diff --git a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/util/FS_POSIX.java b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/util/FS_POSIX.java
index 76aa69776..9f273d1b8 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/util/FS_POSIX.java
+++ b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/util/FS_POSIX.java
@@ -371,22 +371,28 @@ public boolean createNewFile(File lock) throws IOException {
 			return true;
 		}
 		Path lockPath = lock.toPath();
-		Path link = Files.createLink(Paths.get(lock.getAbsolutePath() + ".lnk"), //$NON-NLS-1$
-				lockPath);
+		Path link = null;
 		try {
+			link = Files.createLink(
+					Paths.get(lock.getAbsolutePath() + ".lnk"), //$NON-NLS-1$
+					lockPath);
 			Integer nlink = (Integer) (Files.getAttribute(lockPath,
 					"unix:nlink")); //$NON-NLS-1$
-			if (nlink != 2) {
+			if (nlink > 2) {
 				LOG.warn("nlink of link to lock file {0} was not 2 but {1}", //$NON-NLS-1$
 						lock.getPath(), nlink);
 				return false;
+			} else if (nlink < 2) {
+				supportsUnixNLink = false;
 			}
 			return true;
 		} catch (UnsupportedOperationException | IllegalArgumentException e) {
 			supportsUnixNLink = false;
 			return true;
 		} finally {
-			Files.delete(link);
+			if (link != null) {
+				Files.delete(link);
+			}
 		}
 	}
 }