diff --git a/crates/chisel/src/executor.rs b/crates/chisel/src/executor.rs
index 3aa973eb89cf8..073f2c6cc2998 100644
--- a/crates/chisel/src/executor.rs
+++ b/crates/chisel/src/executor.rs
@@ -1630,7 +1630,7 @@ mod tests {
                     }
                     Err(e) => {
                         // try reinstalling
-                        eprintln!("error: {e}\n trying to re-install Solc v{version}");
+                        eprintln!("error while trying to re-install Solc v{version}: {e}");
                         let solc = Solc::blocking_install(&version.parse().unwrap());
                         if solc.map_err(SolcError::from).and_then(|solc| solc.version()).is_ok() {
                             *is_preinstalled = true;
diff --git a/crates/chisel/src/session_source.rs b/crates/chisel/src/session_source.rs
index 33b7caf7b4d44..bad2cd92715c3 100644
--- a/crates/chisel/src/session_source.rs
+++ b/crates/chisel/src/session_source.rs
@@ -185,7 +185,8 @@ impl SessionSource {
     /// A new instance of [SessionSource]
     #[track_caller]
     pub fn new(solc: Solc, config: SessionSourceConfig) -> Self {
-        debug_assert!(solc.version().is_ok(), "{:?}", solc.version());
+        #[cfg(debug_assertions)]
+        let _ = solc.version().unwrap();
 
         Self {
             file_name: PathBuf::from("ReplContract.sol".to_string()),
diff --git a/testdata/cheats/Fs.t.sol b/testdata/cheats/Fs.t.sol
index 81be8beb640c3..31739c08ccc75 100644
--- a/testdata/cheats/Fs.t.sol
+++ b/testdata/cheats/Fs.t.sol
@@ -290,24 +290,25 @@ contract FsTest is DSTest {
     function testFsMetadata() public {
         fsProxy = new FsProxy();
 
-        string memory path = "fixtures/File";
-        Vm.FsMetadata memory metadata = vm.fsMetadata(path);
+        Vm.FsMetadata memory metadata = vm.fsMetadata("fixtures/File");
         assertEq(metadata.isDir, true);
         assertEq(metadata.isSymlink, false);
         assertEq(metadata.readOnly, false);
-        assertGt(metadata.length, 0);
         // These fields aren't available on all platforms, default to zero
+        // assertGt(metadata.length, 0);
         // assertGt(metadata.modified, 0);
         // assertGt(metadata.accessed, 0);
         // assertGt(metadata.created, 0);
 
-        path = "fixtures/File/read.txt";
-        metadata = vm.fsMetadata(path);
+        metadata = vm.fsMetadata("fixtures/File/read.txt");
         assertEq(metadata.isDir, false);
-
-        path = "fixtures/File/symlink";
-        metadata = vm.fsMetadata(path);
         assertEq(metadata.isSymlink, false);
+        assertEq(metadata.length, 45);
+
+        metadata = vm.fsMetadata("fixtures/File/symlink");
+        assertEq(metadata.isDir, false);
+        // TODO: symlinks are canonicalized away in `ensure_path_allowed`
+        // assertEq(metadata.isSymlink, true);
 
         vm.expectRevert();
         fsProxy.fsMetadata("../not-found");
diff --git a/testdata/fixtures/File/symlink b/testdata/fixtures/File/symlink
deleted file mode 100644
index c727e632c8883..0000000000000
--- a/testdata/fixtures/File/symlink
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,2 +0,0 @@
-hello readable world
-this is the second line!
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/testdata/fixtures/File/symlink b/testdata/fixtures/File/symlink
new file mode 120000
index 0000000000000..2fe9fd1c6dc4c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/testdata/fixtures/File/symlink
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+read.txt
\ No newline at end of file