diff --git a/src/UpdateInstaller.cpp b/src/UpdateInstaller.cpp
index abd0ac7..e42f554 100644
--- a/src/UpdateInstaller.cpp
+++ b/src/UpdateInstaller.cpp
@@ -172,15 +172,9 @@ void UpdateInstaller::revert()
 
 void UpdateInstaller::installFile(const UpdateScriptFile& file)
 {
-	std::string packageFile = m_packageDir + '/' + file.package + ".zip";
 	std::string destPath = m_installDir + '/' + file.path;
 	std::string target = file.linkTarget;
 
-	if (!FileOps::fileExists(packageFile.c_str()))
-	{
-		throw "Package file does not exist: " + packageFile;
-	}
-
 	// backup the existing file if any
 	backupFile(destPath);
 
@@ -193,6 +187,13 @@ void UpdateInstaller::installFile(const UpdateScriptFile& file)
 
 	if (target.empty())
 	{
+		// locate the package containing the file
+		std::string packageFile = m_packageDir + '/' + file.package + ".zip";
+		if (!FileOps::fileExists(packageFile.c_str()))
+		{
+			throw "Package file does not exist: " + packageFile;
+		}
+
 		// extract the file from the package and copy it to
 		// the destination
 		FileOps::extractFromZip(packageFile.c_str(),file.path.c_str(),destPath.c_str());
diff --git a/src/tests/file_list.xml b/src/tests/file_list.xml
index 2b97ce5..ef8391a 100644
--- a/src/tests/file_list.xml
+++ b/src/tests/file_list.xml
@@ -23,6 +23,11 @@
    <permissions>30549</permissions>
    <package>app-pkg</package>
   </file>
+  <!-- Test symlink !-->
+  <file>
+   <name>test-dir/app-symlink</name>
+   <target>../app</target>
+  </file>
  </install>
  <uninstall>
   <!-- TODO - List some files to uninstall here !-->