Fri Aug 23 20:29:12 CEST 2013  Gian Piero Carrubba <address@hidden>
  * DRAFT
diff -rN -u old-coreutils/src/copy.c new-coreutils/src/copy.c
--- old-coreutils/src/copy.c	2013-08-23 22:16:15.938940800 +0200
+++ new-coreutils/src/copy.c	2013-08-23 22:16:15.942940823 +0200
@@ -1566,10 +1566,15 @@
    be created as a symbolic link to SRC_NAME.  */
 static bool
 create_hard_link (char const *src_name, char const *dst_name,
-                  bool replace, bool verbose)
+                  bool replace, bool verbose, bool dereference)
 {
-  /* We want to guarantee that symlinks are not followed.  */
-  bool link_failed = (linkat (AT_FDCWD, src_name, AT_FDCWD, dst_name, 0) != 0);
+  int flags;
+  if (dereference)
+    flags = AT_SYMLINK_FOLLOW;
+  else
+    flags = 0; /* We want to guarantee that symlinks are not followed.  */
+
+  bool link_failed = (linkat (AT_FDCWD, src_name, AT_FDCWD, dst_name, flags) != 0);
 
   /* If the link failed because of an existing destination,
      remove that file and then call link again.  */
@@ -1582,7 +1587,7 @@
         }
       if (verbose)
         printf (_("removed %s\n"), quote (dst_name));
-      link_failed = (linkat (AT_FDCWD, src_name, AT_FDCWD, dst_name, 0) != 0);
+      link_failed = (linkat (AT_FDCWD, src_name, AT_FDCWD, dst_name, flags) != 0);
     }
 
   if (link_failed)
@@ -1748,7 +1753,10 @@
                       /* Note we currently replace DST_NAME unconditionally,
                          even if it was a newer separate file.  */
                       if (! create_hard_link (earlier_file, dst_name, true,
-                                              x->verbose))
+                                              x->verbose,
+                                              x->dereference == DEREF_ALWAYS
+                                              || (x->dereference == DEREF_COMMAND_LINE_ARGUMENTS
+                                                  && command_line_arg)))
                         {
                           goto un_backup;
                         }
@@ -2078,7 +2086,10 @@
         }
       else
         {
-          if (! create_hard_link (earlier_file, dst_name, true, x->verbose))
+          if (! create_hard_link (earlier_file, dst_name, true, x->verbose,
+                                  x->dereference == DEREF_ALWAYS
+                                  || (x->dereference == DEREF_COMMAND_LINE_ARGUMENTS
+                                      && command_line_arg)))
             goto un_backup;
 
           return true;
@@ -2389,7 +2400,10 @@
            && !(LINK_FOLLOWS_SYMLINKS && S_ISLNK (src_mode)
                 && x->dereference == DEREF_NEVER))
     {
-      if (! create_hard_link (src_name, dst_name, false, false))
+      if (! create_hard_link (src_name, dst_name, false, false,
+                              x->dereference == DEREF_ALWAYS
+                              || (x->dereference == DEREF_COMMAND_LINE_ARGUMENTS
+                                  && command_line_arg)))
         goto un_backup;
     }
   else if (S_ISREG (src_mode)