diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 2a3ed14..782b26c 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -66,6 +66,9 @@ CHECK_CXX_SOURCE_COMPILES ("#include <sys/types.h>
   #include <sys/xattr.h>
   int main() { getxattr(0,0,0,0,0,0); return 1; } " XATTR_ADD_OPT)
 
+include (CheckFunctionExists)
+check_function_exists(lchmod HAVE_LCHMOD)
+
 # Libraries or programs used for multiple modules.
 find_package (Protobuf REQUIRED)
 include_directories (${PROTOBUF_INCLUDE_DIR})
diff --git a/base/config.h.cmake b/base/config.h.cmake
index 748bd61..68fecab 100644
--- a/base/config.h.cmake
+++ b/base/config.h.cmake
@@ -14,6 +14,8 @@
 #cmakedefine HAVE_EVP_AES
 #cmakedefine HAVE_EVP_AES_XTS
 
+#cmakedefine HAVE_LCHMOD
+
 #cmakedefine HAVE_VALGRIND_VALGRIND_H
 #cmakedefine HAVE_VALGRIND_MEMCHECK_H
 
diff --git a/fs/encfs.cpp b/fs/encfs.cpp
index 500acb6..5068c68 100644
--- a/fs/encfs.cpp
+++ b/fs/encfs.cpp
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@ using namespace std::tr1;
 using namespace std;
 #endif
 
+#include "base/config.h"
 #include "base/shared_ptr.h"
 #include "base/Mutex.h"
 #include "base/Error.h"
@@ -483,7 +484,11 @@ int encfs_rename(const char *from, const char *to)
 
 int _do_chmod(EncFS_Context *, const string &cipherPath, mode_t mode)
 {
+#ifdef HAVE_LCHMOD
+  return lchmod( cipherPath.c_str(), mode );
+#else
   return chmod( cipherPath.c_str(), mode );
+#endif
 }
 
 int encfs_chmod(const char *path, mode_t mode)
@@ -697,7 +702,7 @@ int encfs_statfs(const char *path, struct statvfs *st)
 int _do_setxattr(EncFS_Context *, const string &cyName, 
     tuple<const char *, const char *, size_t, uint32_t> data)
 {
-  int options = 0;
+  int options = XATTR_NOFOLLOW;
   return ::setxattr( cyName.c_str(), get<0>(data), get<1>(data), 
       get<2>(data), get<3>(data), options );
 }