diff --git a/src/libsync/discovery.cpp b/src/libsync/discovery.cpp
index 3fe2fb2d82..f4a98b5182 100644
--- a/src/libsync/discovery.cpp
+++ b/src/libsync/discovery.cpp
@@ -1731,6 +1731,15 @@ void ProcessDirectoryJob::processFileFinalize(
         item->_instruction = CSyncEnums::CSYNC_INSTRUCTION_UPDATE_VFS_METADATA;
     }
 
+    if (_discoveryData->_syncOptions._vfs &&
+        (item->_type == CSyncEnums::ItemTypeFile || item->_type == CSyncEnums::ItemTypeDirectory) &&
+        item->_instruction == CSyncEnums::CSYNC_INSTRUCTION_NONE &&
+        FileSystem::isLnkFile((_discoveryData->_localDir + path._local))) {
+        item->_instruction = CSyncEnums::CSYNC_INSTRUCTION_SYNC;
+        item->_direction = SyncFileItem::Down;
+        item->_type = CSyncEnums::ItemTypeVirtualFileDehydration;
+    }
+
     if (path._original != path._target && (item->_instruction == CSYNC_INSTRUCTION_UPDATE_VFS_METADATA || item->_instruction == CSYNC_INSTRUCTION_UPDATE_METADATA || item->_instruction == CSYNC_INSTRUCTION_NONE)) {
         ASSERT(_dirItem && _dirItem->_instruction == CSYNC_INSTRUCTION_RENAME);
         // This is because otherwise subitems are not updated!  (ideally renaming a directory could