diff --git a/src/rebar_file_utils.erl b/src/rebar_file_utils.erl
index 89c6d931..9eaf8023 100644
--- a/src/rebar_file_utils.erl
+++ b/src/rebar_file_utils.erl
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@
 -export([try_consult/1,
          consult_config/2,
          format_error/1,
-         symlink_or_create/2,
+         symlink_or_create_dir/2,
          symlink/2,
          symlink_or_copy/2,
          rm_rf/1,
@@ -88,13 +88,13 @@ consult_config(State, Filename) ->
 format_error({bad_term_file, AppFile, Reason}) ->
     io_lib:format("Error reading file ~s: ~s", [AppFile, file:format_error(Reason)]).
 
--spec symlink_or_create(Source, Target) -> Result when
+-spec symlink_or_create_dir(Source, Target) -> Result when
     Source :: file:filename(),
     Target :: file:filename(),
     Result :: Ok | Error,
     Ok :: ok,
     Error :: {error, string()}.
-symlink_or_create(Source, Target) ->
+symlink_or_create_dir(Source, Target) ->
     SourceExists = ec_file:is_dir(Source) orelse ec_file:is_symlink(Source),
 
     case SourceExists of
@@ -509,11 +509,15 @@ win32_symlink(Source, Target) ->
 
 force_link(Source, Target) ->
     %% remove any existing dir
-    ok = case ec_file:is_dir(Target) of
+    ok = case ec_file:is_dir(Target) andalso not ec_file:is_symlink(Target) of
         true  -> ec_file:remove(Target, [recursive]);
         false -> ok
     end,
-    symlink(Source, Target).
+    %% symlink only if not already symlinked
+    ok = case ec_file:is_symlink(Target) of
+        true  -> ok;
+        false -> symlink(Source, Target)
+    end.
 
 force_shadow_dir(Target) ->
     %% remove any existing symlink
diff --git a/test/rebar_file_utils_SUITE.erl b/test/rebar_file_utils_SUITE.erl
index f8825d69..f38adf4a 100644
--- a/test/rebar_file_utils_SUITE.erl
+++ b/test/rebar_file_utils_SUITE.erl
@@ -25,7 +25,9 @@
          mv_file_dir_diff/1,
          mv_no_clobber/1,
          symlink_existing_dir/1,
+         preserve_existing_symlink/1,
          create_missing_dir/1,
+         preserve_existing_dir/1,
          delete_symlink_and_create_dir/1,
          delete_dir_and_create_symlink/1]).
 
@@ -44,7 +46,9 @@ all() ->
      split_dirname,
      mv_warning_is_ignored,
      symlink_existing_dir,
+     preserve_existing_symlink,
      create_missing_dir,
+     preserve_existing_dir,
      delete_symlink_and_create_dir,
      delete_dir_and_create_symlink].
 
@@ -343,15 +347,35 @@ symlink_existing_dir(Config) ->
     PrivDir = ?config(priv_dir, Config),
 
     Source = filename:join([PrivDir, "exists"]),
-    Target = filename:join([PrivDir, "_build", "exists"]),
-    ok = filelib:ensure_dir(filename:join([PrivDir, "_build", "dummy"])),
+    Target = filename:join([PrivDir, "_build", "test", "lib", "app", "exists"]),
+    ok = filelib:ensure_dir(filename:join([PrivDir, "_build", "test", "lib", "app", "dummy"])),
 
     ok = filelib:ensure_dir(filename:join([Source, "dummy"])),
 
-    ok = rebar_file_utils:symlink_or_create(Source, Target),
+    ok = rebar_file_utils:symlink_or_create_dir(Source, Target),
 
-    %% `Target' should be a symlink not a directory, and `Source'
+    %% `Target' should be a symlink, and `Source'
+    %% should exist
+    ?assert(ec_file:is_dir(Target)),
+    ?assert(ec_file:is_symlink(Target)),
+    ?assert(ec_file:is_dir(Source)).
+
+preserve_existing_symlink(Config) ->
+    PrivDir = ?config(priv_dir, Config),
+
+    Source = filename:join([PrivDir, "symlinked"]),
+    Target = filename:join([PrivDir, "_build", "test", "lib", "app", "symlinked"]),
+    ok = filelib:ensure_dir(filename:join([PrivDir, "_build", "test", "lib", "app", "dummy"])),
+
+    ok = filelib:ensure_dir(filename:join([Source, "dummy"])),
+
+    ok = rebar_file_utils:symlink(Source, Target),
+
+    ok = rebar_file_utils:symlink_or_create_dir(Source, Target),
+
+    %% `Target' should be a symlink, and `Source'
     %% should exist
+    ?assert(ec_file:is_dir(Target)),
     ?assert(ec_file:is_symlink(Target)),
     ?assert(ec_file:is_dir(Source)).
 
@@ -359,10 +383,10 @@ create_missing_dir(Config) ->
     PrivDir = ?config(priv_dir, Config),
 
     Source = filename:join([PrivDir, "missing"]),
-    Target = filename:join([PrivDir, "_build", "missing"]),
-    ok = filelib:ensure_dir(filename:join([PrivDir, "_build", "dummy"])),
+    Target = filename:join([PrivDir, "_build", "test", "lib", "app", "missing"]),
+    ok = filelib:ensure_dir(filename:join([PrivDir, "_build", "test", "lib", "app", "dummy"])),
 
-    ok = rebar_file_utils:symlink_or_create(Source, Target),
+    ok = rebar_file_utils:symlink_or_create_dir(Source, Target),
 
     %% `Target' should be a directory not a symlink, and `Source'
     %% should not exist
@@ -370,18 +394,33 @@ create_missing_dir(Config) ->
     ?assert(not ec_file:is_symlink(Target)),
     ?assert(not ec_file:is_dir(Source)).
 
+preserve_existing_dir(Config) ->
+    PrivDir = ?config(priv_dir, Config),
+
+    Source = filename:join([PrivDir, "created"]),
+    Target = filename:join([PrivDir, "_build", "test", "lib", "app", "created"]),
+    ok = filelib:ensure_dir(filename:join([PrivDir, "_build", "test", "lib", "app", "dummy"])),
+
+    ok = filelib:ensure_dir(filename:join([Target, "dummy"])),
+
+    ok = rebar_file_utils:symlink_or_create_dir(Source, Target),
+
+    %% `Target' should be a directory, and `Source'
+    %% should not exist
+    ?assert(ec_file:is_dir(Target)),
+    ?assert(not ec_file:is_symlink(Target)),
+    ?assert(not ec_file:is_dir(Source)).
+
 delete_symlink_and_create_dir(Config) ->
     PrivDir = ?config(priv_dir, Config),
 
     Source = filename:join([PrivDir, "gone"]),
-    Target = filename:join([PrivDir, "_build", "gone"]),
-    ok = filelib:ensure_dir(filename:join([PrivDir, "_build", "dummy"])),
+    Target = filename:join([PrivDir, "_build", "test", "lib", "app", "gone"]),
+    ok = filelib:ensure_dir(filename:join([PrivDir, "_build", "test", "lib", "app", "dummy"])),
 
     %% create dir temporarily to ensure symlink can be created
     ok = filelib:ensure_dir(filename:join([Source, "dummy"])),
 
-    ?assert(ec_file:is_dir(Source)),
-
     ok = rebar_file_utils:symlink(Source, Target),
 
     %% remove source dir
@@ -390,7 +429,7 @@ delete_symlink_and_create_dir(Config) ->
     ?assert(ec_file:is_symlink(Target)),
     ?assert(not ec_file:is_dir(Source)),
 
-    ok = rebar_file_utils:symlink_or_create(Source, Target),
+    ok = rebar_file_utils:symlink_or_create_dir(Source, Target),
 
     %% `Target' should be a directory not a symlink, and `Source'
     %% should not exist
@@ -401,9 +440,9 @@ delete_symlink_and_create_dir(Config) ->
 delete_dir_and_create_symlink(Config) ->
     PrivDir = ?config(priv_dir, Config),
 
-    Source = filename:join([PrivDir, "created"]),
-    Target = filename:join([PrivDir, "_build", "created"]),
-    ok = filelib:ensure_dir(filename:join([PrivDir, "_build", "dummy"])),
+    Source = filename:join([PrivDir, "create"]),
+    Target = filename:join([PrivDir, "_build", "test", "lib", "app", "create"]),
+    ok = filelib:ensure_dir(filename:join([PrivDir, "_build", "test", "lib", "app", "dummy"])),
 
     ok = filelib:ensure_dir(filename:join([Source, "dummy"])),
     ok = filelib:ensure_dir(filename:join([Target, "dummy"])),
@@ -412,9 +451,10 @@ delete_dir_and_create_symlink(Config) ->
     ?assert(ec_file:is_dir(Target)),
     ?assert(ec_file:is_dir(Source)),
 
-    ok = rebar_file_utils:symlink_or_create(Source, Target),
+    ok = rebar_file_utils:symlink_or_create_dir(Source, Target),
 
     %% `Target' should be a symlink not a directory, and `Source'
     %% should exist
+    ?assert(ec_file:is_dir(Target)),
     ?assert(ec_file:is_symlink(Target)),
     ?assert(ec_file:is_dir(Source)).
\ No newline at end of file