diff --git a/entry.c b/entry.c
index 1c7e3c11d5..944c183b0f 100644
--- a/entry.c
+++ b/entry.c
@@ -253,6 +253,7 @@ static int write_entry(struct cache_entry *ce,
 		       char *path, const struct checkout *state, int to_tempfile)
 {
 	unsigned int ce_mode_s_ifmt = ce->ce_mode & S_IFMT;
+	struct delayed_checkout *dco = state->delayed_checkout;
 	int fd, ret, fstat_done = 0;
 	char *new;
 	struct strbuf buf = STRBUF_INIT;
@@ -273,55 +274,65 @@ static int write_entry(struct cache_entry *ce,
 	}
 
 	switch (ce_mode_s_ifmt) {
-	case S_IFREG:
 	case S_IFLNK:
 		new = read_blob_entry(ce, &size);
 		if (!new)
 			return error("unable to read sha1 file of %s (%s)",
-				path, oid_to_hex(&ce->oid));
+				     path, oid_to_hex(&ce->oid));
 
-		if (ce_mode_s_ifmt == S_IFLNK && has_symlinks && !to_tempfile) {
-			ret = symlink(new, path);
-			free(new);
-			if (ret)
-				return error_errno("unable to create symlink %s",
-						   path);
-			break;
+		/*
+		 * We can't make a real symlink; write out a regular file entry
+		 * with the symlink destination as its contents.
+		 */
+		if (!has_symlinks || to_tempfile)
+			goto write_file_entry;
+
+		ret = symlink(new, path);
+		free(new);
+		if (ret)
+			return error_errno("unable to create symlink %s", path);
+		break;
+
+	case S_IFREG:
+		/*
+		 * We do not send the blob in case of a retry, so do not
+		 * bother reading it at all.
+		 */
+		if (dco && dco->state == CE_RETRY) {
+			new = NULL;
+			size = 0;
+		} else {
+			new = read_blob_entry(ce, &size);
+			if (!new)
+				return error("unable to read sha1 file of %s (%s)",
+					     path, oid_to_hex(&ce->oid));
 		}
 
 		/*
 		 * Convert from git internal format to working tree format
 		 */
-		if (ce_mode_s_ifmt == S_IFREG) {
-			struct delayed_checkout *dco = state->delayed_checkout;
-			if (dco && dco->state != CE_NO_DELAY) {
-				/* Do not send the blob in case of a retry. */
-				if (dco->state == CE_RETRY) {
-					new = NULL;
-					size = 0;
-				}
-				ret = async_convert_to_working_tree(
-					ce->name, new, size, &buf, dco);
-				if (ret && string_list_has_string(&dco->paths, ce->name)) {
-					free(new);
-					goto finish;
-				}
-			} else
-				ret = convert_to_working_tree(
-					ce->name, new, size, &buf);
-
-			if (ret) {
+		if (dco && dco->state != CE_NO_DELAY) {
+			ret = async_convert_to_working_tree(ce->name, new,
+							    size, &buf, dco);
+			if (ret && string_list_has_string(&dco->paths, ce->name)) {
 				free(new);
-				new = strbuf_detach(&buf, &newsize);
-				size = newsize;
+				goto delayed;
 			}
-			/*
-			 * No "else" here as errors from convert are OK at this
-			 * point. If the error would have been fatal (e.g.
-			 * filter is required), then we would have died already.
-			 */
-		}
+		} else
+			ret = convert_to_working_tree(ce->name, new, size, &buf);
 
+		if (ret) {
+			free(new);
+			new = strbuf_detach(&buf, &newsize);
+			size = newsize;
+		}
+		/*
+		 * No "else" here as errors from convert are OK at this
+		 * point. If the error would have been fatal (e.g.
+		 * filter is required), then we would have died already.
+		 */
+
+	write_file_entry:
 		fd = open_output_fd(path, ce, to_tempfile);
 		if (fd < 0) {
 			free(new);
@@ -336,6 +347,7 @@ static int write_entry(struct cache_entry *ce,
 		if (wrote < 0)
 			return error("unable to write file %s", path);
 		break;
+
 	case S_IFGITLINK:
 		if (to_tempfile)
 			return error("cannot create temporary submodule %s", path);
@@ -347,6 +359,7 @@ static int write_entry(struct cache_entry *ce,
 				NULL, oid_to_hex(&ce->oid),
 				state->force ? SUBMODULE_MOVE_HEAD_FORCE : 0);
 		break;
+
 	default:
 		return error("unknown file mode for %s in index", path);
 	}
@@ -355,11 +368,14 @@ finish:
 	if (state->refresh_cache) {
 		assert(state->istate);
 		if (!fstat_done)
-			lstat(ce->name, &st);
+			if (lstat(ce->name, &st) < 0)
+				return error_errno("unable to stat just-written file %s",
+						   ce->name);
 		fill_stat_cache_info(ce, &st);
 		ce->ce_flags |= CE_UPDATE_IN_BASE;
 		state->istate->cache_changed |= CE_ENTRY_CHANGED;
 	}
+delayed:
 	return 0;
 }