diff --git a/src/meta/filetype.rs b/src/meta/filetype.rs
index b5276e8..016b05c 100644
--- a/src/meta/filetype.rs
+++ b/src/meta/filetype.rs
@@ -17,7 +17,11 @@ pub enum FileType {
 
 impl FileType {
     #[cfg(unix)]
-    pub fn new(meta: &Metadata, symlink_is_dir: Option<bool>, permissions: &Permissions) -> Self {
+    pub fn new(
+        meta: &Metadata,
+        symlink_meta: Option<&Metadata>,
+        permissions: &Permissions,
+    ) -> Self {
         use std::os::unix::fs::FileTypeExt;
 
         let file_type = meta.file_type();
@@ -35,7 +39,8 @@ impl FileType {
             FileType::Pipe
         } else if file_type.is_symlink() {
             FileType::SymLink {
-                is_dir: symlink_is_dir.expect("symlink must provide is_dir"),
+                // if broken, defaults to false
+                is_dir: symlink_meta.map(|m| m.is_dir()).unwrap_or_default(),
             }
         } else if file_type.is_char_device() {
             FileType::CharDevice
@@ -154,7 +159,7 @@ mod test {
             .expect("failed to get metas");
 
         let colors = Colors::new(Theme::NoLscolors);
-        let file_type = FileType::new(&meta, Some(false), &Permissions::from(&meta));
+        let file_type = FileType::new(&meta, Some(&meta), &Permissions::from(&meta));
 
         assert_eq!(Colour::Fixed(44).paint("l"), file_type.render(&colors));
     }
diff --git a/src/meta/mod.rs b/src/meta/mod.rs
index 5aacd85..216b86a 100644
--- a/src/meta/mod.rs
+++ b/src/meta/mod.rs
@@ -186,17 +186,10 @@ impl Meta {
         }
     }
 
-    pub fn from_path(path: &PathBuf) -> Result<Self, std::io::Error> {
-        let (metadata, symlink_is_dir) = if read_link(path).is_ok() {
-            // If the file is a link, retrieve the metadata without following
-            // the link, but provides whether followed link is_dir. Broken links are files.
-            (
-                path.symlink_metadata()?,
-                Some(match path.metadata() {
-                    Ok(m) => m.is_dir(),
-                    Err(_) => false, // broken link
-                }),
-            )
+    pub fn from_path(path: &Path) -> Result<Self, std::io::Error> {
+        let (metadata, symlink_meta) = if read_link(path).is_ok() {
+            // If the file is a link, retrieve the metadata without following the link
+            (path.symlink_metadata()?, path.metadata().ok())
         } else {
             (path.metadata()?, None)
         };
@@ -209,14 +202,14 @@ impl Meta {
         #[cfg(windows)]
         let (owner, permissions) = windows_utils::get_file_data(&path)?;
 
-        let file_type = FileType::new(&metadata, symlink_is_dir, &permissions);
+        let file_type = FileType::new(&metadata, symlink_meta.as_ref(), &permissions);
         let name = Name::new(&path, file_type);
         let inode = INode::from(&metadata);
 
         Ok(Self {
             inode,
             path: path.to_path_buf(),
-            symlink: SymLink::from(path.as_path()),
+            symlink: SymLink::from(path),
             size: Size::from(&metadata),
             date: Date::from(&metadata),
             indicator: Indicator::from(file_type),
diff --git a/src/meta/name.rs b/src/meta/name.rs
index 69a48da..f0adba8 100644
--- a/src/meta/name.rs
+++ b/src/meta/name.rs
@@ -216,7 +216,7 @@ mod test {
             .expect("failed to get metas");
 
         let colors = Colors::new(color::Theme::NoLscolors);
-        let file_type = FileType::new(&meta, Some(false), &Permissions::from(&meta));
+        let file_type = FileType::new(&meta, Some(&meta), &Permissions::from(&meta));
         let name = Name::new(&symlink_path, file_type);
 
         assert_eq!(