diff --git a/src/harness/fakes.ts b/src/harness/fakes.ts
index 79d3503cb8079..4fdd30c940e26 100644
--- a/src/harness/fakes.ts
+++ b/src/harness/fakes.ts
@@ -150,7 +150,7 @@ namespace fakes {
 
         private _getStats(path: string) {
             try {
-                return this.vfs.statSync(path);
+                return this.vfs.existsSync(path) ? this.vfs.statSync(path) : undefined;
             }
             catch {
                 return undefined;
@@ -332,7 +332,7 @@ namespace fakes {
                 let fs = this.vfs;
                 while (fs.shadowRoot) {
                     try {
-                        const shadowRootStats = fs.shadowRoot.statSync(canonicalFileName);
+                        const shadowRootStats = fs.shadowRoot.existsSync(canonicalFileName) && fs.shadowRoot.statSync(canonicalFileName);
                         if (shadowRootStats.dev !== stats.dev ||
                             shadowRootStats.ino !== stats.ino ||
                             shadowRootStats.mtimeMs !== stats.mtimeMs) {
diff --git a/src/harness/vfs.ts b/src/harness/vfs.ts
index 4972dd08925e1..34a48f5909104 100644
--- a/src/harness/vfs.ts
+++ b/src/harness/vfs.ts
@@ -384,6 +384,14 @@ namespace vfs {
 
         // POSIX API (aligns with NodeJS "fs" module API)
 
+        /**
+         * Determines whether a path exists.
+         */
+        public existsSync(path: string) {
+            const result = this._walk(this._resolve(path), /*noFollow*/ true, () => "stop");
+            return result !== undefined && result.node !== undefined;
+        }
+
         /**
          * Get file status. If `path` is a symbolic link, it is dereferenced.
          *
@@ -861,8 +869,8 @@ namespace vfs {
          */
         private _resolve(path: string) {
             return this._cwd
-                ? vpath.resolve(this._cwd, vpath.validate(path, vpath.ValidationFlags.RelativeOrAbsolute))
-                : vpath.validate(path, vpath.ValidationFlags.Absolute);
+                ? vpath.resolve(this._cwd, vpath.validate(path, vpath.ValidationFlags.RelativeOrAbsolute | vpath.ValidationFlags.AllowWildcard))
+                : vpath.validate(path, vpath.ValidationFlags.Absolute | vpath.ValidationFlags.AllowWildcard);
         }
 
         private _applyFiles(files: FileSet, dirname: string) {
diff --git a/src/harness/vpath.ts b/src/harness/vpath.ts
index e2024f890c4c2..6211fc9278a63 100644
--- a/src/harness/vpath.ts
+++ b/src/harness/vpath.ts
@@ -26,7 +26,9 @@ namespace vpath {
 
     const invalidRootComponentRegExp = /^(?!(\/|\/\/\w+\/|[a-zA-Z]:\/?|)$)/;
     const invalidNavigableComponentRegExp = /[:*?"<>|]/;
+    const invalidNavigableComponentWithWildcardsRegExp = /[:"<>|]/;
     const invalidNonNavigableComponentRegExp = /^\.{1,2}$|[:*?"<>|]/;
+    const invalidNonNavigableComponentWithWildcardsRegExp = /^\.{1,2}$|[:"<>|]/;
     const extRegExp = /\.\w+$/;
 
     export const enum ValidationFlags {
@@ -44,6 +46,7 @@ namespace vpath {
         AllowExtname = 1 << 8,
         AllowTrailingSeparator = 1 << 9,
         AllowNavigation = 1 << 10,
+        AllowWildcard = 1 << 11,
 
         /** Path must be a valid directory root */
         Root = RequireRoot | AllowRoot | AllowTrailingSeparator,
@@ -63,7 +66,9 @@ namespace vpath {
         const hasDirname = components.length > 2;
         const hasBasename = components.length > 1;
         const hasExtname = hasBasename && extRegExp.test(components[components.length - 1]);
-        const invalidComponentRegExp = flags & ValidationFlags.AllowNavigation ? invalidNavigableComponentRegExp : invalidNonNavigableComponentRegExp;
+        const invalidComponentRegExp = flags & ValidationFlags.AllowNavigation
+            ? flags & ValidationFlags.AllowWildcard ? invalidNavigableComponentWithWildcardsRegExp : invalidNavigableComponentRegExp
+            : flags & ValidationFlags.AllowWildcard ? invalidNonNavigableComponentWithWildcardsRegExp : invalidNonNavigableComponentRegExp;
 
         // Validate required components
         if (flags & ValidationFlags.RequireRoot && !hasRoot) return false;