diff --git a/doc/dwarfs.md b/doc/dwarfs.md
index bf01549b..c2063060 100644
--- a/doc/dwarfs.md
+++ b/doc/dwarfs.md
@@ -54,6 +54,16 @@ options:
     try or require `mlock()`ing of the file system metadata into
     memory.
 
+  * `-o enable_nlink`
+    Set this option if you want correct hardlink counts for regular
+    files. If this is not specified, the hardlink count will be 1.
+    Enabling this will slow down the initialization of the fuse
+    driver as the hardlink counts will be determined by a full
+    file system scan (it only takes about a millisecond to scan
+    through 100,000 files, so this isn't dramatic). The fuse driver
+    will also consume more memory to hold the hardlink count table.
+    This will be 4 bytes for every regular file inode.
+
   * `-o debuglevel=`*name*:
     Use this for different levels of verbosity along with either
     the `-f` or `-d` FUSE options. This can give you some insight
diff --git a/include/dwarfs/metadata_v2.h b/include/dwarfs/metadata_v2.h
index e5d28fd7..2845ec58 100644
--- a/include/dwarfs/metadata_v2.h
+++ b/include/dwarfs/metadata_v2.h
@@ -46,6 +46,8 @@ namespace dwarfs {
 
 class logger;
 
+struct metadata_options;
+
 namespace thrift::metadata {
 class metadata;
 }
@@ -55,7 +57,8 @@ class metadata_v2 {
   metadata_v2() = default;
 
   metadata_v2(logger& lgr, folly::ByteRange schema, folly::ByteRange data,
-              const struct ::stat* defaults = nullptr, int inode_offset = 0);
+              metadata_options const& options,
+              struct ::stat const* defaults = nullptr, int inode_offset = 0);
 
   metadata_v2& operator=(metadata_v2&&) = default;
 
diff --git a/include/dwarfs/options.h b/include/dwarfs/options.h
index 24736e6a..89ba796b 100644
--- a/include/dwarfs/options.h
+++ b/include/dwarfs/options.h
@@ -35,9 +35,14 @@ struct block_cache_options {
   double decompress_ratio{1.0};
 };
 
+struct metadata_options {
+  bool enable_nlink{false};
+};
+
 struct filesystem_options {
   mlock_mode lock_mode{mlock_mode::NONE};
   block_cache_options block_cache;
+  metadata_options metadata;
 };
 
 enum class file_order_mode { NONE, PATH, SCRIPT, SIMILARITY };
diff --git a/src/dwarfs.cpp b/src/dwarfs.cpp
index 2d3b92f2..94d3b098 100644
--- a/src/dwarfs.cpp
+++ b/src/dwarfs.cpp
@@ -52,6 +52,7 @@ struct options {
   const char* workers_str;          // TODO: const?? -> use string?
   const char* mlock_str;            // TODO: const?? -> use string?
   const char* decompress_ratio_str; // TODO: const?? -> use string?
+  int enable_nlink;
   size_t cachesize;
   size_t workers;
   mlock_mode lock_mode;
@@ -75,6 +76,7 @@ const struct fuse_opt dwarfs_opts[] = {
     DWARFS_OPT("workers=%s", workers_str, 0),
     DWARFS_OPT("mlock=%s", mlock_str, 0),
     DWARFS_OPT("decratio=%s", decompress_ratio_str, 0),
+    DWARFS_OPT("enable_nlink", enable_nlink, 1),
     FUSE_OPT_END};
 
 options opts;
@@ -90,13 +92,14 @@ void op_init(void* /*userdata*/, struct fuse_conn_info* /*conn*/) {
   try {
     auto ti = log.timed_info();
 
-    filesystem_options options;
-    options.lock_mode = opts.lock_mode;
-    options.block_cache.max_bytes = opts.cachesize;
-    options.block_cache.num_workers = opts.workers;
-    options.block_cache.decompress_ratio = opts.decompress_ratio;
+    filesystem_options fsopts;
+    fsopts.lock_mode = opts.lock_mode;
+    fsopts.block_cache.max_bytes = opts.cachesize;
+    fsopts.block_cache.num_workers = opts.workers;
+    fsopts.block_cache.decompress_ratio = opts.decompress_ratio;
+    fsopts.metadata.enable_nlink = bool(opts.enable_nlink);
     s_fs = std::make_shared<filesystem_v2>(
-        s_lgr, std::make_shared<mmap>(opts.fsimage), options,
+        s_lgr, std::make_shared<mmap>(opts.fsimage), fsopts,
         &opts.stat_defaults, FUSE_ROOT_ID);
 
     ti << "file system initialized";
@@ -388,6 +391,7 @@ void usage(const char* progname) {
             << "    -o workers=NUM         number of worker threads (2)\n"
             << "    -o mlock=NAME          mlock mode: (none), try, must\n"
             << "    -o decratio=NUM        ratio for full decompression (0.8)\n"
+            << "    -o enable_nlink        show correct hardlink numbers\n"
             << "    -o debuglevel=NAME     error, warn, (info), debug, trace\n"
             << std::endl;
 
diff --git a/src/dwarfs/filesystem_v2.cpp b/src/dwarfs/filesystem_v2.cpp
index c6cf0721..681bf000 100644
--- a/src/dwarfs/filesystem_v2.cpp
+++ b/src/dwarfs/filesystem_v2.cpp
@@ -144,6 +144,7 @@ metadata_v2
 make_metadata(logger& lgr, std::shared_ptr<mmif> mm,
               section_map const& sections, std::vector<uint8_t>& schema_buffer,
               std::vector<uint8_t>& meta_buffer,
+              const metadata_options& options,
               const struct ::stat* stat_defaults = nullptr,
               int inode_offset = 0, bool force_buffers = false,
               mlock_mode lock_mode = mlock_mode::NONE) {
@@ -177,7 +178,7 @@ make_metadata(logger& lgr, std::shared_ptr<mmif> mm,
   return metadata_v2(
       lgr,
       get_section_data(mm, schema_it->second, schema_buffer, force_buffers),
-      meta_section, stat_defaults, inode_offset);
+      meta_section, options, stat_defaults, inode_offset);
 }
 
 template <typename LoggerPolicy>
@@ -243,7 +244,8 @@ filesystem_<LoggerPolicy>::filesystem_(logger& lgr, std::shared_ptr<mmif> mm,
   std::vector<uint8_t> schema_buffer;
 
   meta_ = make_metadata(lgr, mm_, sections, schema_buffer, meta_buffer_,
-                        stat_defaults, inode_offset, false, options.lock_mode);
+                        options.metadata, stat_defaults, inode_offset, false,
+                        options.lock_mode);
 
   log_.debug() << "read " << cache.block_count() << " blocks and "
                << meta_.size() << " bytes of metadata";
@@ -393,8 +395,8 @@ void filesystem_v2::rewrite(logger& lgr, progress& prog,
 
   std::vector<uint8_t> schema_raw;
   std::vector<uint8_t> meta_raw;
-  auto meta =
-      make_metadata(lgr, mm, sections, schema_raw, meta_raw, nullptr, 0, true);
+  auto meta = make_metadata(lgr, mm, sections, schema_raw, meta_raw,
+                            metadata_options(), nullptr, 0, true);
 
   struct ::statvfs stbuf;
   meta.statvfs(&stbuf);
diff --git a/src/dwarfs/metadata_v2.cpp b/src/dwarfs/metadata_v2.cpp
index bb362010..2d5db9bb 100644
--- a/src/dwarfs/metadata_v2.cpp
+++ b/src/dwarfs/metadata_v2.cpp
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@
 
 #include "dwarfs/logger.h"
 #include "dwarfs/metadata_v2.h"
+#include "dwarfs/options.h"
 
 #include "dwarfs/gen-cpp2/metadata_layouts.h"
 #include "dwarfs/gen-cpp2/metadata_types_custom_protocol.h"
@@ -99,7 +100,8 @@ class metadata_ : public metadata_v2::impl {
  public:
   // TODO: defaults?, remove
   metadata_(logger& lgr, folly::ByteRange schema, folly::ByteRange data,
-            const struct ::stat* /*defaults*/, int inode_offset)
+            metadata_options const& options, struct ::stat const* /*defaults*/,
+            int inode_offset)
       : data_(data)
       , meta_(map_frozen<thrift::metadata::metadata>(schema, data_))
       , root_(meta_.entries()[meta_.entry_index()[0]], &meta_)
@@ -107,7 +109,9 @@ class metadata_ : public metadata_v2::impl {
       , inode_offset_(inode_offset)
       , link_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)) {
+      , 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() << "chunk index offset: " << chunk_index_offset_;
     log_.debug() << "device index offset: " << dev_index_offset_;
@@ -285,6 +289,28 @@ class metadata_ : public metadata_v2::impl {
     return 0;
   }
 
+  std::vector<uint32_t> build_nlinks(metadata_options const& options) const {
+    std::vector<uint32_t> nlinks;
+
+    if (options.enable_nlink) {
+      auto ti = log_.timed_debug();
+
+      nlinks.resize(dev_index_offset_ - chunk_index_offset_);
+
+      for (auto e : meta_.entries()) {
+        auto index = int(e.inode()) - chunk_index_offset_;
+        if (index >= 0 && index < int(nlinks.size())) {
+          ++nlinks.at(index);
+        }
+      }
+
+      ti << "build hardlink table (" << sizeof(uint32_t) * nlinks.capacity()
+         << " bytes)";
+    }
+
+    return nlinks;
+  }
+
   folly::ByteRange data_;
   MappedFrozen<thrift::metadata::metadata> meta_;
   entry_view root_;
@@ -293,6 +319,8 @@ class metadata_ : public metadata_v2::impl {
   const int link_index_offset_;
   const int chunk_index_offset_;
   const int dev_index_offset_;
+  const std::vector<uint32_t> nlinks_;
+  const metadata_options options_;
 };
 
 template <typename LoggerPolicy>
@@ -488,7 +516,9 @@ int metadata_<LoggerPolicy>::getattr(entry_view entry,
   auto inode = entry.inode();
 
   stbuf->st_mode = mode;
-  stbuf->st_size = file_size(entry, mode);
+
+  stbuf->st_size = S_ISDIR(mode) ? make_directory_view(entry).entry_count()
+                                 : file_size(entry, mode);
   stbuf->st_ino = inode + inode_offset_;
   stbuf->st_blocks = (stbuf->st_size + 511) / 512;
   stbuf->st_uid = entry.getuid();
@@ -496,6 +526,9 @@ int metadata_<LoggerPolicy>::getattr(entry_view entry,
   stbuf->st_atime = timebase + entry.atime_offset();
   stbuf->st_mtime = timebase + entry.mtime_offset();
   stbuf->st_ctime = timebase + entry.ctime_offset();
+  stbuf->st_nlink = options_.enable_nlink && S_ISREG(mode)
+                        ? nlinks_.at(inode - chunk_index_offset_)
+                        : 1;
 
   if (S_ISBLK(mode) || S_ISCHR(mode)) {
     stbuf->st_rdev = get_device_id(inode);
@@ -649,10 +682,10 @@ metadata_v2::freeze(const thrift::metadata::metadata& data) {
 }
 
 metadata_v2::metadata_v2(logger& lgr, folly::ByteRange schema,
-                         folly::ByteRange data, const struct ::stat* defaults,
-                         int inode_offset)
+                         folly::ByteRange data, metadata_options const& options,
+                         struct ::stat const* defaults, int inode_offset)
     : impl_(make_unique_logging_object<metadata_v2::impl, metadata_,
                                        logger_policies>(
-          lgr, schema, data, defaults, inode_offset)) {}
+          lgr, schema, data, options, defaults, inode_offset)) {}
 
 } // namespace dwarfs