diff -x '*.info*' -uNr monotone-0.25/file_io.cc monotone-0.25-ignore-symlink/file_io.cc
--- monotone-0.25/file_io.cc	2005-12-30 18:10:34.000000000 +0100
+++ monotone-0.25-ignore-symlink/file_io.cc	2006-01-05 23:19:01.000000000 +0100
@@ -43,6 +43,13 @@
 }
 
 void
+assert_path_is_symlink(any_path const & path)
+{
+  I(get_path_status(path) == path::symlink);
+}
+
+
+void
 require_path_is_nonexistent(any_path const & path,
                             boost::format const & message)
 {
@@ -52,7 +59,7 @@
 void
 require_path_is_file(any_path const & path,
                      boost::format const & message_if_nonexistent,
-                     boost::format const & message_if_directory)
+                     boost::format const & message_unless_file)
 {
   switch (get_path_status(path))
     {
@@ -61,8 +68,8 @@
       break;
     case path::file:
       return;
-    case path::directory:
-      N(false, message_if_directory);
+    default:
+      N(false, message_unless_file);
       break;
     }
 }
@@ -70,21 +77,40 @@
 void
 require_path_is_directory(any_path const & path,
                           boost::format const & message_if_nonexistent,
-                          boost::format const & message_if_file)
+                          boost::format const & message_unless_directory)
 {
   switch (get_path_status(path))
     {
     case path::nonexistent:
       N(false, message_if_nonexistent);
       break;
-    case path::file:
-      N(false, message_if_file);
     case path::directory:
       return;
+    default:
+      N(false, message_unless_directory);
+      break;
+    }
+}
+
+void
+require_path_is_symlink(any_path const & path,
+                          boost::format const & message_if_nonexistent,
+                          boost::format const & message_unless_symlink)
+{
+  switch (get_path_status(path))
+    {
+    case path::nonexistent:
+      N(false, message_if_nonexistent);
+      break;
+    case path::symlink:
+      return;
+    default:
+      N(false, message_unless_symlink);
       break;
     }
 }
 
+
 bool 
 path_exists(any_path const & p) 
 { 
@@ -103,6 +129,13 @@
   return get_path_status(p) == path::file;
 }
 
+bool 
+symlink_exists(any_path const & p) 
+{ 
+  return get_path_status(p) == path::symlink;
+}
+
+
 bool
 ident_existing_file(file_path const & p, file_id & ident, lua_hooks & lua)
 {
@@ -115,6 +148,9 @@
     case path::directory:
       W(F("expected file '%s', but it is a directory.") % p);
       return false;
+    case path::symlink:
+      W(F("expected file '%s', but it is a symlink.") % p);
+      return false;
     }
 
   hexenc<id> id;
@@ -184,13 +220,15 @@
       // print "could not create directory: Success".  Which is unhelpful.
       E(get_path_status(p) != path::file,
         F("could not create directory '%s'\nit is a file") % p);
+      E(get_path_status(p) != path::symlink,
+        F("could not create directory '%s'\nit is a symlink") % p);
       E(false,
         F("could not create directory '%s'\n%s")
         % err.path1().native_directory_string() % strerror(err.native_error()));
     }
   require_path_is_directory(p,
                             F("could not create directory '%s'") % p,
-                            F("could not create directory '%s'\nit is a file") % p);
+                            F("could not create directory '%s'\nit exists but is not a directory?!") % p);
 }
 
 void 
@@ -211,7 +249,7 @@
 { 
   require_path_is_file(p,
                        F("file to delete '%s' does not exist") % p,
-                       F("file to delete, '%s', is not a file but a directory") % p);
+                       F("file to delete, '%s', is not a regular file?") % p);
   fs::remove(mkdir(p)); 
 }
 
@@ -220,7 +258,7 @@
 { 
   require_path_is_directory(p,
                             F("directory to delete, '%s', does not exist") % p,
-                            F("directory to delete, '%s', is a file") % p);
+                            F("directory to delete, '%s', is not a directory") % p);
   fs::remove_all(mkdir(p));
 }
 
@@ -230,7 +268,7 @@
 { 
   require_path_is_file(old_path,
                        F("rename source file '%s' does not exist") % old_path,
-                       F("rename source file '%s' is a directory "
+                       F("rename source file '%s' is not a regular file "
                          "-- bug in monotone?") % old_path);
   require_path_is_nonexistent(new_path,
                               F("rename target '%s' already exists") % new_path);
@@ -243,7 +281,7 @@
 { 
   require_path_is_directory(old_path,
                             F("rename source dir '%s' does not exist") % old_path,
-                            F("rename source dir '%s' is a file "
+                            F("rename source dir '%s' is not a directory "
                               "-- bug in monotone?") % old_path);
   require_path_is_nonexistent(new_path,
                               F("rename target '%s' already exists") % new_path);
@@ -259,6 +297,9 @@
     case path::nonexistent:
       N(false, F("rename source path '%s' does not exist") % old_path);
       break;
+    case path::symlink:
+      N(false, F("rename source path '%s' is a symlink") % old_path);
+      break;
     case path::file:
       move_file(old_path, new_path);
       break;
@@ -273,7 +314,7 @@
 {
   require_path_is_file(p,
                        F("file %s does not exist") % p,
-                       F("file %s cannot be read as data; it is a directory") % p);
+                       F("file %s cannot be read as data; it is not a regular file") % p);
 
   ifstream file(p.as_external().c_str(),
                 ios_base::in | ios_base::binary);
@@ -477,27 +518,34 @@
           L(F("ignoring book keeping entry %s\n") % rel_entry.string());
           continue;
         }
+
+      file_path p;
+      try 
+        {
+          // FIXME: BUG: this screws up charsets
+          p = file_path_internal(rel_entry.normalize().string());
+        }
+      catch (std::runtime_error const & c)
+        {
+          W(F("caught runtime error %s constructing file path for %s\n") 
+            % c.what() % rel_entry.string());
+          continue;
+        }
       
       if (!fs::exists(entry) 
           || di->string() == "." 
           || di->string() == "..") 
+				{
         ;                       // ignore
+				}
+      else if (symlink_exists(p))
+				{
+					P( F("ignoring symlink '%s'\n") %entry.string()); // ignore verbose
+				}
       else if (fs::is_directory(entry))
         walk_tree_recursive(entry, rel_entry, walker);
       else
         {
-          file_path p;
-          try 
-            {
-              // FIXME: BUG: this screws up charsets
-              p = file_path_internal(rel_entry.normalize().string());
-            }
-          catch (std::runtime_error const & c)
-            {
-              W(F("caught runtime error %s constructing file path for %s\n") 
-                % c.what() % rel_entry.string());
-              continue;
-            }     
           walker.visit_file(p);
         }
     }
@@ -521,6 +569,9 @@
       N(!require_existing_path, F("no such file or directory: '%s'") % path);
       walker.visit_file(path);
       break;
+    case path::symlink:
+      N(false, F("ignoring symlink: '%s'") % path);
+			break;
     case path::file:
       walker.visit_file(path);
       break;
diff -x '*.info*' -uNr monotone-0.25/platform.hh monotone-0.25-ignore-symlink/platform.hh
--- monotone-0.25/platform.hh	2005-12-30 18:10:35.000000000 +0100
+++ monotone-0.25-ignore-symlink/platform.hh	2006-01-05 20:31:27.000000000 +0100
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@
 utf8 get_homedir();
 namespace path
 {
-  typedef enum { nonexistent, directory, file } status;
+  typedef enum { nonexistent, directory, file, symlink } status;
 };
 path::status get_path_status(any_path const & path);
 
diff -x '*.info*' -uNr monotone-0.25/unix/fs.cc monotone-0.25-ignore-symlink/unix/fs.cc
--- monotone-0.25/unix/fs.cc	2005-12-30 18:10:42.000000000 +0100
+++ monotone-0.25-ignore-symlink/unix/fs.cc	2006-01-05 23:14:01.000000000 +0100
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@
 {
   struct stat buf;
   int res;
-  res = stat(path.as_external().c_str(), &buf);
+  res = lstat(path.as_external().c_str(), &buf);
   if (res < 0)
     {
       if (errno == ENOENT)
@@ -103,10 +103,18 @@
       else
         E(false, F("error accessing file %s: %s") % path % std::strerror(errno));
     }
-  if (S_ISREG(buf.st_mode))
-    return path::file;
+	if (S_ISLNK(buf.st_mode))
+    {
+  		return path::symlink;
+	  }
+  else if (S_ISREG(buf.st_mode))
+		{
+      return path::file;
+		}
   else if (S_ISDIR(buf.st_mode))
-    return path::directory;
+    {
+      return path::directory;
+    }
   else
     {
       // fifo or device or who knows what...