diff --git a/core/libs/prx/libkernel_sys/Export.cpp b/core/libs/prx/libkernel_sys/Export.cpp
index eb7ff910d..67c482334 100644
--- a/core/libs/prx/libkernel_sys/Export.cpp
+++ b/core/libs/prx/libkernel_sys/Export.cpp
@@ -363,13 +363,13 @@ int APS5_VABI link_nid_postfix(const char* existing, const char* created) {
     if (const int error = ResolvePathError_nid_no_patch(existing, source)) return static_cast<int>(Fail(error));
     if (const int error = ResolvePathError_nid_no_patch(created, destination)) return static_cast<int>(Fail(error));
     std::error_code error;
-    const auto status = std::filesystem::symlink_status(source, error);
+    const auto status = std::filesystem::status(source, error);
     if (!std::filesystem::exists(status)) return static_cast<int>(Fail(GuestEnoent));
-    if (std::filesystem::is_symlink(status)) throw std::runtime_error("link: a symbolic link as the existing path is not supported");
     if (std::filesystem::is_directory(status)) return static_cast<int>(Fail(GuestEperm));
     if (std::filesystem::exists(std::filesystem::symlink_status(destination, error))) return static_cast<int>(Fail(GuestEexist));
     if (!std::filesystem::is_directory(destination.parent_path(), error)) return static_cast<int>(Fail(GuestEnoent));
-    std::filesystem::create_hard_link(source, destination, error);
+    const auto target = std::filesystem::is_symlink(source, error) ? std::filesystem::canonical(source, error) : source;
+    if (!error) std::filesystem::create_hard_link(target, destination, error);
     if (error == std::errc::cross_device_link) return static_cast<int>(Fail(GuestExdev));
     if (error) throw std::system_error(error, "link");
     RecordWrittenPath_nid_no_patch(destination);
diff --git a/core/libs/tests/GuestKernelSys.cpp b/core/libs/tests/GuestKernelSys.cpp
index 5f92999d2..d16ff6789 100644
--- a/core/libs/tests/GuestKernelSys.cpp
+++ b/core/libs/tests/GuestKernelSys.cpp
@@ -465,6 +465,20 @@ int main() {
     Require(fchmodat_nid_postfix(base, longName.c_str(), 0600, 0) == -1 && Error() == 63);
 #endif
     Require(sceKernelClose(base) == 0);
+#ifndef _WIN32
+    if (created == 0) {
+        const auto throughLink = (root / "through-link.bin").string();
+        Require(link_nid_postfix(symbolic.c_str(), throughLink.c_str()) == 0);
+        Require(!std::filesystem::is_symlink(std::filesystem::symlink_status(throughLink)));
+        Require(std::filesystem::equivalent(throughLink, original) && std::filesystem::hard_link_count(original) == 2);
+        Require(std::filesystem::remove(throughLink) && std::filesystem::hard_link_count(original) == 1);
+        Require(link_nid_postfix((root / "dangling").string().c_str(), throughLink.c_str()) == -1 && Error() == 2);
+        const auto directoryLink = (root / "directory-link").string();
+        Require(symlink_nid_postfix(".", directoryLink.c_str()) == 0);
+        Require(link_nid_postfix(directoryLink.c_str(), throughLink.c_str()) == -1 && Error() == 1);
+        Require(!std::filesystem::exists(std::filesystem::symlink_status(throughLink)));
+    }
+#endif
     std::filesystem::remove_all(root);
     return 0;
 }