diff --git a/gclient-new-workdir.py b/gclient-new-workdir.py
index e2a61248c..2ec0250e2 100755
--- a/gclient-new-workdir.py
+++ b/gclient-new-workdir.py
@@ -50,6 +50,8 @@ def parse_options():
 
 
 def support_cow(src, dest):
+  # 'cp --reflink' always succeeds when 'src' is a symlink or a directory
+  assert os.path.isfile(src) and not os.path.islink(src)
   try:
     subprocess.check_output(['cp', '-a', '--reflink', src, dest],
                             stderr=subprocess.STDOUT)
@@ -74,6 +76,8 @@ def main():
   args = parse_options()
 
   gclient = os.path.join(args.repository, '.gclient')
+  if os.path.islink(gclient):
+    gclient = os.realpath(gclient)
   new_gclient = os.path.join(args.new_workdir, '.gclient')
 
   if try_vol_snapshot(args.repository, args.new_workdir):
diff --git a/git_common.py b/git_common.py
index 7ce0edbdc..31b74fcbc 100644
--- a/git_common.py
+++ b/git_common.py
@@ -1047,4 +1047,7 @@ def clone_file(repository, new_workdir, link, operation):
   link_dir = os.path.dirname(os.path.join(new_workdir, link))
   if not os.path.exists(link_dir):
     os.makedirs(link_dir)
-  operation(os.path.join(repository, link), os.path.join(new_workdir, link))
+  src = os.path.join(repository, link)
+  if os.path.islink(src):
+    src = os.realpath(src)
+  operation(src, os.path.join(new_workdir, link))