when necessary
   * Use `Date.prototype.toLocaleDateString` to format date
   * deps: accepts@~1.2.9
     - deps: mime-types@~2.1.1
diff --git a/index.js b/index.js
index a76c543..1c01f1f 100644
--- a/index.js
+++ b/index.js
@@ -171,21 +171,21 @@ function serveIndex(root, options) {
  */
 
 serveIndex.html = function _html(req, res, files, next, dir, showUp, icons, path, view, template, stylesheet) {
-  fs.readFile(template, 'utf8', function(err, str){
+  if (showUp) {
+    files.unshift('..');
+  }
+
+  stat(path, files, function (err, stats) {
     if (err) return next(err);
-    fs.readFile(stylesheet, 'utf8', function(err, style){
+    fs.readFile(template, 'utf8', function(err, str){
       if (err) return next(err);
-      stat(path, files, function(err, stats){
+      fs.readFile(stylesheet, 'utf8', function(err, style){
         if (err) return next(err);
 
         var fileData = files.map(function (file, i) {
           return { name: file, stat: stats[i] };
         }).sort(fileSort);
 
-        if (showUp) {
-          fileData.unshift({ name: '..' });
-        }
-
         var body = str
           .replace(/\{style\}/g, style.concat(iconStyle(fileData, icons)))
           .replace(/\{files\}/g, createHtmlFileList(fileData, dir, icons, view))
@@ -243,7 +243,7 @@ function createHtmlFileList(files, dir, useIcons, view) {
 
   html += files.map(function (file) {
     var classes = [];
-    var isDir = '..' == file.name || (file.stat && file.stat.isDirectory());
+    var isDir = file.stat && file.stat.isDirectory();
     var path = dir.split('/').map(function (c) { return encodeURIComponent(c); });
 
     if (useIcons) {
@@ -293,6 +293,12 @@ function createHtmlFileList(files, dir, useIcons, view) {
  */
 
 function fileSort(a, b) {
+  // sort ".." to the top
+  if (a.name === '..' || b.name === '..') {
+    return a.name === b.name ? 0
+      : a.name === '..' ? -1 : 1;
+  }
+
   return Number(b.stat && b.stat.isDirectory()) - Number(a.stat && a.stat.isDirectory()) ||
     String(a.name).toLocaleLowerCase().localeCompare(String(b.name).toLocaleLowerCase());
 }
@@ -393,7 +399,7 @@ function iconStyle (files, useIcons) {
   for (i = 0; i < files.length; i++) {
     var file = files[i];
 
-    var isDir = '..' == file.name || (file.stat && file.stat.isDirectory());
+    var isDir = file.stat && file.stat.isDirectory();
     var icon = isDir
       ? { className: 'icon-directory', fileName: icons.folder }
       : iconLookup(file.name);
diff --git a/test/fixtures/users/#dir/tobi.txt b/test/fixtures/users/#dir/tobi.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9d9529d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/fixtures/users/#dir/tobi.txt
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+ferret
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/test/test.js b/test/test.js
index eec1d23..19697d9 100644
--- a/test/test.js
+++ b/test/test.js
@@ -270,7 +270,7 @@ describe('serveIndex(root)', function () {
     });
 
     it('should filter directory paths', function (done) {
-      var cb = after(3, done)
+      var cb = after(4, done)
       var server = createServer(fixtures, {'filter': filter})
 
       function filter(name, index, list, dir) {
@@ -451,6 +451,25 @@ describe('serveIndex(root)', function () {
       .end(done);
     });
 
+    it('should include link to parent directory', function (done) {
+      var server = createServer()
+
+      request(server)
+      .get('/users')
+      .end(function (err, res) {
+        if (err) return done(err);
+        var body = res.text.split('</h1>')[1];
+        var urls = body.split(/<a href="([^"]*)"/).filter(function(s, i){ return i%2; });
+        assert.deepEqual(urls, [
+          '/',
+          '/users/%23dir',
+          '/users/index.html',
+          '/users/tobi.txt'
+        ]);
+        done();
+      });
+    });
+
     it('should work for directory with #', function (done) {
       var server = createServer()