diff --git a/src/archive/tar.rs b/src/archive/tar.rs
index d5a61fe..e581af5 100644
--- a/src/archive/tar.rs
+++ b/src/archive/tar.rs
@@ -30,8 +30,26 @@ pub fn unpack_archive(reader: Box<dyn Read>, output_folder: &Path, quiet: bool)
     let mut files_unpacked = 0;
     for file in archive.entries()? {
         let mut file = file?;
+        let entry_type = file.header().entry_type();
+        let relative_path = file.path()?.to_path_buf();
+        let full_path = output_folder.join(&relative_path);
 
-        file.unpack_in(output_folder)?;
+        match entry_type {
+            tar::EntryType::Symlink => {
+                let target = file
+                    .link_name()?
+                    .ok_or_else(|| std::io::Error::new(std::io::ErrorKind::InvalidData, "Missing symlink target"))?;
+
+                #[cfg(unix)]
+                std::os::unix::fs::symlink(&target, &full_path)?;
+                #[cfg(windows)]
+                std::os::windows::symlink_file(&target, &full_path)?;
+            }
+            tar::EntryType::Regular | tar::EntryType::Directory => {
+                file.unpack_in(output_folder)?;
+            }
+            _ => continue,
+        }
 
         // This is printed for every file in the archive and has little
         // importance for most users, but would generate lots of
@@ -134,23 +152,11 @@ where
                 header.set_entry_type(tar::EntryType::Symlink);
                 header.set_size(0);
 
-                let entry_name = path.to_str().ok_or_else(|| {
-                    FinalError::with_title("Tar requires that all directories names are valid UTF-8")
-                        .detail(format!("File at '{path:?}' has a non-UTF-8 name"))
+                builder.append_link(&mut header, path, &target_path).map_err(|err| {
+                    FinalError::with_title("Could not create archive")
+                        .detail("Unexpected error while trying to read link")
+                        .detail(format!("Error: {err}."))
                 })?;
-
-                let target_name = target_path.to_str().ok_or_else(|| {
-                    FinalError::with_title("Tar requires that all directories names are valid UTF-8")
-                        .detail(format!("File at '{target_path:?}' has a non-UTF-8 name"))
-                })?;
-
-                builder
-                    .append_link(&mut header, entry_name, target_name)
-                    .map_err(|err| {
-                        FinalError::with_title("Could not create archive")
-                            .detail("Unexpected error while trying to read link")
-                            .detail(format!("Error: {err}."))
-                    })?;
             } else {
                 let mut file = match fs::File::open(path) {
                     Ok(f) => f,
diff --git a/src/cli/mod.rs b/src/cli/mod.rs
index ce6b5d5..185fae6 100644
--- a/src/cli/mod.rs
+++ b/src/cli/mod.rs
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ fn canonicalize_files(files: &[impl AsRef<Path>]) -> io::Result<Vec<PathBuf>> {
     files
         .iter()
         .map(|f| {
-            if is_path_stdin(f.as_ref()) {
+            if is_path_stdin(f.as_ref()) || f.as_ref().is_symlink() {
                 Ok(f.as_ref().to_path_buf())
             } else {
                 fs::canonicalize(f)
diff --git a/tests/integration.rs b/tests/integration.rs
index 7a5e549..f6a93c2 100644
--- a/tests/integration.rs
+++ b/tests/integration.rs
@@ -1,7 +1,11 @@
 #[macro_use]
 mod utils;
 
-use std::{io::Write, iter::once, path::PathBuf};
+use std::{
+    io::Write,
+    iter::once,
+    path::{Path, PathBuf},
+};
 
 use fs_err as fs;
 use parse_display::Display;
@@ -467,3 +471,59 @@ fn unpack_rar_stdin() -> Result<(), Box<dyn std::error::Error>> {
 
     Ok(())
 }
+
+#[test]
+fn tar_symlink_pack_and_unpack() {
+    let temp_dir = tempdir().unwrap();
+    let root_path = temp_dir.path();
+
+    let src_files_path = root_path.join("src_files");
+    fs::create_dir_all(&src_files_path).unwrap();
+
+    let mut files_path = ["file1.txt", "file2.txt", "file3.txt", "file4.txt", "file5.txt"]
+        .into_iter()
+        .map(|f| src_files_path.join(f))
+        .map(|path| {
+            let mut file = fs::File::create(&path).unwrap();
+            file.write_all("Some content".as_bytes()).unwrap();
+            path
+        })
+        .collect::<Vec<_>>();
+
+    let dest_files_path = root_path.join("dest_files");
+    fs::create_dir_all(&dest_files_path).unwrap();
+
+    let symlink_path = src_files_path.join(Path::new("symlink"));
+    #[cfg(unix)]
+    std::os::unix::fs::symlink(&files_path[0], &symlink_path).unwrap();
+    #[cfg(windows)]
+    std::os::windows::symlink_file(&files_path[0], &symlink_path).unwrap();
+
+    files_path.push(symlink_path);
+
+    let archive = &root_path.join("archive.tar");
+
+    crate::utils::cargo_bin()
+        .arg("compress")
+        .args(files_path)
+        .arg(archive)
+        .assert()
+        .success();
+
+    crate::utils::cargo_bin()
+        .arg("decompress")
+        .arg(archive)
+        .arg("-d")
+        .arg(&dest_files_path)
+        .assert()
+        .success();
+
+    assert_same_directory(&src_files_path, &dest_files_path, false);
+    // check the symlink stand still
+    for f in dest_files_path.as_path().read_dir().unwrap() {
+        let f = f.unwrap();
+        if f.file_name() == "symlink" {
+            assert!(f.file_type().unwrap().is_symlink())
+        }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/tests/utils.rs b/tests/utils.rs
index 3648cef..4d2a84f 100644
--- a/tests/utils.rs
+++ b/tests/utils.rs
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ pub fn assert_same_directory(x: impl Into<PathBuf>, y: impl Into<PathBuf>, prese
 
                 if ft_x.is_dir() && ft_y.is_dir() {
                     assert_same_directory(x.path(), y.path(), preserve_permissions);
-                } else if ft_x.is_file() && ft_y.is_file() {
+                } else if (ft_x.is_file() && ft_y.is_file()) || (ft_x.is_symlink() && ft_y.is_symlink()) {
                     assert_eq!(meta_x.len(), meta_y.len());
                     assert_eq!(fs::read(x.path()).unwrap(), fs::read(y.path()).unwrap());
                 } else {