diff --git a/libmisc/copydir.c b/libmisc/copydir.c
index f2130bca..a296d925 100644
--- a/libmisc/copydir.c
+++ b/libmisc/copydir.c
@@ -741,7 +741,7 @@ static int copy_file (const char *src, const char *dst,
 	char buf[1024];
 	ssize_t cnt;
 
-	ifd = open (src, O_RDONLY);
+	ifd = open (src, O_RDONLY|O_NOFOLLOW);
 	if (ifd < 0) {
 		return -1;
 	}
@@ -751,7 +751,7 @@ static int copy_file (const char *src, const char *dst,
 		return -1;
 	}
 #endif				/* WITH_SELINUX */
-	ofd = open (dst, O_WRONLY | O_CREAT | O_TRUNC, statp->st_mode & 07777);
+	ofd = open (dst, O_WRONLY | O_CREAT | O_TRUNC | O_NOFOLLOW, statp->st_mode & 07777);
 	if (   (ofd < 0)
 	    || (fchown_if_needed (ofd, statp,
 	                          old_uid, new_uid, old_gid, new_gid) != 0)