diff --git a/symlinks.c b/symlinks.c
index 3cacebd91adc29..034943bda0e8be 100644
--- a/symlinks.c
+++ b/symlinks.c
@@ -223,7 +223,7 @@ int check_leading_path(const char *name, int len)
 	int flags;
 	int match_len = lstat_cache_matchlen(cache, name, len, &flags,
 			   FL_SYMLINK|FL_NOENT|FL_DIR, USE_ONLY_LSTAT);
-	if (flags & (FL_SYMLINK|FL_NOENT))
+	if (flags & FL_NOENT)
 		return 0;
 	else if (flags & FL_DIR)
 		return -1;
diff --git a/t/t6035-merge-dir-to-symlink.sh b/t/t6035-merge-dir-to-symlink.sh
index 92e02d5d77501b..2599ae50eb9405 100755
--- a/t/t6035-merge-dir-to-symlink.sh
+++ b/t/t6035-merge-dir-to-symlink.sh
@@ -17,13 +17,21 @@ test_expect_success SYMLINKS 'create a commit where dir a/b changed to symlink'
 	git commit -m "dir to symlink"
 '
 
-test_expect_success SYMLINKS 'keep a/b-2/c/d across checkout' '
+test_expect_success SYMLINKS 'checkout does not clobber untracked symlink' '
 	git checkout HEAD^0 &&
 	git reset --hard master &&
 	git rm --cached a/b &&
 	git commit -m "untracked symlink remains" &&
-	 git checkout start^0 &&
-	 test -f a/b-2/c/d
+	test_must_fail git checkout start^0
+'
+
+test_expect_success SYMLINKS 'a/b-2/c/d is kept when clobbering symlink b' '
+	git checkout HEAD^0 &&
+	git reset --hard master &&
+	git rm --cached a/b &&
+	git commit -m "untracked symlink remains" &&
+	git checkout -f start^0 &&
+	test -f a/b-2/c/d
 '
 
 test_expect_success SYMLINKS 'checkout should not have deleted a/b-2/c/d' '