diff --git a/apply.c b/apply.c
index 892ede5a318f75..38283788b1772a 100644
--- a/apply.c
+++ b/apply.c
@@ -4346,7 +4346,7 @@ static int try_create_file(struct apply_state *state, const char *path,
 		/* Although buf:size is counted string, it also is NUL
 		 * terminated.
 		 */
-		return !!symlink(buf, path);
+		return !!create_symlink(state && state->repo ? state->repo->index : NULL, buf, path);
 
 	fd = open(path, O_CREAT | O_EXCL | O_WRONLY, (mode & 0100) ? 0777 : 0666);
 	if (fd < 0)
diff --git a/builtin/difftool.c b/builtin/difftool.c
index a3ea60ea71428e..a4ee24fb3188e4 100644
--- a/builtin/difftool.c
+++ b/builtin/difftool.c
@@ -505,7 +505,7 @@ static int run_dir_diff(const char *extcmd, int symlinks, const char *prefix,
 				}
 				add_path(&wtdir, wtdir_len, dst_path);
 				if (symlinks) {
-					if (symlink(wtdir.buf, rdir.buf)) {
+					if (create_symlink(lstate.istate, wtdir.buf, rdir.buf)) {
 						ret = error_errno("could not symlink '%s' to '%s'", wtdir.buf, rdir.buf);
 						goto finish;
 					}
diff --git a/builtin/init-db.c b/builtin/init-db.c
index 94df241ad5f24f..1a132596e271f1 100644
--- a/builtin/init-db.c
+++ b/builtin/init-db.c
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ static void copy_templates_1(struct strbuf *path, struct strbuf *template_path,
 			if (strbuf_readlink(&lnk, template_path->buf,
 					    st_template.st_size) < 0)
 				die_errno(_("cannot readlink '%s'"), template_path->buf);
-			if (symlink(lnk.buf, path->buf))
+			if (create_symlink(NULL, lnk.buf, path->buf))
 				die_errno(_("cannot symlink '%s' '%s'"),
 					  lnk.buf, path->buf);
 			strbuf_release(&lnk);
@@ -278,7 +278,7 @@ static int create_default_files(const char *template_path,
 		path = git_path_buf(&buf, "tXXXXXX");
 		if (!close(xmkstemp(path)) &&
 		    !unlink(path) &&
-		    !symlink("testing", path) &&
+		    !create_symlink(NULL, "testing", path) &&
 		    !lstat(path, &st1) &&
 		    S_ISLNK(st1.st_mode))
 			unlink(path); /* good */
diff --git a/compat/mingw.c b/compat/mingw.c
index cf89e770fcf293..85d5a037c6f71d 100644
--- a/compat/mingw.c
+++ b/compat/mingw.c
@@ -2388,28 +2388,32 @@ enum symlink_type {
 	SYMLINK_TYPE_DIRECTORY,
 };
 
-static enum symlink_type check_symlink_attr(const char *link)
+static enum symlink_type check_symlink_attr(struct index_state *index, const char *link)
 {
 	static struct attr_check *check;
 	const char *value;
 
+	if (!index)
+		return SYMLINK_TYPE_UNSPECIFIED;
+
 	if (!check)
 		check = attr_check_initl("symlink", NULL);
 
-	git_check_attr(the_repository->index, link, check);
+	git_check_attr(index, link, check);
 
 	value = check->items[0].value;
-	if (value == NULL)
-		;
-	else if (!strcmp(value, "file"))
+	if (ATTR_UNSET(value))
+		return SYMLINK_TYPE_UNSPECIFIED;
+	if (!strcmp(value, "file"))
 		return SYMLINK_TYPE_FILE;
-	else if (!strcmp(value, "dir"))
+	if (!strcmp(value, "dir") || !strcmp(value, "directory"))
 		return SYMLINK_TYPE_DIRECTORY;
 
+	warning(_("ignoring invalid symlink type '%s' for '%s'"), value, link);
 	return SYMLINK_TYPE_UNSPECIFIED;
 }
 
-int symlink(const char *target, const char *link)
+int mingw_create_symlink(struct index_state *index, const char *target, const char *link)
 {
 	wchar_t wtarget[MAX_LONG_PATH], wlink[MAX_LONG_PATH];
 	int len;
@@ -2429,7 +2433,7 @@ int symlink(const char *target, const char *link)
 		if (wtarget[len] == '/')
 			wtarget[len] = '\\';
 
-	switch (check_symlink_attr(link)) {
+	switch (check_symlink_attr(index, link)) {
 	case SYMLINK_TYPE_UNSPECIFIED:
 		/* Create a phantom symlink: it is initially created as a file
 		 * symlink, but may change to a directory symlink later if/when
diff --git a/compat/mingw.h b/compat/mingw.h
index 17d4746f55f24b..14bd14ad8e8bd7 100644
--- a/compat/mingw.h
+++ b/compat/mingw.h
@@ -214,8 +214,10 @@ int setitimer(int type, struct itimerval *in, struct itimerval *out);
 int sigaction(int sig, struct sigaction *in, struct sigaction *out);
 int link(const char *oldpath, const char *newpath);
 int uname(struct utsname *buf);
-int symlink(const char *target, const char *link);
 int readlink(const char *path, char *buf, size_t bufsiz);
+struct index_state;
+int mingw_create_symlink(struct index_state *index, const char *target, const char *link);
+#define create_symlink mingw_create_symlink
 
 /*
  * replacements of existing functions
diff --git a/entry.c b/entry.c
index 6fd72b30c87686..39750f37450c16 100644
--- a/entry.c
+++ b/entry.c
@@ -289,7 +289,7 @@ static int write_entry(struct cache_entry *ce,
 		if (!has_symlinks || to_tempfile)
 			goto write_file_entry;
 
-		ret = symlink(new_blob, path);
+		ret = create_symlink(state ? state->istate : NULL, new_blob, path);
 		free(new_blob);
 		if (ret)
 			return error_errno("unable to create symlink %s", path);
diff --git a/git-compat-util.h b/git-compat-util.h
index fa76c9840efb56..6fd91d1c9e4440 100644
--- a/git-compat-util.h
+++ b/git-compat-util.h
@@ -405,6 +405,15 @@ static inline char *git_find_last_dir_sep(const char *path)
 #define find_last_dir_sep git_find_last_dir_sep
 #endif
 
+#ifndef create_symlink
+struct index_state;
+static inline int git_create_symlink(struct index_state *index, const char *target, const char *link)
+{
+	return symlink(target, link);
+}
+#define create_symlink git_create_symlink
+#endif
+
 #ifndef query_user_email
 #define query_user_email() NULL
 #endif
diff --git a/merge-recursive.c b/merge-recursive.c
index 4851825aebf29d..255347d23ed261 100644
--- a/merge-recursive.c
+++ b/merge-recursive.c
@@ -1011,7 +1011,7 @@ static int update_file_flags(struct merge_options *o,
 			char *lnk = xmemdupz(buf, size);
 			safe_create_leading_directories_const(path);
 			unlink(path);
-			if (symlink(lnk, path))
+			if (create_symlink(&o->orig_index, lnk, path))
 				ret = err(o, _("failed to symlink '%s': %s"),
 					  path, strerror(errno));
 			free(lnk);
diff --git a/refs/files-backend.c b/refs/files-backend.c
index dd8abe91850802..bf5c7b9e409173 100644
--- a/refs/files-backend.c
+++ b/refs/files-backend.c
@@ -1786,7 +1786,7 @@ static int create_ref_symlink(struct ref_lock *lock, const char *target)
 #ifndef NO_SYMLINK_HEAD
 	char *ref_path = get_locked_file_path(&lock->lk);
 	unlink(ref_path);
-	ret = symlink(target, ref_path);
+	ret = create_symlink(NULL, target, ref_path);
 	free(ref_path);
 
 	if (ret)