diff --git a/gnu/stat-time.h b/gnu/stat-time.h

index 1dc4098..7b8428e 100644

--- a/gnu/stat-time.h

+++ b/gnu/stat-time.h

@@ -144,7 +144,7 @@ get_stat_mtime (struct stat const *st)

 }

 /* Return *ST's birth time, if available; otherwise return a value

-   with negative tv_nsec.  */

+   with tv_sec and tv_nsec both equal to -1.  */

 static inline struct timespec

 get_stat_birthtime (struct stat const *st)

 {

@@ -163,7 +163,7 @@ get_stat_birthtime (struct stat const *st)

   t.tv_sec = st->st_ctime;

   t.tv_nsec = 0;

 #else

-  /* Birth time is not supported.  Set tv_sec to avoid undefined behavior.  */

+  /* Birth time is not supported.  */

   t.tv_sec = -1;

   t.tv_nsec = -1;

   /* Avoid a "parameter unused" warning.  */

@@ -177,10 +177,12 @@ get_stat_birthtime (struct stat const *st)

      using zero.  Attempt to work around this problem.  Alas, this can

      report failure even for valid time stamps.  Also, NetBSD

      sometimes returns junk in the birth time fields; work around this

-     bug if it it is detected.  There's no need to detect negative

-     tv_nsec junk as negative tv_nsec already indicates an error.  */

-  if (t.tv_sec == 0 || 1000000000 <= t.tv_nsec)

-    t.tv_nsec = -1;

+     bug if it is detected.  */

+  if (! (t.tv_sec && 0 <= t.tv_nsec && t.tv_nsec < 1000000000))

+    {

+      t.tv_sec = -1;

+      t.tv_nsec = -1;

+    }

 #endif

   return t;

diff --git a/src/extract.c b/src/extract.c

index 340beea..3afb95d 100644

--- a/src/extract.c

+++ b/src/extract.c

@@ -119,12 +119,15 @@ struct delayed_link

     /* The next delayed link in the list.  */

     struct delayed_link *next;

-    /* The device, inode number and ctime of the placeholder.  Use

-       ctime, not mtime, to make false matches less likely if some

-       other process removes the placeholder.  */

+    /* The device, inode number and birthtime of the placeholder.

+       birthtime.tv_nsec is negative if the birthtime is not available.

+       Don't use mtime as this would allow for false matches if some

+       other process removes the placeholder.  Don't use ctime as

+       this would cause race conditions and other screwups, e.g.,

+       when restoring hard-linked symlinks.  */

     dev_t dev;

     ino_t ino;

-    struct timespec ctime;

+    struct timespec birthtime;

     /* True if the link is symbolic.  */

     bool is_symlink;

@@ -1200,7 +1203,7 @@ create_placeholder_file (char *file_name, bool is_symlink, bool *interdir_made)

       delayed_link_head = p;

       p->dev = st.st_dev;

       p->ino = st.st_ino;

-      p->ctime = get_stat_ctime (&st);

+      p->birthtime = get_stat_birthtime (&st);

       p->is_symlink = is_symlink;

       if (is_symlink)

 	{

@@ -1265,7 +1268,8 @@ extract_link (char *file_name, int typeflag)

 	      if (ds->change_dir == chdir_current

 		  && ds->dev == st1.st_dev

 		  && ds->ino == st1.st_ino

-		  && timespec_cmp (ds->ctime, get_stat_ctime (&st1)) == 0)

+		  && (timespec_cmp (ds->birthtime, get_stat_birthtime (&st1))

+		      == 0))

 		{

 		  struct string_list *p =  xmalloc (offsetof (struct string_list, string)

 						    + strlen (file_name) + 1);

@@ -1638,7 +1642,7 @@ apply_delayed_links (void)

 	  if (fstatat (chdir_fd, source, &st, AT_SYMLINK_NOFOLLOW) == 0

 	      && st.st_dev == ds->dev

 	      && st.st_ino == ds->ino

-	      && timespec_cmp (get_stat_ctime (&st), ds->ctime) == 0)

+	      && timespec_cmp (get_stat_birthtime (&st), ds->birthtime) == 0)

 	    {

 	      /* Unlink the placeholder, then create a hard link if possible,

 		 a symbolic link otherwise.  */