diff --git a/commands/cli/parse.go b/commands/cli/parse.go
index 8b524f258..2f4b2f5c6 100644
--- a/commands/cli/parse.go
+++ b/commands/cli/parse.go
@@ -356,21 +356,6 @@ func appendFile(args []files.File, inputs []string, argDef *cmds.Argument, recur
 		return nil, nil, err
 	}
 
-	if stat.Mode()&os.ModeSymlink != 0 {
-		target, err := os.Readlink(fpath)
-		if err != nil {
-			return nil, nil, err
-		}
-
-		arg := files.NewLinkFile("", fpath, target, stat)
-		return append(args, arg), inputs[1:], nil
-	}
-
-	file, err := os.Open(fpath)
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, nil, err
-	}
-
 	if stat.IsDir() {
 		if !argDef.Recursive {
 			err = fmt.Errorf("Invalid path '%s', argument '%s' does not support directories",
@@ -384,7 +369,7 @@ func appendFile(args []files.File, inputs []string, argDef *cmds.Argument, recur
 		}
 	}
 
-	arg, err := files.NewSerialFile(path.Base(fpath), fpath, file)
+	arg, err := files.NewSerialFile(path.Base(fpath), fpath, stat)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, nil, err
 	}
diff --git a/commands/files/serialfile.go b/commands/files/serialfile.go
index 34b831e6f..9be3b9208 100644
--- a/commands/files/serialfile.go
+++ b/commands/files/serialfile.go
@@ -25,8 +25,17 @@ type serialFile struct {
 	current *os.File
 }
 
-func NewSerialFile(name, path string, file *os.File) (File, error) {
-	stat, err := file.Stat()
+func NewSerialFile(name, path string, stat os.FileInfo) (File, error) {
+	if stat.Mode()&os.ModeSymlink != 0 {
+		target, err := os.Readlink(path)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
+
+		return NewLinkFile("", path, target, stat), nil
+	}
+
+	file, err := os.Open(path)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
@@ -49,8 +58,7 @@ func newSerialFile(name, path string, file *os.File, stat os.FileInfo) (File, er
 
 	// we no longer need our root directory file (we already statted the contents),
 	// so close it
-	err = file.Close()
-	if err != nil {
+	if err := file.Close(); err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
diff --git a/core/coreunix/add.go b/core/coreunix/add.go
index e17a82450..40eaa4017 100644
--- a/core/coreunix/add.go
+++ b/core/coreunix/add.go
@@ -43,18 +43,18 @@ func Add(n *core.IpfsNode, r io.Reader) (string, error) {
 
 // AddR recursively adds files in |path|.
 func AddR(n *core.IpfsNode, root string) (key string, err error) {
-	f, err := os.Open(root)
+	stat, err := os.Lstat(root)
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", err
+	}
+
+	f, err := files.NewSerialFile(root, root, stat)
 	if err != nil {
 		return "", err
 	}
 	defer f.Close()
 
-	ff, err := files.NewSerialFile(root, root, f)
-	if err != nil {
-		return "", err
-	}
-
-	dagnode, err := addFile(n, ff)
+	dagnode, err := addFile(n, f)
 	if err != nil {
 		return "", err
 	}