diff --git a/src/internal/slibtool_symlink_impl.c b/src/internal/slibtool_symlink_impl.c
index 34661f0..019d3d6 100644
--- a/src/internal/slibtool_symlink_impl.c
+++ b/src/internal/slibtool_symlink_impl.c
@@ -78,7 +78,14 @@ slbt_hidden int slbt_create_symlink(
 			lnkname) <0)
 		return SLBT_BUFFER_ERROR(dctx);
 
+	/* fdcwd */
+	fdcwd = slbt_driver_fdcwd(dctx);
+
 	/* placeholder? */
+	if (fdevnull)
+		if (unlinkat(fdcwd,lnkname,0) && (errno != ENOENT))
+			return SLBT_SYSTEM_ERROR(dctx,0);
+
 	if (suffix) {
 		sprintf(alnkarg,"%s%s",lnkname,suffix);
 		lnkname = alnkarg;
@@ -115,9 +122,6 @@ slbt_hidden int slbt_create_symlink(
 	/* restore execution context */
 	ectx->argv = oargv;
 
-	/* fdcwd */
-	fdcwd = slbt_driver_fdcwd(dctx);
-
 	/* create symlink */
 	if (symlinkat(atarget,fdcwd,tmplnk))
 		return SLBT_SYSTEM_ERROR(dctx,tmplnk);
diff --git a/src/logic/slbt_exec_link.c b/src/logic/slbt_exec_link.c
index 1e1e5b2..be9dc20 100644
--- a/src/logic/slbt_exec_link.c
+++ b/src/logic/slbt_exec_link.c
@@ -305,13 +305,6 @@ int slbt_exec_link(const struct slbt_driver_ctx * dctx)
 				dctx,ectx,
 				"/dev/null",
 				ectx->dsofilename,
-				SLBT_SYMLINK_LITERAL))
-			return SLBT_NESTED_ERROR(dctx);
-
-		if (slbt_create_symlink(
-				dctx,ectx,
-				"/dev/null",
-				ectx->dsofilename,
 				SLBT_SYMLINK_DEVNULL))
 			return SLBT_NESTED_ERROR(dctx);
 	}
@@ -322,13 +315,6 @@ int slbt_exec_link(const struct slbt_driver_ctx * dctx)
 				dctx,ectx,
 				"/dev/null",
 				ectx->arfilename,
-				SLBT_SYMLINK_LITERAL))
-			return SLBT_NESTED_ERROR(dctx);
-
-		if (slbt_create_symlink(
-				dctx,ectx,
-				"/dev/null",
-				ectx->arfilename,
 				SLBT_SYMLINK_DEVNULL))
 			return SLBT_NESTED_ERROR(dctx);
 	}