diff --git a/src/librustc/back/rpath.rs b/src/librustc/back/rpath.rs
index 4b54b1f60088..e455c4ad23ce 100644
--- a/src/librustc/back/rpath.rs
+++ b/src/librustc/back/rpath.rs
@@ -12,9 +12,10 @@
 use driver::session::Session;
 use metadata::cstore;
 use metadata::filesearch;
+use util::fs;
 
 use collections::HashSet;
-use std::{os, slice};
+use std::os;
 use syntax::abi;
 
 fn not_win32(os: abi::Os) -> bool {
@@ -121,9 +122,9 @@ pub fn get_rpath_relative_to_output(os: abi::Os,
         abi::OsWin32 => unreachable!()
     };
 
-    let mut lib = os::make_absolute(lib);
+    let mut lib = fs::realpath(&os::make_absolute(lib)).unwrap();
     lib.pop();
-    let mut output = os::make_absolute(output);
+    let mut output = fs::realpath(&os::make_absolute(output)).unwrap();
     output.pop();
     let relative = lib.path_relative_from(&output);
     let relative = relative.expect("could not create rpath relative to output");
diff --git a/src/librustc/metadata/filesearch.rs b/src/librustc/metadata/filesearch.rs
index 7a531c5c128b..f4ea386a2eca 100644
--- a/src/librustc/metadata/filesearch.rs
+++ b/src/librustc/metadata/filesearch.rs
@@ -15,6 +15,8 @@ use std::os;
 use std::io::fs;
 use collections::HashSet;
 
+use myfs = util::fs;
+
 pub enum FileMatch { FileMatches, FileDoesntMatch }
 
 // A module for searching for libraries
@@ -156,17 +158,10 @@ fn make_rustpkg_target_lib_path(sysroot: &Path,
 pub fn get_or_default_sysroot() -> Path {
     // Follow symlinks.  If the resolved path is relative, make it absolute.
     fn canonicalize(path: Option<Path>) -> Option<Path> {
-        path.and_then(|mut path|
-            match fs::readlink(&path) {
-                Ok(canon) => {
-                    if canon.is_absolute() {
-                        Some(canon)
-                    } else {
-                        path.pop();
-                        Some(path.join(canon))
-                    }
-                },
-                Err(..) => Some(path),
+        path.and_then(|path|
+            match myfs::realpath(&path) {
+                Ok(canon) => Some(canon),
+                Err(e) => fail!("failed to get realpath: {}", e),
             })
     }