diff --git a/aider/commands.py b/aider/commands.py
index 40581b0f9..3b6f359d5 100644
--- a/aider/commands.py
+++ b/aider/commands.py
@@ -349,10 +349,12 @@ class Commands:
                 self.io.tool_error(f"Skipping {fname} that matches aiderignore spec.")
                 continue
 
-            if fname.exists() and fname.is_file():
-                all_matched_files.add(str(fname))
-                continue
-                # an existing dir will fall through and get recursed by glob
+            if fname.exists():
+                if fname.is_file():
+                    all_matched_files.add(str(fname))
+                    continue
+                # an existing dir, escape any special chars so they won't be globs
+                word = re.sub(r"([\*\?\[\]])", r"[\1]", word)
 
             matched_files = self.glob_filtered_to_repo(word)
             if matched_files:
diff --git a/tests/test_commands.py b/tests/test_commands.py
index 1751a359d..8cc67b6d8 100644
--- a/tests/test_commands.py
+++ b/tests/test_commands.py
@@ -386,6 +386,23 @@ class TestCommands(TestCase):
 
             self.assertIn(str(fname.resolve()), coder.abs_fnames)
 
+    def test_cmd_add_dirname_with_special_chars(self):
+        with ChdirTemporaryDirectory():
+            io = InputOutput(pretty=False, yes=False)
+            from aider.coders import Coder
+
+            coder = Coder.create(self.GPT35, None, io)
+            commands = Commands(io, coder)
+
+            dname = Path("with[brackets]")
+            dname.mkdir()
+            fname = dname / "filename.txt"
+            fname.touch()
+
+            commands.cmd_add(str(dname))
+
+            self.assertIn(str(fname.resolve()), coder.abs_fnames)
+
     def test_cmd_add_abs_filename(self):
         with ChdirTemporaryDirectory():
             io = InputOutput(pretty=False, yes=False)