diff --git a/src/cargo/ops/cargo_package.rs b/src/cargo/ops/cargo_package.rs
index 35b213361a2..b78d0292882 100644
--- a/src/cargo/ops/cargo_package.rs
+++ b/src/cargo/ops/cargo_package.rs
@@ -281,7 +281,7 @@ fn build_ar_list(
     if let Some(license_file) = &pkg.manifest().metadata().license_file {
         let license_path = Path::new(license_file);
         let abs_file_path = paths::normalize_path(&pkg.root().join(license_path));
-        if abs_file_path.exists() {
+        if abs_file_path.is_file() {
             check_for_file_and_add(
                 "license-file",
                 license_path,
@@ -291,26 +291,16 @@ fn build_ar_list(
                 ws,
             )?;
         } else {
-            let rel_msg = if license_path.is_absolute() {
-                "".to_string()
-            } else {
-                format!(" (relative to `{}`)", pkg.root().display())
-            };
-            ws.config().shell().warn(&format!(
-                "license-file `{}` does not appear to exist{}.\n\
-                Please update the license-file setting in the manifest at `{}`\n\
-                This may become a hard error in the future.",
-                license_path.display(),
-                rel_msg,
-                pkg.manifest_path().display()
-            ))?;
+            warn_on_nonexistent_file(&pkg, &license_path, "license-file", &ws)?;
         }
     }
     if let Some(readme) = &pkg.manifest().metadata().readme {
         let readme_path = Path::new(readme);
         let abs_file_path = paths::normalize_path(&pkg.root().join(readme_path));
-        if abs_file_path.exists() {
+        if abs_file_path.is_file() {
             check_for_file_and_add("readme", readme_path, abs_file_path, pkg, &mut result, ws)?;
+        } else {
+            warn_on_nonexistent_file(&pkg, &readme_path, "readme", &ws)?;
         }
     }
     result.sort_unstable_by(|a, b| a.rel_path.cmp(&b.rel_path));
@@ -369,6 +359,27 @@ fn check_for_file_and_add(
     Ok(())
 }
 
+fn warn_on_nonexistent_file(
+    pkg: &Package,
+    path: &Path,
+    manifest_key_name: &'static str,
+    ws: &Workspace<'_>,
+) -> CargoResult<()> {
+    let rel_msg = if path.is_absolute() {
+        "".to_string()
+    } else {
+        format!(" (relative to `{}`)", pkg.root().display())
+    };
+    ws.config().shell().warn(&format!(
+        "{manifest_key_name} `{}` does not appear to exist{}.\n\
+                Please update the {manifest_key_name} setting in the manifest at `{}`\n\
+                This may become a hard error in the future.",
+        path.display(),
+        rel_msg,
+        pkg.manifest_path().display()
+    ))
+}
+
 /// Construct `Cargo.lock` for the package to be published.
 fn build_lock(ws: &Workspace<'_>, orig_pkg: &Package) -> CargoResult<String> {
     let config = ws.config();
diff --git a/tests/testsuite/package.rs b/tests/testsuite/package.rs
index 14bac6618bd..0505f836300 100644
--- a/tests/testsuite/package.rs
+++ b/tests/testsuite/package.rs
@@ -1774,6 +1774,142 @@ fn exclude_dot_files_and_directories_by_default() {
     );
 }
 
+#[cargo_test]
+fn empty_readme_path() {
+    // Warn but don't fail if `readme` is empty.
+    // Issue #11522.
+    let p = project()
+        .file(
+            "Cargo.toml",
+            r#"
+            [package]
+            name = "foo"
+            version = "1.0.0"
+            readme = ""
+            license = "MIT"
+            description = "foo"
+            homepage = "foo"
+            "#,
+        )
+        .file("src/lib.rs", "")
+        .build();
+
+    p.cargo("package --no-verify")
+        .with_stderr(
+            "\
+[WARNING] readme `` does not appear to exist (relative to `[..]/foo`).
+Please update the readme setting in the manifest at `[..]/foo/Cargo.toml`
+This may become a hard error in the future.
+[PACKAGING] foo v1.0.0 ([..]/foo)
+[PACKAGED] [..] files, [..] ([..] compressed)
+",
+        )
+        .run();
+}
+
+#[cargo_test]
+fn invalid_readme_path() {
+    // Warn but don't fail if `readme` path is invalid.
+    // Issue #11522.
+    let p = project()
+        .file(
+            "Cargo.toml",
+            r#"
+            [package]
+            name = "foo"
+            version = "1.0.0"
+            readme = "DOES-NOT-EXIST"
+            license = "MIT"
+            description = "foo"
+            homepage = "foo"
+            "#,
+        )
+        .file("src/lib.rs", "")
+        .build();
+
+    p.cargo("package --no-verify")
+        .with_stderr(
+            "\
+[WARNING] readme `DOES-NOT-EXIST` does not appear to exist (relative to `[..]/foo`).
+Please update the readme setting in the manifest at `[..]/foo/Cargo.toml`
+This may become a hard error in the future.
+[PACKAGING] foo v1.0.0 ([..]/foo)
+[PACKAGED] [..] files, [..] ([..] compressed)
+",
+        )
+        .run();
+}
+
+#[cargo_test]
+fn readme_or_license_file_is_dir() {
+    // Test warning when `readme` or `license-file` is a directory, not a file.
+    // Issue #11522.
+    let p = project()
+        .file(
+            "Cargo.toml",
+            r#"
+            [package]
+            name = "foo"
+            version = "1.0.0"
+            readme = "./src"
+            license-file = "./src"
+            description = "foo"
+            homepage = "foo"
+            "#,
+        )
+        .file("src/lib.rs", "")
+        .build();
+
+    p.cargo("package --no-verify")
+        .with_stderr(
+            "\
+[WARNING] license-file `./src` does not appear to exist (relative to `[..]/foo`).
+Please update the license-file setting in the manifest at `[..]/foo/Cargo.toml`
+This may become a hard error in the future.
+[WARNING] readme `./src` does not appear to exist (relative to `[..]/foo`).
+Please update the readme setting in the manifest at `[..]/foo/Cargo.toml`
+This may become a hard error in the future.
+[PACKAGING] foo v1.0.0 ([..]/foo)
+[PACKAGED] [..] files, [..] ([..] compressed)
+",
+        )
+        .run();
+}
+
+#[cargo_test]
+fn empty_license_file_path() {
+    // Warn but don't fail if license-file is empty.
+    // Issue #11522.
+    let p = project()
+        .file(
+            "Cargo.toml",
+            r#"
+            [package]
+            name = "foo"
+            version = "1.0.0"
+            license-file = ""
+            description = "foo"
+            homepage = "foo"
+            "#,
+        )
+        .file("src/lib.rs", "")
+        .build();
+
+    p.cargo("package --no-verify")
+        .with_stderr(
+            "\
+[WARNING] manifest has no license or license-file.
+See https://doc.rust-lang.org/cargo/reference/manifest.html#package-metadata for more info.
+[WARNING] license-file `` does not appear to exist (relative to `[..]/foo`).
+Please update the license-file setting in the manifest at `[..]/foo/Cargo.toml`
+This may become a hard error in the future.
+[PACKAGING] foo v1.0.0 ([..]/foo)
+[PACKAGED] [..] files, [..] ([..] compressed)
+",
+        )
+        .run();
+}
+
 #[cargo_test]
 fn invalid_license_file_path() {
     // Test warning when license-file points to a non-existent file.
diff --git a/tests/testsuite/publish.rs b/tests/testsuite/publish.rs
index 00a79fe7362..bae940eb7a6 100644
--- a/tests/testsuite/publish.rs
+++ b/tests/testsuite/publish.rs
@@ -1756,6 +1756,9 @@ fn publish_with_missing_readme() {
         .with_stderr(&format!(
             "\
 [UPDATING] [..]
+[WARNING] readme `foo.md` does not appear to exist (relative to `[..]/foo`).
+Please update the readme setting in the manifest at `[..]/foo/Cargo.toml`
+This may become a hard error in the future.
 [PACKAGING] foo v0.1.0 [..]
 [PACKAGED] [..] files, [..] ([..] compressed)
 [UPLOADING] foo v0.1.0 [..]