diff --git a/winsup/cygwin/path.cc b/winsup/cygwin/path.cc
index 8da858da1..c13701aa0 100644
--- a/winsup/cygwin/path.cc
+++ b/winsup/cygwin/path.cc
@@ -1921,7 +1921,7 @@ symlink_worker (const char *oldpath, const char *newpath, bool isdevice)
 		      win32_newpath.get_nt_native_path (), wsym_type);
 
       if ((!isdevice && win32_newpath.exists ())
-	  || win32_newpath.is_auto_device ())
+	  || (win32_newpath.isdevice () && !win32_newpath.is_fs_special ()))
 	{
 	  set_errno (EEXIST);
 	  __leave;
diff --git a/winsup/cygwin/path.h b/winsup/cygwin/path.h
index 69af5a01c..0b4a003ad 100644
--- a/winsup/cygwin/path.h
+++ b/winsup/cygwin/path.h
@@ -183,7 +183,6 @@ class path_conv
   int isfifo () const {return dev.is_device (FH_FIFO);}
   int isspecial () const {return dev.not_device (FH_FS);}
   int iscygdrive () const {return dev.is_device (FH_CYGDRIVE);}
-  int is_auto_device () const {return isdevice () && !is_fs_special ();}
   int is_fs_device () const {return isdevice () && is_fs_special ();}
   int is_fs_special () const {return dev.is_fs_special ();}
   int is_lnk_special () const {return is_fs_device () || isfifo () || is_lnk_symlink ();}