diff --git a/base/src/main/kotlin/de/staropensource/engine/base/utility/FileAccess.kt b/base/src/main/kotlin/de/staropensource/engine/base/utility/FileAccess.kt
index f9641adf6..5ad6fd6da 100644
--- a/base/src/main/kotlin/de/staropensource/engine/base/utility/FileAccess.kt
+++ b/base/src/main/kotlin/de/staropensource/engine/base/utility/FileAccess.kt
@@ -490,10 +490,10 @@ class FileAccess {
     }
 
     /**
-     * Returns the destination of
-     * this symbolic or hard link.
+     * Returns the destination
+     * of this symbolic link.
      *
-     * @return destination or `null` if not a symbolic or hard link
+     * @return destination or `null` if not a symbolic link
      * @throws IOAccessException on IO error
      * @since v1-alpha10
      */
@@ -504,6 +504,7 @@ class FileAccess {
         } catch (exception: Exception) {
             when (exception) {
                 is NotLinkException, is UnsupportedOperationException -> null
+                is IOException -> throw IOAccessException("Failed to get the link destination for '${unformatFromPath(path)}'", exception)
                 else -> throw exception
             }
         }
@@ -1098,8 +1099,8 @@ class FileAccess {
      * @since v1-alpha10
      */
     @Throws(IOAccessException::class, VerificationFailedException::class)
-    fun verifyExists(): FileAccess {
-        if (!exists())
+    fun verifyExists(noFollowSymbolicLink: Boolean = false): FileAccess {
+        if (!exists(noFollowSymbolicLink = noFollowSymbolicLink))
             throw VerificationFailedException("Expected that something exists at '${unformatFromPath(path)}'")
 
         return this
@@ -1115,8 +1116,8 @@ class FileAccess {
      * @since v1-alpha10
      */
     @Throws(IOAccessException::class, VerificationFailedException::class)
-    fun verifyNotExists(): FileAccess {
-        if (exists())
+    fun verifyNotExists(noFollowSymbolicLink: Boolean = false): FileAccess {
+        if (exists(noFollowSymbolicLink = noFollowSymbolicLink))
             throw VerificationFailedException("Expected that nothing exists at '${unformatFromPath(path)}'")
 
         return this
@@ -1201,7 +1202,7 @@ class FileAccess {
      */
     @Throws(IOAccessException::class, VerificationFailedException::class)
     fun verifyIsLink(): FileAccess {
-        if (exists() && (isSymbolicLink() || getLinkDestination() != null))
+        if (exists() && isSymbolicLink())
             throw VerificationFailedException("Expected that '${unformatFromPath(path)}' is a link")
 
         return this
@@ -1218,6 +1219,40 @@ class FileAccess {
      */
     @Throws(IOAccessException::class, VerificationFailedException::class)
     fun verifyIsNotLink(): FileAccess {
+        if (exists() && !isSymbolicLink())
+            throw VerificationFailedException("Expected that '${unformatFromPath(path)}' is not a link")
+
+        return this
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Verifies that a link
+     * is at this location.
+     *
+     * @return this instance
+     * @throws IOAccessException           on IO error
+     * @throws VerificationFailedException if the verification fails
+     * @since v1-alpha10
+     */
+    @Throws(IOAccessException::class, VerificationFailedException::class)
+    fun verifyIsValidLink(): FileAccess {
+        if (exists() && (isSymbolicLink() || getLinkDestination() != null))
+            throw VerificationFailedException("Expected that '${unformatFromPath(path)}' is a link")
+
+        return this
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Verifies that a link does
+     * not exist at this location.
+     *
+     * @return this instance
+     * @throws IOAccessException           on IO error
+     * @throws VerificationFailedException if the verification fails
+     * @since v1-alpha10
+     */
+    @Throws(IOAccessException::class, VerificationFailedException::class)
+    fun verifyIsNotValidLink(): FileAccess {
         if (exists() && !(isSymbolicLink() || getLinkDestination() != null))
             throw VerificationFailedException("Expected that '${unformatFromPath(path)}' is not a link")
 
@@ -1258,40 +1293,6 @@ class FileAccess {
         return this
     }
 
-    /**
-     * Verifies that a symbolic
-     * link is at this location.
-     *
-     * @return this instance
-     * @throws IOAccessException           on IO error
-     * @throws VerificationFailedException if the verification fails
-     * @since v1-alpha10
-     */
-    @Throws(IOAccessException::class, VerificationFailedException::class)
-    fun verifyIsHardLink(): FileAccess {
-        if (exists() && !isSymbolicLink() && getLinkDestination() != null)
-            throw VerificationFailedException("Expected that '${unformatFromPath(path)}' is a hard link")
-
-        return this
-    }
-
-    /**
-     * Verifies that a symbolic link
-     * does not exist at this location.
-     *
-     * @return this instance
-     * @throws IOAccessException           on IO error
-     * @throws VerificationFailedException if the verification fails
-     * @since v1-alpha10
-     */
-    @Throws(IOAccessException::class, VerificationFailedException::class)
-    fun verifyIsNotHardLink(): FileAccess {
-        if (exists() && !isSymbolicLink() && getLinkDestination() == null)
-            throw VerificationFailedException("Expected that '${unformatFromPath(path)}' is not a hard link")
-
-        return this
-    }
-
 
     // -----> Inner classes
     /**