- /* Avoid "vanished" error if symlink points nowhere. */
- if (copy_links && x_lstat(thisname, &st, NULL) == 0
- && S_ISLNK(st.st_mode)) {
+ /* When our options tell us to follow a symlink that
+ * points nowhere, tell the user about the symlink
+ * instead of giving a "vanished" message. We only
+ * dereference a symlink if one of the --copy*links
+ * options was specified, so there's no need for the
+ * extra lstat() if one of these options isn't on. */
+ if ((copy_links || copy_unsafe_links || copy_dirlinks)
+ && x_lstat(thisname, &st, NULL) == 0
+ && S_ISLNK(st.st_mode)) {