diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 5927470..81dbb38 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -93,20 +93,6 @@ check_cxx_source_compiles ("#include <sys/types.h>
   int main() { getxattr(0,0,0,0,0,0); return 1; }
   " XATTR_ADD_OPT)
 
-# Check if xattr function llistxattr exists.
-include (CheckCXXSourceCompiles)
-if (XATTR_ADD_OPT)
-check_cxx_source_compiles ("#include <sys/types.h>
-  #include <sys/xattr.h>
-  int main() { llistxattr(0,0,0,0); return 1; }
-  " XATTR_LLIST)
-else (XATTR_ADD_OPT)
-check_cxx_source_compiles ("#include <sys/types.h>
-  #include <sys/xattr.h>
-  int main() { llistxattr(0,0,0); return 1; }
-  " XATTR_LLIST)
-endif (XATTR_ADD_OPT)
-
 # Check if we have some standard functions.
 include (CheckFuncs)
 check_function_exists_glibc (lchmod HAVE_LCHMOD)
diff --git a/encfs/encfs.cpp b/encfs/encfs.cpp
index 3b2e308..65993be 100644
--- a/encfs/encfs.cpp
+++ b/encfs/encfs.cpp
@@ -687,7 +687,7 @@ int encfs_statfs(const char *path, struct statvfs *st) {
 #ifdef XATTR_ADD_OPT
 int _do_setxattr(EncFS_Context *, const string &cyName, const char *name,
                  const char *value, size_t size, uint32_t pos) {
-  int options = 0;
+  int options = XATTR_NOFOLLOW;
   return ::setxattr(cyName.c_str(), name, value, size, pos, options);
 }
 int encfs_setxattr(const char *path, const char *name, const char *value,
@@ -700,7 +700,7 @@ int encfs_setxattr(const char *path, const char *name, const char *value,
 #else
 int _do_setxattr(EncFS_Context *, const string &cyName, const char *name,
                  const char *value, size_t size, int flags) {
-  return ::setxattr(cyName.c_str(), name, value, size, flags);
+  return ::lsetxattr(cyName.c_str(), name, value, size, flags);
 }
 int encfs_setxattr(const char *path, const char *name, const char *value,
                    size_t size, int flags) {
@@ -713,7 +713,7 @@ int encfs_setxattr(const char *path, const char *name, const char *value,
 #ifdef XATTR_ADD_OPT
 int _do_getxattr(EncFS_Context *, const string &cyName, const char *name,
                  void *value, size_t size, uint32_t pos) {
-  int options = 0;
+  int options = XATTR_NOFOLLOW;
   return ::getxattr(cyName.c_str(), name, value, size, pos, options);
 }
 int encfs_getxattr(const char *path, const char *name, char *value, size_t size,
@@ -725,7 +725,7 @@ int encfs_getxattr(const char *path, const char *name, char *value, size_t size,
 #else
 int _do_getxattr(EncFS_Context *, const string &cyName, const char *name,
                  void *value, size_t size) {
-  return ::getxattr(cyName.c_str(), name, value, size);
+  return ::lgetxattr(cyName.c_str(), name, value, size);
 }
 int encfs_getxattr(const char *path, const char *name, char *value,
                    size_t size) {
@@ -737,12 +737,9 @@ int encfs_getxattr(const char *path, const char *name, char *value,
 
 int _do_listxattr(EncFS_Context *, const string &cyName, char *list,
                   size_t size) {
-#ifndef XATTR_LLIST
-#define llistxattr listxattr
-#endif
 #ifdef XATTR_ADD_OPT
-  int options = 0;
-  int res = ::llistxattr(cyName.c_str(), list, size, options);
+  int options = XATTR_NOFOLLOW;
+  int res = ::listxattr(cyName.c_str(), list, size, options);
 #else
   int res = ::llistxattr(cyName.c_str(), list, size);
 #endif
@@ -756,10 +753,10 @@ int encfs_listxattr(const char *path, char *list, size_t size) {
 
 int _do_removexattr(EncFS_Context *, const string &cyName, const char *name) {
 #ifdef XATTR_ADD_OPT
-  int options = 0;
+  int options = XATTR_NOFOLLOW;
   int res = ::removexattr(cyName.c_str(), name, options);
 #else
-  int res = ::removexattr(cyName.c_str(), name);
+  int res = ::lremovexattr(cyName.c_str(), name);
 #endif
   return (res == -1) ? -errno : res;
 }
diff --git a/encfs/main.cpp b/encfs/main.cpp
index 28e2f1c..93b6a50 100644
--- a/encfs/main.cpp
+++ b/encfs/main.cpp
@@ -355,6 +355,12 @@ static bool processArgs(int argc, char *argv[],
       case 'V':
         // xgroup(usage)
         cerr << autosprintf(_("encfs version %s"), VERSION) << endl;
+#if defined(HAVE_XATTR)
+        // "--verbose" has to be passed before "--version" for this to work.
+        if (out->isVerbose) {
+            cerr << "Compiled with : HAVE_XATTR" << endl;
+        }
+#endif
         exit(EXIT_SUCCESS);
         break;
       case 'H':
diff --git a/tests/normal.t.pl b/tests/normal.t.pl
index d15951a..5011c09 100755
--- a/tests/normal.t.pl
+++ b/tests/normal.t.pl
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 # Test EncFS normal and paranoid mode
 
-use Test::More tests => 116;
+use Test::More tests => 122;
 use File::Path;
 use File::Copy;
 use File::Temp;
@@ -12,6 +12,35 @@ require("tests/common.pl");
 
 my $tempDir = $ENV{'TMPDIR'} || "/tmp";
 
+if($^O eq "linux" and $tempDir eq "/tmp") {
+   # On Linux, /tmp is often a tmpfs mount that does not support
+   # extended attributes. Use /var/tmp instead.
+   $tempDir = "/var/tmp";
+}
+
+# Find attr binary
+# Linux
+my $setattr = "attr -s encfs -V hello";
+my $getattr = "attr -g encfs";
+if(system("which xattr > /dev/null 2>&1") == 0)
+{
+    # Mac OS X
+    $setattr = "xattr -sw encfs hello";
+    $getattr = "xattr -sp encfs";
+}
+if(system("which lsextattr > /dev/null 2>&1") == 0)
+{
+    # FreeBSD
+    $setattr = "setextattr -h user encfs hello";
+    $getattr = "getextattr -h user encfs";
+}
+# Do we support xattr ?
+my $have_xattr = 1;
+if(system("./build/encfs --verbose --version 2>&1 | grep -q HAVE_XATTR") != 0)
+{
+    $have_xattr = 0;
+}
+
 # test filesystem in standard config mode
 &runTests('standard');
 
@@ -270,7 +299,7 @@ sub encName
     return $enc;
 }
 
-# Test symlinks & hardlinks
+# Test symlinks & hardlinks, and extended attributes
 sub links
 {
     my $hardlinkTests = shift;
@@ -295,6 +324,15 @@ sub links
         ok( link("$crypt/data", "$crypt/data.2"), "hard link");
         checkContents("$crypt/data.2", $contents, "hardlink read");
     };
+
+    # extended attributes
+    my $return_code = ($have_xattr) ? system("$setattr $crypt/data") : 0;
+    is($return_code, 0, "extended attributes can be set (return code was $return_code)");
+    $return_code = ($have_xattr) ? system("$getattr $crypt/data") : 0;
+    is($return_code, 0, "extended attributes can be get (return code was $return_code)");
+    # this is suppused to fail, so get rid of the error message
+    $return_code = ($have_xattr) ? system("$getattr $crypt/data-rel 2> /dev/null") : 1;
+    isnt($return_code, 0, "extended attributes operations do not follow symlinks (return code was $return_code)");
 }
 
 # Test mount
diff --git a/tests/reverse.t.pl b/tests/reverse.t.pl
index bea37ab..d8277a9 100755
--- a/tests/reverse.t.pl
+++ b/tests/reverse.t.pl
@@ -13,18 +13,30 @@ require("tests/common.pl");
 
 my $tempDir = $ENV{'TMPDIR'} || "/tmp";
 
+if($^O eq "linux" and $tempDir eq "/tmp") {
+   # On Linux, /tmp is often a tmpfs mount that does not support
+   # extended attributes. Use /var/tmp instead.
+   $tempDir = "/var/tmp";
+}
+
 # Find attr binary
 # Linux
 my @binattr = ("attr", "-l");
 if(system("which xattr > /dev/null 2>&1") == 0)
 {
     # Mac OS X
-    @binattr = ("xattr", "-l");
+    @binattr = ("xattr", "-s");
 }
 if(system("which lsextattr > /dev/null 2>&1") == 0)
 {
     # FreeBSD
-    @binattr = ("lsextattr", "user");
+    @binattr = ("lsextattr", "-h", "user");
+}
+# Do we support xattr ?
+my $have_xattr = 1;
+if(system("./build/encfs --verbose --version 2>&1 | grep -q HAVE_XATTR") != 0)
+{
+    $have_xattr = 0;
 }
 
 # Helper function
@@ -98,8 +110,7 @@ sub symlink_test
     $dec = readlink("$decrypted/symlink");
     ok( $dec eq $target, "symlink to '$target'") or
         print("# (original) $target' != '$dec' (decrypted)\n");
-    system(@binattr, "$decrypted/symlink");
-    my $return_code = $?;
+    my $return_code = ($have_xattr) ? system(@binattr, "$decrypted/symlink") : 0;
     is($return_code, 0, "symlink to '$target' extended attributes can be read (return code was $return_code)");
     unlink("$plain/symlink");
 }