diff --git a/repos/libports/src/lib/libc/vfs_plugin.cc b/repos/libports/src/lib/libc/vfs_plugin.cc
index d384fce907..8c06b5a740 100644
--- a/repos/libports/src/lib/libc/vfs_plugin.cc
+++ b/repos/libports/src/lib/libc/vfs_plugin.cc
@@ -706,7 +706,7 @@ int Libc::Vfs_plugin::symlink(const char *oldpath, const char *newpath)
 	case Result::SYMLINK_ERR_EXISTS:        errno = EEXIST;       return -1;
 	case Result::SYMLINK_ERR_NO_ENTRY:      errno = ENOENT;       return -1;
 	case Result::SYMLINK_ERR_NAME_TOO_LONG: errno = ENAMETOOLONG; return -1;
-	case Result::SYMLINK_ERR_NO_PERM:       errno = ENOSYS;       return -1;
+	case Result::SYMLINK_ERR_NO_PERM:       errno = EPERM;        return -1;
 	case Result::SYMLINK_ERR_NO_SPACE:      errno = ENOSPC;       return -1;
 	case Result::SYMLINK_OK:                                      break;
 	}
diff --git a/repos/os/src/lib/vfs/fs_file_system.h b/repos/os/src/lib/vfs/fs_file_system.h
index 0403c81f87..8d89e706de 100644
--- a/repos/os/src/lib/vfs/fs_file_system.h
+++ b/repos/os/src/lib/vfs/fs_file_system.h
@@ -530,6 +530,8 @@ class Vfs::Fs_file_system : public File_system
 
 		Symlink_result symlink(char const *from, char const *to) override
 		{
+			auto const from_len = strlen(from);
+
 			/*
 			 * We write to the symlink via the packet stream. Hence we need
 			 * to serialize with other packet-stream operations.
@@ -550,10 +552,18 @@ class Vfs::Fs_file_system : public File_system
 				Fs_handle_guard from_dir_guard(*this, _fs, dir_handle, _handle_space);
 
 				::File_system::Symlink_handle symlink_handle =
-				    _fs.symlink(dir_handle, symlink_name.base() + 1, true);
+					_fs.symlink(dir_handle, symlink_name.base() + 1, true);
 				Fs_handle_guard symlink_guard(*this, _fs, symlink_handle, _handle_space);
 
-				_write(symlink_guard, from, strlen(from) + 1, 0);
+				auto const n = _write(symlink_guard, from, from_len, 0);
+
+				/*
+				 * a convention at the VFS server is to return an invalid
+				 * result length when the target is too long
+				 */
+				if (n != from_len) {
+					return n ? SYMLINK_ERR_NAME_TOO_LONG : SYMLINK_ERR_NO_PERM;
+				}
 			}
 			catch (::File_system::Invalid_handle)      { return SYMLINK_ERR_NO_ENTRY; }
 			catch (::File_system::Node_already_exists) { return SYMLINK_ERR_EXISTS;   }
diff --git a/repos/os/src/lib/vfs/ram_file_system.h b/repos/os/src/lib/vfs/ram_file_system.h
index d39c3f75ed..10d4e10b80 100644
--- a/repos/os/src/lib/vfs/ram_file_system.h
+++ b/repos/os/src/lib/vfs/ram_file_system.h
@@ -246,7 +246,7 @@ class Vfs_ram::Symlink : public Vfs_ram::Node
 
 		void set(char const *target, size_t len)
 		{
-			_len = min(len, MAX_PATH_LEN);
+			_len = len;
 			memcpy(_target, target, _len);
 		}
 
@@ -579,6 +579,10 @@ class Vfs::Ram_file_system : public Vfs::File_system
 		{
 			using namespace Vfs_ram;
 
+			auto const target_len = strlen(target);
+			if (target_len > MAX_PATH_LEN)
+				return SYMLINK_ERR_NAME_TOO_LONG;
+
 			Symlink *link;
 			Directory *parent = lookup_parent(path);
 			if (!parent) return SYMLINK_ERR_NO_ENTRY;
@@ -606,7 +610,7 @@ class Vfs::Ram_file_system : public Vfs::File_system
 			}
 
 			if (*target)
-				link->set(target, strlen(target));
+				link->set(target, target_len);
 			link->unlock();
 			return SYMLINK_OK;
 		}
diff --git a/repos/os/src/server/ram_fs/symlink.h b/repos/os/src/server/ram_fs/symlink.h
index 0491969c50..5626864250 100644
--- a/repos/os/src/server/ram_fs/symlink.h
+++ b/repos/os/src/server/ram_fs/symlink.h
@@ -43,8 +43,6 @@ class Ram_fs::Symlink : public Node
 			/* Ideal symlink operations are atomic. */
 			if (seek_offset) return 0;
 
-			len = min(len, sizeof(_link_to));
-
 			for (size_t i = 0; i < len; ++i) {
 				if (src[i] == '\0') {
 					len = i;
@@ -52,6 +50,13 @@ class Ram_fs::Symlink : public Node
 				}
 			}
 
+			/*
+			 * if the target is too long return a
+			 * short result to indicate the error
+			 */
+			if (len > sizeof(_link_to))
+				return len >> 1;
+
 			Genode::memcpy(_link_to, src, len);
 			_len = len;
 			return len;
diff --git a/repos/os/src/server/vfs/node.h b/repos/os/src/server/vfs/node.h
index 8768e5357f..afb3cfb03d 100644
--- a/repos/os/src/server/vfs/node.h
+++ b/repos/os/src/server/vfs/node.h
@@ -132,15 +132,30 @@ struct Vfs_server::Symlink : Node
 
 	size_t write(Vfs::File_system &vfs, char const *src, size_t len, seek_off_t seek_offset)
 	{
-		/* ensure symlink gets something null-terminated */
-		Genode::String<MAX_PATH_LEN> target(Genode::Cstring(src, len));
+		/*
+		 * if the symlink target is too long return a short result
+		 * because a competent File_system client will error on a
+		 * length mismatch
+		 */
 
-		if (vfs.symlink(target.string(), path()) == Directory_service::SYMLINK_OK)
-			return 0;
+		if (len > MAX_PATH_LEN) {
+			return len >> 1;
+		}
+
+		/* ensure symlink gets something null-terminated */
+		Genode::String<MAX_PATH_LEN+1> target(Genode::Cstring(src, len));
+		size_t const target_len = target.length()-1;
+
+		switch (vfs.symlink(target.string(), path())) {
+		case Directory_service::SYMLINK_OK: break;
+		case Directory_service::SYMLINK_ERR_NAME_TOO_LONG:
+			return target_len >> 1;
+		default: return 0;
+		}
 
 		mark_as_updated();
 		notify_listeners();
-		return target.length();
+		return target_len;
 	}
 
 	bool read_ready() override { return true; }