diff --git a/server/filesystem.go b/server/filesystem.go
index d8499b0..e8720f2 100644
--- a/server/filesystem.go
+++ b/server/filesystem.go
@@ -71,7 +71,10 @@ func (fs FileSystem) newFile(name string) (*File, error) {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 	if !fs.AllowOutsideSymlinks {
-		if target, _ := os.Readlink(absPath); target != "" {
+		if target, err := filepath.EvalSymlinks(absPath); target != "" {
+			if err != nil {
+				return nil, err
+			}
 			path, err := filepath.Abs(target)
 			if err != nil {
 				return nil, err
diff --git a/server/filesystem_test.go b/server/filesystem_test.go
index 6fa0585..4932ab9 100644
--- a/server/filesystem_test.go
+++ b/server/filesystem_test.go
@@ -102,7 +102,7 @@ func (s *FileSystemTestSuite) TestNoLookupWithHTMLSuffix() {
 func (s *FileSystemTestSuite) TestNoOutsideSymlink() {
 	s.WriteFile("foo", "content")
 	root := s.Mkdir("root")
-	s.Symlink("foo", "root/foo-link")
+	s.Symlink("../foo", "root/foo-link")
 	fs := server.FileSystem{Root: root}
 	file, err := fs.Open("/foo-link")
 	s.IsType(os.ErrPermission, err)
@@ -113,13 +113,24 @@ func (s *FileSystemTestSuite) TestNoOutsideSymlink() {
 func (s *FileSystemTestSuite) TestOutsideSymlinks() {
 	s.WriteFile("foo", "content")
 	root := s.Mkdir("root")
-	s.Symlink("foo", "root/foo-link")
+	s.Symlink("../foo", "root/foo-link")
 	fs := server.FileSystem{Root: root, AllowOutsideSymlinks: true}
 	file, err := fs.Open("/foo-link")
 	s.Nil(err)
 	s.Equal("content", s.readFile(file))
 }
 
+// Local symlinks are always accessible.
+func (s *FileSystemTestSuite) TestLocalSymlinks() {
+	root := s.Mkdir("root")
+	s.WriteFile("root/foo", "content")
+	s.Symlink("foo", "root/foo-link")
+	fs := server.FileSystem{Root: root}
+	file, err := fs.Open("/foo-link")
+	s.Nil(err)
+	s.Equal("content", s.readFile(file))
+}
+
 // Files starting with a dot can be hidden.
 func (s *FileSystemTestSuite) TestHideDotFiles() {
 	s.WriteFile(".foo", "")
diff --git a/server/server_test.go b/server/server_test.go
index a44d1d3..2a496d4 100644
--- a/server/server_test.go
+++ b/server/server_test.go
@@ -186,7 +186,7 @@ func (s *StaticServerTestSuite) TestSetupServerSpecifyAllowOutsideSymlinks() {
 	content := "some content"
 	s.WriteFile("outside.txt", content)
 	subdir := s.Mkdir("sub")
-	s.Symlink("outside.txt", "sub/test.txt")
+	s.Symlink("../outside.txt", "sub/test.txt")
 	serv, err := server.NewStaticServer(server.StaticServerConfig{
 		Dir:                  subdir,
 		AllowOutsideSymlinks: true,
diff --git a/testhelpers/tempdir.go b/testhelpers/tempdir.go
index 2bc2044..c9c66f3 100644
--- a/testhelpers/tempdir.go
+++ b/testhelpers/tempdir.go
@@ -55,9 +55,8 @@ func (s *TempDirTestSuite) Mkdir(name string) string {
 // Symlink creates a symbolic link to oldname returning the absolute path of
 // the new name. Both paths are relative to the tempdir path.
 func (s *TempDirTestSuite) Symlink(oldname, newname string) string {
-	oldPath := s.absPath(oldname)
 	newPath := s.absPath(newname)
-	err := os.Symlink(oldPath, newPath)
+	err := os.Symlink(oldname, newPath)
 	s.Nil(err)
 	return newPath
 }