diff --git a/task_test.go b/task_test.go
index 6d4fdce2..2d3cc361 100644
--- a/task_test.go
+++ b/task_test.go
@@ -758,7 +758,11 @@ func TestIncludesMultiLevel(t *testing.T) {
 		Dir:       "testdata/includes_multi_level",
 		Target:    "default",
 		TrimSpace: true,
-		Files:     map[string]string{},
+		Files: map[string]string{
+			"called_one.txt":   "one",
+			"called_two.txt":   "two",
+			"called_three.txt": "three",
+		},
 	}
 	tt.Run(t)
 }
diff --git a/taskfile/read/taskfile.go b/taskfile/read/taskfile.go
index 58b720f9..c0546741 100644
--- a/taskfile/read/taskfile.go
+++ b/taskfile/read/taskfile.go
@@ -76,6 +76,13 @@ func Taskfile(readerNode *ReaderNode) (*taskfile.Taskfile, error) {
 		if !filepath.IsAbs(path) {
 			path = filepath.Join(readerNode.Dir, path)
 		}
+		path, err = exists(path)
+		if err != nil {
+			if includedTask.Optional {
+				return nil
+			}
+			return err
+		}
 
 		includeReaderNode := &ReaderNode{
 			Dir:        filepath.Dir(path),
diff --git a/testdata/includes_multi_level/Taskfile.yml b/testdata/includes_multi_level/Taskfile.yml
index 0639601f..3734d069 100644
--- a/testdata/includes_multi_level/Taskfile.yml
+++ b/testdata/includes_multi_level/Taskfile.yml
@@ -1,9 +1,11 @@
 version: '3'
 
 includes:
-  'one': ./one/Taskfile.yml
+  'one': ./one/
 
 tasks:
   default:
     cmds:
+      - task: one:default
       - task: one:two:default
+      - task: one:two:three:default
diff --git a/testdata/includes_multi_level/called_one.txt b/testdata/includes_multi_level/called_one.txt
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..5626abf0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/testdata/includes_multi_level/called_one.txt
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+one
diff --git a/testdata/includes_multi_level/called_three.txt b/testdata/includes_multi_level/called_three.txt
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..2bdf67ab
--- /dev/null
+++ b/testdata/includes_multi_level/called_three.txt
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+three
diff --git a/testdata/includes_multi_level/called_two.txt b/testdata/includes_multi_level/called_two.txt
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..f719efd4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/testdata/includes_multi_level/called_two.txt
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+two
diff --git a/testdata/includes_multi_level/one/Taskfile.yml b/testdata/includes_multi_level/one/Taskfile.yml
index 30316593..aaf899f2 100644
--- a/testdata/includes_multi_level/one/Taskfile.yml
+++ b/testdata/includes_multi_level/one/Taskfile.yml
@@ -1,9 +1,7 @@
 version: '3'
 
 includes:
-  'two': ./two/Taskfile.yml
+  'two': ./two/
 
 tasks:
-  level1:
-    cmds:
-      - echo "hello level 1"
+  default: echo one > called_one.txt
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/testdata/includes_multi_level/one/two/Taskfile.yml b/testdata/includes_multi_level/one/two/Taskfile.yml
index 83ae318e..ed393064 100644
--- a/testdata/includes_multi_level/one/two/Taskfile.yml
+++ b/testdata/includes_multi_level/one/two/Taskfile.yml
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 version: '3'
 
+includes:
+  'three': ./three/Taskfile.yml
+
 tasks:
-  default:
-    cmds:
-      - echo "called_dep" > called_dep.txt
+  default: echo two > called_two.txt
diff --git a/testdata/includes_multi_level/one/two/three/Taskfile.yml b/testdata/includes_multi_level/one/two/three/Taskfile.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..db4152be
--- /dev/null
+++ b/testdata/includes_multi_level/one/two/three/Taskfile.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+version: '3'
+
+tasks:
+  default: echo three > called_three.txt
\ No newline at end of file