diff --git a/pkg/executor/build.go b/pkg/executor/build.go
index d55c0a875..cef20d233 100644
--- a/pkg/executor/build.go
+++ b/pkg/executor/build.go
@@ -563,7 +563,6 @@ func DoBuild(opts *config.KanikoOptions) (v1.Image, error) {
 			}
 		}
 
-		//
 		filesToSave, err := filesToSave(crossStageDependencies[index])
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, err
@@ -599,7 +598,7 @@ func filesToSave(deps []string) ([]string, error) {
 			return nil, err
 		}
 		for _, f := range srcs {
-			if link, err := util.CanonicalizeLink(f); err == nil {
+			if link, err := util.EvalSymLink(f); err == nil {
 				symLinks = append(symLinks, f)
 				srcFiles = append(srcFiles, link)
 			} else {
diff --git a/pkg/snapshot/snapshot.go b/pkg/snapshot/snapshot.go
index fe2eead8f..e26413cc4 100644
--- a/pkg/snapshot/snapshot.go
+++ b/pkg/snapshot/snapshot.go
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ package snapshot
 import (
 	"fmt"
 	"io/ioutil"
+	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
 	"sort"
 	"syscall"
@@ -197,7 +198,6 @@ func (s *Snapshotter) scanFullFilesystem() ([]string, []string, error) {
 			return nil, nil, fmt.Errorf("unable to add file %s to layered map: %s", file, err)
 		}
 	}
-
 	return filesToAdd, filesToWhiteOut, nil
 }
 
@@ -240,11 +240,18 @@ func filesWithParentDirs(files []string) []string {
 }
 
 func filesWithLinks(path string) ([]string, error) {
-	link, err := util.CanonicalizeLink(path)
+	link, err := util.GetSymLink(path)
 	if err == util.ErrNotSymLink {
 		return []string{path}, nil
 	} else if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
+	// Add symlink if it exists in the FS
+	if !filepath.IsAbs(link) {
+		link = filepath.Join(filepath.Dir(path), link)
+	}
+	if _, err := os.Stat(link); err != nil {
+		return []string{path}, nil
+	}
 	return []string{path, link}, nil
 }
diff --git a/pkg/util/fs_util.go b/pkg/util/fs_util.go
index b2c8e2ca0..2b5797bc1 100644
--- a/pkg/util/fs_util.go
+++ b/pkg/util/fs_util.go
@@ -506,6 +506,7 @@ func CopyDir(src, dest, buildcontext string) ([]string, error) {
 		fullPath := filepath.Join(src, file)
 		fi, err := os.Lstat(fullPath)
 		if err != nil {
+			fmt.Println(" i am returning from here this", err)
 			return nil, err
 		}
 		if excludeFile(fullPath, buildcontext) {
@@ -545,7 +546,7 @@ func CopySymlink(src, dest, buildcontext string) (bool, error) {
 		logrus.Debugf("%s found in .dockerignore, ignoring", src)
 		return true, nil
 	}
-	link, err := filepath.EvalSymlinks(src)
+	link, err := os.Readlink(src)
 	if err != nil {
 		return false, err
 	}
@@ -693,17 +694,31 @@ func IsSymlink(fi os.FileInfo) bool {
 
 var ErrNotSymLink = fmt.Errorf("not a symlink")
 
-func CanonicalizeLink(path string) (string, error) {
-	fi, err := os.Lstat(path)
-	if err != nil {
+func GetSymLink(path string) (string, error) {
+  if err := getSymlink(path); err != nil {
+    return "", err
+	}
+	return os.Readlink(path)
+}
+
+func EvalSymLink(path string) (string, error) {
+	if err := getSymlink(path); err != nil {
 		return "", err
 	}
-	if !IsSymlink(fi) {
-		return "", ErrNotSymLink
-	}
 	return filepath.EvalSymlinks(path)
 }
 
+func getSymlink(path string) error {
+	fi, err := os.Lstat(path)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	if !IsSymlink(fi) {
+		return ErrNotSymLink
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
 // otiai10Cpy.Copy in case the src file is a symlink, will copy the target
 // file at destination instead of creating a symlink. See #915 for more details.
 func CopyFileOrSymlink(src string, destDir string) error {