diff --git a/cosmos/dbt/graph.py b/cosmos/dbt/graph.py
index 3b61ef57d..242bca6f9 100644
--- a/cosmos/dbt/graph.py
+++ b/cosmos/dbt/graph.py
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
     LoadMode,
 )
 from cosmos.dbt.parser.project import LegacyDbtProject
+from cosmos.dbt.project import create_symlinks
 from cosmos.dbt.selector import select_nodes
 from cosmos.log import get_logger
 
@@ -51,14 +52,6 @@ class DbtNode:
     has_test: bool = False
 
 
-def create_symlinks(project_path: Path, tmp_dir: Path) -> None:
-    """Helper function to create symlinks to the dbt project files."""
-    ignore_paths = (DBT_LOG_DIR_NAME, DBT_TARGET_DIR_NAME, "dbt_packages", "profiles.yml")
-    for child_name in os.listdir(project_path):
-        if child_name not in ignore_paths:
-            os.symlink(project_path / child_name, tmp_dir / child_name)
-
-
 def run_command(command: list[str], tmp_dir: Path, env_vars: dict[str, str]) -> str:
     """Run a command in a subprocess, returning the stdout."""
     logger.info("Running command: `%s`", " ".join(command))
diff --git a/cosmos/dbt/project.py b/cosmos/dbt/project.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..63f4fc007
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cosmos/dbt/project.py
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+from pathlib import Path
+import os
+from cosmos.constants import (
+    DBT_LOG_DIR_NAME,
+    DBT_TARGET_DIR_NAME,
+)
+
+
+def create_symlinks(project_path: Path, tmp_dir: Path) -> None:
+    """Helper function to create symlinks to the dbt project files."""
+    ignore_paths = (DBT_LOG_DIR_NAME, DBT_TARGET_DIR_NAME, "dbt_packages", "profiles.yml")
+    for child_name in os.listdir(project_path):
+        if child_name not in ignore_paths:
+            os.symlink(project_path / child_name, tmp_dir / child_name)
diff --git a/cosmos/operators/local.py b/cosmos/operators/local.py
index 121ed66d0..57379c7ba 100644
--- a/cosmos/operators/local.py
+++ b/cosmos/operators/local.py
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 from __future__ import annotations
 
 import os
-import shutil
 import signal
 import tempfile
 from attr import define
@@ -45,6 +44,7 @@
     FullOutputSubprocessResult,
 )
 from cosmos.dbt.parser.output import extract_log_issues, parse_output
+from cosmos.dbt.project import create_symlinks
 
 DBT_NO_TESTS_MSG = "Nothing to do"
 DBT_WARN_MSG = "WARN"
@@ -192,19 +192,14 @@ def run_command(
         """
         Copies the dbt project to a temporary directory and runs the command.
         """
-        with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory() as tmp_dir:
+        with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory() as tmp_project_dir:
             logger.info(
                 "Cloning project to writable temp directory %s from %s",
-                tmp_dir,
+                tmp_project_dir,
                 self.project_dir,
             )
 
-            # need a subfolder because shutil.copytree will fail if the destination dir already exists
-            tmp_project_dir = os.path.join(tmp_dir, "dbt_project")
-            shutil.copytree(
-                self.project_dir,
-                tmp_project_dir,
-            )
+            create_symlinks(Path(self.project_dir), Path(tmp_project_dir))
 
             with self.profile_config.ensure_profile() as profile_values:
                 (profile_path, env_vars) = profile_values
diff --git a/dev/dags/dbt/simple/data/imdb.db b/dev/dags/dbt/data/imdb.db
similarity index 71%
rename from dev/dags/dbt/simple/data/imdb.db
rename to dev/dags/dbt/data/imdb.db
index 605f6526e..be0c1fe77 100644
Binary files a/dev/dags/dbt/simple/data/imdb.db and b/dev/dags/dbt/data/imdb.db differ
diff --git a/dev/dags/dbt/simple/models/movies_ratings_simplified.sql b/dev/dags/dbt/simple/models/movies_ratings_simplified.sql
index 342782e34..671a5764f 100644
--- a/dev/dags/dbt/simple/models/movies_ratings_simplified.sql
+++ b/dev/dags/dbt/simple/models/movies_ratings_simplified.sql
@@ -11,4 +11,4 @@ select
   "Domestic",
   "Foreign",
   "Worldwide"
-from {{ source('imdb', 'movies_ratings') }}
+from {{ source('main', 'movies_ratings') }}
diff --git a/dev/dags/dbt/simple/models/source.yml b/dev/dags/dbt/simple/models/source.yml
index efb9b1560..b240ba542 100644
--- a/dev/dags/dbt/simple/models/source.yml
+++ b/dev/dags/dbt/simple/models/source.yml
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 version: 2
 
 sources:
-  - name: imdb
+  - name: main
     description: Example of IMDB SQlite database
     tables:
       - name: movies_ratings
diff --git a/dev/dags/dbt/simple/profiles.yml b/dev/dags/dbt/simple/profiles.yml
index 5de7e781a..24841363e 100644
--- a/dev/dags/dbt/simple/profiles.yml
+++ b/dev/dags/dbt/simple/profiles.yml
@@ -7,5 +7,5 @@ simple:
       database: 'database'
       schema: 'main'
       schemas_and_paths:
-        main: "{{ env_var('DBT_SQLITE_PATH', '.') }}/data/imdb.db"
-      schema_directory: 'data'
+        main: "{{ env_var('DBT_SQLITE_PATH') }}/imdb.db"
+      schema_directory: "{{ env_var('DBT_SQLITE_PATH') }}"
diff --git a/dev/dags/example_cosmos_sources.py b/dev/dags/example_cosmos_sources.py
index ddeb9ab15..29c70db5a 100644
--- a/dev/dags/example_cosmos_sources.py
+++ b/dev/dags/example_cosmos_sources.py
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@
 DEFAULT_DBT_ROOT_PATH = Path(__file__).parent / "dbt"
 DBT_ROOT_PATH = Path(os.getenv("DBT_ROOT_PATH", DEFAULT_DBT_ROOT_PATH))
 
-os.environ["DBT_SQLITE_PATH"] = str(DEFAULT_DBT_ROOT_PATH / "simple")
+os.environ["DBT_SQLITE_PATH"] = str(DEFAULT_DBT_ROOT_PATH / "data")
 
 
 profile_config = ProfileConfig(
diff --git a/tests/dbt/test_graph.py b/tests/dbt/test_graph.py
index 6ae6ab200..607e56641 100644
--- a/tests/dbt/test_graph.py
+++ b/tests/dbt/test_graph.py
@@ -12,7 +12,6 @@
     DbtGraph,
     DbtNode,
     LoadMode,
-    create_symlinks,
     run_command,
     parse_dbt_ls_output,
 )
@@ -388,7 +387,7 @@ def test_load_via_dbt_ls_with_sources(load_method):
     )
     getattr(dbt_graph, load_method)()
     assert len(dbt_graph.nodes) == 4
-    assert "source.simple.imdb.movies_ratings" in dbt_graph.nodes
+    assert "source.simple.main.movies_ratings" in dbt_graph.nodes
     assert "exposure.simple.weekly_metrics" in dbt_graph.nodes
 
 
@@ -661,17 +660,6 @@ def test_load_dbt_ls_and_manifest_with_model_version(load_method):
     } == set(dbt_graph.nodes["model.jaffle_shop.orders"].depends_on)
 
 
-def test_create_symlinks(tmp_path):
-    """Tests that symlinks are created for expected files in the dbt project directory."""
-    tmp_dir = tmp_path / "dbt-project"
-    tmp_dir.mkdir()
-
-    create_symlinks(DBT_PROJECTS_ROOT_DIR / "jaffle_shop", tmp_dir)
-    for child in tmp_dir.iterdir():
-        assert child.is_symlink()
-        assert child.name not in ("logs", "target", "profiles.yml", "dbt_packages")
-
-
 @pytest.mark.parametrize(
     "stdout,returncode",
     [
diff --git a/tests/dbt/test_project.py b/tests/dbt/test_project.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..bd2555c98
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/dbt/test_project.py
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+from pathlib import Path
+from cosmos.dbt.project import create_symlinks
+
+DBT_PROJECTS_ROOT_DIR = Path(__file__).parent.parent.parent / "dev/dags/dbt"
+
+
+def test_create_symlinks(tmp_path):
+    """Tests that symlinks are created for expected files in the dbt project directory."""
+    tmp_dir = tmp_path / "dbt-project"
+    tmp_dir.mkdir()
+
+    create_symlinks(DBT_PROJECTS_ROOT_DIR / "jaffle_shop", tmp_dir)
+    for child in tmp_dir.iterdir():
+        assert child.is_symlink()
+        assert child.name not in ("logs", "target", "profiles.yml", "dbt_packages")
diff --git a/tests/sample/manifest_source.json b/tests/sample/manifest_source.json
index 5326e2ab2..9a84180f5 100644
--- a/tests/sample/manifest_source.json
+++ b/tests/sample/manifest_source.json
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
     "model.simple.top_animations": [
       "exposure.simple.weekly_metrics"
     ],
-    "source.simple.imdb.movies_ratings": [
+    "source.simple.main.movies_ratings": [
       "model.simple.movies_ratings_simplified"
     ]
   },
@@ -6992,7 +6992,7 @@
       "depends_on": {
         "macros": [],
         "nodes": [
-          "source.simple.imdb.movies_ratings"
+          "source.simple.main.movies_ratings"
         ]
       },
       "description": "",
@@ -7110,16 +7110,16 @@
       "model.simple.top_animations"
     ],
     "model.simple.movies_ratings_simplified": [
-      "source.simple.imdb.movies_ratings"
+      "source.simple.main.movies_ratings"
     ],
     "model.simple.top_animations": [
       "model.simple.movies_ratings_simplified"
     ],
-    "source.simple.imdb.movies_ratings": []
+    "source.simple.main.movies_ratings": []
   },
   "selectors": {},
   "sources": {
-    "source.simple.imdb.movies_ratings": {
+    "source.simple.main.movies_ratings": {
       "columns": {},
       "config": {
         "enabled": true
@@ -7166,7 +7166,7 @@
       "source_meta": {},
       "source_name": "imdb",
       "tags": [],
-      "unique_id": "source.simple.imdb.movies_ratings",
+      "unique_id": "source.simple.main.movies_ratings",
       "unrendered_config": {}
     }
   }