diff --git a/include/dwarfs/global_entry_data.h b/include/dwarfs/global_entry_data.h
index b749e797..153e67aa 100644
--- a/include/dwarfs/global_entry_data.h
+++ b/include/dwarfs/global_entry_data.h
@@ -49,11 +49,11 @@ class global_entry_data {
   void add_ctime(uint64_t time);
 
   void add_name(std::string const& name) { names_.emplace(name, 0); }
-  void add_link(std::string const& link) { links_.emplace(link, 0); }
+  void add_link(std::string const& link) { symlinks_.emplace(link, 0); }
 
   void index() {
     index(names_);
-    index(links_);
+    index(symlinks_);
   }
 
   uint16_t get_uid_index(uint16_t uid) const;
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ class global_entry_data {
   uint16_t get_mode_index(uint16_t mode) const;
 
   uint32_t get_name_index(std::string const& name) const;
-  uint32_t get_link_index(std::string const& link) const;
+  uint32_t get_symlink_index(std::string const& link) const;
 
   uint64_t get_mtime_offset(uint64_t time) const;
   uint64_t get_atime_offset(uint64_t time) const;
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ class global_entry_data {
   std::vector<uint16_t> get_modes() const;
 
   std::vector<std::string> get_names() const;
-  std::vector<std::string> get_links() const;
+  std::vector<std::string> get_symlinks() const;
 
   uint64_t get_timestamp_base() const;
 
@@ -98,7 +98,7 @@ class global_entry_data {
   map_type<uint16_t, uint16_t> gids_;
   map_type<uint16_t, uint16_t> modes_;
   map_type<std::string, uint32_t> names_;
-  map_type<std::string, uint32_t> links_;
+  map_type<std::string, uint32_t> symlinks_;
   uint16_t next_uid_index_{0};
   uint16_t next_gid_index_{0};
   uint16_t next_mode_index_{0};
diff --git a/include/dwarfs/progress.h b/include/dwarfs/progress.h
index 33b339af..0d78ea09 100644
--- a/include/dwarfs/progress.h
+++ b/include/dwarfs/progress.h
@@ -59,8 +59,8 @@ class progress {
   std::atomic<size_t> files_scanned{0};
   std::atomic<size_t> dirs_found{0};
   std::atomic<size_t> dirs_scanned{0};
-  std::atomic<size_t> links_found{0};
-  std::atomic<size_t> links_scanned{0};
+  std::atomic<size_t> symlinks_found{0};
+  std::atomic<size_t> symlinks_scanned{0};
   std::atomic<size_t> specials_found{0};
   std::atomic<size_t> duplicate_files{0};
   std::atomic<size_t> hardlinks{0};
diff --git a/src/dwarfs/console_writer.cpp b/src/dwarfs/console_writer.cpp
index 3888019b..e3cf23ac 100644
--- a/src/dwarfs/console_writer.cpp
+++ b/src/dwarfs/console_writer.cpp
@@ -172,7 +172,7 @@ void console_writer::update(const progress& p, bool last) {
             << newline;
       }
 
-      oss << p.dirs_scanned << " dirs, " << p.links_scanned << "/"
+      oss << p.dirs_scanned << " dirs, " << p.symlinks_scanned << "/"
           << p.hardlinks << " soft/hard links, " << p.files_scanned << "/"
           << p.files_found << " files, " << p.specials_found << " other"
           << newline
diff --git a/src/dwarfs/global_entry_data.cpp b/src/dwarfs/global_entry_data.cpp
index 2f1eb475..eb9ee178 100644
--- a/src/dwarfs/global_entry_data.cpp
+++ b/src/dwarfs/global_entry_data.cpp
@@ -51,8 +51,8 @@ std::vector<std::string> global_entry_data::get_names() const {
   return get_vector(names_);
 }
 
-std::vector<std::string> global_entry_data::get_links() const {
-  return get_vector(links_);
+std::vector<std::string> global_entry_data::get_symlinks() const {
+  return get_vector(symlinks_);
 }
 
 void global_entry_data::index(map_type<std::string, uint32_t>& map) {
@@ -100,8 +100,8 @@ uint32_t global_entry_data::get_name_index(std::string const& name) const {
   return DWARFS_NOTHROW(names_.at(name));
 }
 
-uint32_t global_entry_data::get_link_index(std::string const& link) const {
-  return DWARFS_NOTHROW(links_.at(link));
+uint32_t global_entry_data::get_symlink_index(std::string const& link) const {
+  return DWARFS_NOTHROW(symlinks_.at(link));
 }
 
 void global_entry_data::add_uid(uint16_t uid) {
diff --git a/src/dwarfs/metadata_v2.cpp b/src/dwarfs/metadata_v2.cpp
index cd33c124..40e6cc67 100644
--- a/src/dwarfs/metadata_v2.cpp
+++ b/src/dwarfs/metadata_v2.cpp
@@ -115,32 +115,32 @@ class metadata_ final : public metadata_v2::impl {
       , root_(meta_.entries()[meta_.entry_index()[0]], &meta_)
       , log_(lgr)
       , inode_offset_(inode_offset)
-      , link_index_offset_(find_index_offset(inode_rank::INO_LNK))
+      , symlink_index_offset_(find_index_offset(inode_rank::INO_LNK))
       , chunk_index_offset_(find_index_offset(inode_rank::INO_REG))
       , dev_index_offset_(find_index_offset(inode_rank::INO_DEV))
       , nlinks_(build_nlinks(options))
       , options_(options) {
-    LOG_DEBUG << "link index offset: " << link_index_offset_;
+    LOG_DEBUG << "symlink index offset: " << symlink_index_offset_;
     LOG_DEBUG << "chunk index offset: " << chunk_index_offset_;
     LOG_DEBUG << "device index offset: " << dev_index_offset_;
 
-    if (int(meta_.directories().size() - 1) != link_index_offset_) {
+    if (int(meta_.directories().size() - 1) != symlink_index_offset_) {
       DWARFS_THROW(
           runtime_error,
           fmt::format("metadata inconsistency: number of directories ({}) does "
                       "not match link index ({})",
-                      meta_.directories().size() - 1, link_index_offset_));
+                      meta_.directories().size() - 1, symlink_index_offset_));
     }
 
-    if (int(meta_.link_index().size()) !=
-        (chunk_index_offset_ - link_index_offset_)) {
+    if (int(meta_.symlink_index().size()) !=
+        (chunk_index_offset_ - symlink_index_offset_)) {
       DWARFS_THROW(
           runtime_error,
           fmt::format(
-              "metadata inconsistency: number of links ({}) does not match "
-              "chunk/link index delta ({} - {} = {})",
-              meta_.link_index().size(), chunk_index_offset_,
-              link_index_offset_, chunk_index_offset_ - link_index_offset_));
+              "metadata inconsistency: number of symlinks ({}) does not match "
+              "chunk/symlink index delta ({} - {} = {})",
+              meta_.symlink_index().size(), chunk_index_offset_,
+              symlink_index_offset_, chunk_index_offset_ - symlink_index_offset_));
     }
 
     if (int(meta_.chunk_index().size() - 1) !=
@@ -395,7 +395,7 @@ class metadata_ final : public metadata_v2::impl {
 
   std::string_view link_value(entry_view entry) const {
     return meta_
-        .links()[meta_.link_index()[entry.inode() - link_index_offset_]];
+        .symlinks()[meta_.symlink_index()[entry.inode() - symlink_index_offset_]];
   }
 
   uint64_t get_device_id(int inode) const {
@@ -433,7 +433,7 @@ class metadata_ final : public metadata_v2::impl {
   entry_view root_;
   log_proxy<LoggerPolicy> log_;
   const int inode_offset_;
-  const int link_index_offset_;
+  const int symlink_index_offset_;
   const int chunk_index_offset_;
   const int dev_index_offset_;
   const std::vector<uint32_t> nlinks_;
diff --git a/src/dwarfs/scanner.cpp b/src/dwarfs/scanner.cpp
index 18d2be9e..b9e3bc7c 100644
--- a/src/dwarfs/scanner.cpp
+++ b/src/dwarfs/scanner.cpp
@@ -209,9 +209,9 @@ class pipe_set_inode_visitor : public visitor_base {
   uint32_t& inode_no_;
 };
 
-class names_and_links_visitor : public entry_visitor {
+class names_and_symlinks_visitor : public entry_visitor {
  public:
-  explicit names_and_links_visitor(global_entry_data& data)
+  explicit names_and_symlinks_visitor(global_entry_data& data)
       : data_(data) {}
 
   void visit(file* p) override { data_.add_name(p->name()); }
@@ -417,9 +417,9 @@ scanner_<LoggerPolicy>::scan_tree(const std::string& path, progress& prog) {
               break;
 
             case entry::E_LINK:
-              prog.links_found++;
+              prog.symlinks_found++;
               pe->scan(*os_, prog);
-              prog.links_scanned++;
+              prog.symlinks_scanned++;
               break;
 
             case entry::E_DEVICE:
@@ -506,7 +506,7 @@ void scanner_<LoggerPolicy>::scan(filesystem_writer& fsw,
   global_entry_data ge_data(options_);
   thrift::metadata::metadata mv2;
 
-  mv2.link_index.resize(first_file_inode - first_link_inode);
+  mv2.symlink_index.resize(first_file_inode - first_link_inode);
 
   LOG_INFO << "assigning device inodes...";
   uint32_t first_device_inode = first_file_inode + im.count();
@@ -522,8 +522,8 @@ void scanner_<LoggerPolicy>::scan(filesystem_writer& fsw,
   LOG_INFO << "building metadata...";
 
   wg_.add_job([&] {
-    LOG_INFO << "saving names and links...";
-    names_and_links_visitor nlv(ge_data);
+    LOG_INFO << "saving names and symlinks...";
+    names_and_symlinks_visitor nlv(ge_data);
     root->accept(nlv);
 
     ge_data.index();
@@ -532,8 +532,8 @@ void scanner_<LoggerPolicy>::scan(filesystem_writer& fsw,
     root->walk([&](entry* ep) {
       ep->update(ge_data);
       if (auto lp = dynamic_cast<link*>(ep)) {
-        DWARFS_NOTHROW(mv2.link_index.at(ep->inode_num() - first_link_inode)) =
-            ge_data.get_link_index(lp->linkname());
+        DWARFS_NOTHROW(mv2.symlink_index.at(ep->inode_num() - first_link_inode)) =
+            ge_data.get_symlink_index(lp->linkname());
       }
     });
   });
@@ -607,7 +607,7 @@ void scanner_<LoggerPolicy>::scan(filesystem_writer& fsw,
   mv2.gids = ge_data.get_gids();
   mv2.modes = ge_data.get_modes();
   mv2.names = ge_data.get_names();
-  mv2.links = ge_data.get_links();
+  mv2.symlinks = ge_data.get_symlinks();
   mv2.timestamp_base = ge_data.get_timestamp_base();
   mv2.block_size = UINT32_C(1) << cfg_.block_size_bits;
   mv2.total_fs_size = prog.original_size;
diff --git a/thrift/metadata.thrift b/thrift/metadata.thrift
index b146165a..f5fa5fd7 100644
--- a/thrift/metadata.thrift
+++ b/thrift/metadata.thrift
@@ -141,7 +141,7 @@ struct metadata {
    5: required list<UInt32>    entry_index,
 
    // link index, indexed by (inode - link_index_offset)
-   6: required list<UInt32>    link_index,
+   6: required list<UInt32>    symlink_index,
 
    // user ids, for lookup by index in entry.owner
    7: required list<UInt16>    uids,
@@ -155,8 +155,8 @@ struct metadata {
    // entry names, for lookup by index in entry.name_index
   10: required list<string>    names,
 
-   // link targets, for lookup by index from link_index
-  11: required list<string>    links,
+   // link targets, for lookup by index from symlink_index
+  11: required list<string>    symlinks,
 
    // timestamp base for all entry timestamps
   12: required UInt64          timestamp_base,