diff --git a/_test_image.sh b/_test_image.sh
index 4aee969..259afd2 100755
--- a/_test_image.sh
+++ b/_test_image.sh
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ trap "rm -r \"$tmp_dir\"" EXIT
 echo "[test] Using temporary directory: $tmp_dir"
 echo "[test] Generating files..."
 echo "hello world" >"$tmp_dir"/test.txt
+ln -s test.txt "$tmp_dir"/symlink.txt
 for i in {1..1000}; do
   echo "echo "hello world" >>'$tmp_dir/test.txt'"
 done | xargs -P "$(nproc)" -I {} bash -c '{}'
@@ -43,7 +44,7 @@ done | xargs -P "$(nproc)" -I {} bash -c '{}'
 mkimage test32 "$tmp_dir" 20 -O ^64bit
 mkimage test64 "$tmp_dir" 20 -O 64bit
 
-rm -f "$tmp_dir"/test*.txt
+rm -f "$tmp_dir"/test*.txt "$tmp_dir"/symlink.txt
 echo "[test] Generating files..."
 
 echo "[test] Making image test_htree..."
diff --git a/ext4/block.py b/ext4/block.py
index 07948d4..03c7e17 100644
--- a/ext4/block.py
+++ b/ext4/block.py
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-# pyright: reportImportCycles=false
 import errno
 import io
 import os
diff --git a/ext4/blockdescriptor.py b/ext4/blockdescriptor.py
index cf87af3..2e686a9 100644
--- a/ext4/blockdescriptor.py
+++ b/ext4/blockdescriptor.py
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-# pyright: reportImportCycles=false
 from ctypes import (
     c_uint16,
     c_uint32,
diff --git a/ext4/directory.py b/ext4/directory.py
index 42b4782..c6f1508 100644
--- a/ext4/directory.py
+++ b/ext4/directory.py
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-# pyright: reportImportCycles=false
 from ctypes import (
     addressof,
     c_char,
diff --git a/ext4/enum.py b/ext4/enum.py
index aa11e24..3648f87 100644
--- a/ext4/enum.py
+++ b/ext4/enum.py
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-# pyright: reportImportCycles=false
 from ctypes import (
     c_uint8,
     c_uint16,
diff --git a/ext4/extent.py b/ext4/extent.py
index 397d5eb..148f4f6 100644
--- a/ext4/extent.py
+++ b/ext4/extent.py
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-# pyright: reportImportCycles=false
 from collections.abc import Iterator
 from ctypes import (
     c_uint16,
diff --git a/ext4/htree.py b/ext4/htree.py
index d418d95..afb8e60 100644
--- a/ext4/htree.py
+++ b/ext4/htree.py
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-# pyright: reportImportCycles=false
 import warnings
 from collections.abc import Generator
 from ctypes import (
diff --git a/ext4/inode.py b/ext4/inode.py
index ab2d52a..ad6a15d 100644
--- a/ext4/inode.py
+++ b/ext4/inode.py
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-# pyright: reportImportCycles=false
 from __future__ import annotations
 
 import errno
@@ -74,6 +73,10 @@ class InodeError(Exception):
     pass
 
 
+class MalformedInodeError(Exception):
+    pass
+
+
 @final
 class Linux1(LittleEndianStructure):
     _pack_ = 1
@@ -482,8 +485,22 @@ def open(
 
 
 class SymbolicLink(Inode):
+    @property
+    def is_fast_symlink(self) -> bool:
+        i_blocks_lo = assert_cast(self.i_blocks_lo, int)  # pyright: ignore[reportAny]
+        return i_blocks_lo == 0 and not self.is_inline
+
     def readlink(self) -> bytes:
-        return self._open().read()
+        if not self.is_fast_symlink:
+            return self._open().read()
+
+        if self.i_size > Inode.i_block.size:
+            raise MalformedInodeError(
+                f"Fast symlink target too large: {self.i_size} > {Inode.i_block.size}"
+            )
+
+        _ = self.volume.seek(self.offset + Inode.i_block.offset)
+        return self.volume.read(self.i_size)
 
 
 class Directory(Inode):
diff --git a/ext4/struct.py b/ext4/struct.py
index 92e4883..1b80648 100644
--- a/ext4/struct.py
+++ b/ext4/struct.py
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-# pyright: reportImportCycles=false
 import ctypes
 import errno
 import warnings
diff --git a/ext4/superblock.py b/ext4/superblock.py
index 635c54e..bae84c2 100644
--- a/ext4/superblock.py
+++ b/ext4/superblock.py
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-# pyright: reportImportCycles=false
 from ctypes import (
     c_ubyte,
     c_uint8,
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index bad0b07..aa19573 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 [project]
 name = "ext4"
-version = "1.3"
+version = "1.3.1"
 authors = [
   { name="Eeems", email="eeems@eeems.email" },
 ]
@@ -91,3 +91,4 @@ ignore = [
 [tool.pyright]
 exclude = [".venv", "build"]
 reportMissingTypeStubs = false
+reportImportCycles = false
diff --git a/test.py b/test.py
index 7f9011a..3aac1b5 100644
--- a/test.py
+++ b/test.py
@@ -28,8 +28,8 @@ def test_path_tuple(path: str | bytes, expected: tuple[bytes, ...]) -> None:
     except Exception as e:
         FAILED = True  # pyright: ignore[reportConstantRedefinition]
         print("fail")
-        print("  ", end="")
-        print(e)
+        print("  ", end="", file=sys.stderr)
+        print(e, file=sys.stderr)
 
 
 def _eval_or_False(source: str) -> Any:  # pyright: ignore[reportExplicitAny, reportAny]  # noqa: ANN401
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ def _assert(source: str, debug: Callable[[], Any] | None = None) -> None:  # pyr
     FAILED = True  # pyright: ignore[reportConstantRedefinition]
     print("fail")
     if debug is not None:
-        print(f"  {debug()}")
+        print(f"  {debug()}", file=sys.stderr)
 
 
 def test_magic_error(f: BufferedReader) -> None:
@@ -68,8 +68,8 @@ def test_magic_error(f: BufferedReader) -> None:
     except Exception as e:
         FAILED = True  # pyright: ignore[reportConstantRedefinition]
         print("fail")
-        print("  ", end="")
-        print(e)
+        print("  ", end="", file=sys.stderr)
+        print(e, file=sys.stderr)
 
 
 def test_root_inode(volume: ext4.Volume) -> None:
@@ -82,8 +82,8 @@ def test_root_inode(volume: ext4.Volume) -> None:
     except ext4.struct.ChecksumError as e:
         FAILED = True  # pyright: ignore[reportConstantRedefinition]
         print("fail")
-        print("  ", end="")
-        print(e)
+        print("  ", end="", file=sys.stderr)
+        print(e, file=sys.stderr)
 
 
 print("check ext4.Volume stream validation: ", end="")
@@ -98,8 +98,8 @@ def test_root_inode(volume: ext4.Volume) -> None:
 except Exception as e:
     FAILED = True  # pyright: ignore[reportConstantRedefinition]
     print("fail")
-    print("  ", end="")
-    print(e)
+    print("  ", end="", file=sys.stderr)
+    print(e, file=sys.stderr)
 
 test_path_tuple("/", tuple())
 test_path_tuple(b"/", tuple())
@@ -162,6 +162,10 @@ def test_root_inode(volume: ext4.Volume) -> None:
             _ = b.seek(0)
             _assert(f"b.read({x}) == {data[:x]}", lambda: b.seek(0) == 0 and b.read(x))
 
+        inode = cast(ext4.SymbolicLink, volume.inode_at("/symlink.txt"))
+        _assert("isinstance(inode, ext4.SymbolicLink)")
+        _assert('inode.readlink() == b"test.txt"', inode.readlink)
+
 img_file = "test_htree.ext4"
 print(f"Testing image: {img_file}")
 with open(img_file, "rb") as f: