diff --git a/programs/benchmark.c b/programs/benchmark.c
index 886f7d8..440a4c8 100644
--- a/programs/benchmark.c
+++ b/programs/benchmark.c
@@ -532,7 +532,7 @@ tmain(int argc, tchar *argv[])
 	for (i = 0; i < argc; i++) {
 		struct file_stream in;
 
-		ret = xopen_for_read(argv[i], &in);
+		ret = xopen_for_read(argv[i], true, &in);
 		if (ret != 0)
 			goto out2;
 
diff --git a/programs/checksum.c b/programs/checksum.c
index 1c42fd3..3e52ca4 100644
--- a/programs/checksum.c
+++ b/programs/checksum.c
@@ -168,7 +168,7 @@ tmain(int argc, tchar *argv[])
 		u64 size = 0;
 		u64 elapsed = 0;
 
-		ret = xopen_for_read(argv[i], &in);
+		ret = xopen_for_read(argv[i], true, &in);
 		if (ret != 0)
 			goto out;
 
diff --git a/programs/gzip.c b/programs/gzip.c
index 5599d07..8253c24 100644
--- a/programs/gzip.c
+++ b/programs/gzip.c
@@ -361,7 +361,8 @@ decompress_file(struct libdeflate_decompressor *decompressor, const tchar *path,
 		}
 	}
 
-	ret = xopen_for_read(oldpath, &in);
+	ret = xopen_for_read(oldpath, options->force || options->to_stdout,
+			     &in);
 	if (ret != 0)
 		goto out_free_paths;
 
@@ -432,7 +433,7 @@ compress_file(struct libdeflate_compressor *compressor, const tchar *path,
 			return -1;
 	}
 
-	ret = xopen_for_read(path, &in);
+	ret = xopen_for_read(path, options->force || options->to_stdout, &in);
 	if (ret != 0)
 		goto out_free_newpath;
 
diff --git a/programs/prog_util.c b/programs/prog_util.c
index 6966fc9..12c10dd 100644
--- a/programs/prog_util.c
+++ b/programs/prog_util.c
@@ -196,7 +196,7 @@ quote_path(const tchar *path)
 
 /* Open a file for reading, or set up standard input for reading */
 int
-xopen_for_read(const tchar *path, struct file_stream *strm)
+xopen_for_read(const tchar *path, bool symlink_ok, struct file_stream *strm)
 {
 	strm->mmap_mem = NULL;
 
@@ -216,7 +216,8 @@ xopen_for_read(const tchar *path, struct file_stream *strm)
 	if (strm->name == NULL)
 		return -1;
 
-	strm->fd = topen(path, O_RDONLY | O_BINARY | O_NOFOLLOW | O_SEQUENTIAL);
+	strm->fd = topen(path, O_RDONLY | O_BINARY |
+			 (symlink_ok ? 0 : O_NOFOLLOW) | O_SEQUENTIAL);
 	if (strm->fd < 0) {
 		msg_errno("Can't open %"TS" for reading", strm->name);
 		free(strm->name);
diff --git a/programs/prog_util.h b/programs/prog_util.h
index ec0c22b..0dcad01 100644
--- a/programs/prog_util.h
+++ b/programs/prog_util.h
@@ -136,7 +136,8 @@ struct file_stream {
 	size_t mmap_size;
 };
 
-extern int xopen_for_read(const tchar *path, struct file_stream *strm);
+extern int xopen_for_read(const tchar *path, bool symlink_ok,
+			  struct file_stream *strm);
 extern int xopen_for_write(const tchar *path, bool force,
 			   struct file_stream *strm);
 extern int map_file_contents(struct file_stream *strm, u64 size);