diff --git a/winsup/cygwin/fhandler_disk_file.cc b/winsup/cygwin/fhandler_disk_file.cc
index 84d86456b..32381a0b0 100644
--- a/winsup/cygwin/fhandler_disk_file.cc
+++ b/winsup/cygwin/fhandler_disk_file.cc
@@ -1190,10 +1190,10 @@ fhandler_disk_file::link (const char *newpath)
   char new_buf[nlen + 5];
   if (!newpc.error)
     {
-      /* If the original file is a lnk special file (except for sockets),
+      /* If the original file is a lnk special file,
 	 and if the original file has a .lnk suffix, add one to the hardlink
 	 as well. */
-      if (pc.is_lnk_special () && !pc.issocket ()
+      if (pc.is_lnk_special ()
 	  && RtlEqualUnicodePathSuffix (pc.get_nt_native_path (),
 					&ro_u_lnk, TRUE))
 	{
diff --git a/winsup/cygwin/path.h b/winsup/cygwin/path.h
index 95a9dec6f..e76157bd4 100644
--- a/winsup/cygwin/path.h
+++ b/winsup/cygwin/path.h
@@ -184,7 +184,9 @@ class path_conv
   int isspecial () const {return dev.not_device (FH_FS);}
   int iscygdrive () const {return dev.is_device (FH_CYGDRIVE);}
   int is_fs_special () const {return dev.is_fs_special ();}
-  int is_lnk_special () const {return (isdevice () && is_fs_special ())
+
+  int is_lnk_special () const {return (isdevice () && is_fs_special ()
+				       && !issocket ())
       || isfifo () || is_lnk_symlink ();}
 #ifdef __WITH_AF_UNIX
   int issocket () const {return dev.is_device (FH_LOCAL)