diff --git a/haggis.c b/haggis.c
index 6686f18..820a194 100644
--- a/haggis.c
+++ b/haggis.c
@@ -832,6 +832,8 @@ int haggis_extract_hardlink(haggis_node *node, char *basedir) {
         }
         fclose(fd);
     }
+    if (access(path, F_OK) == 0)
+        unlink(path);
     ret = link(target, path);
     free(path);
     free(target);
@@ -888,7 +890,7 @@ char* haggis_extract_file(haggis_node *node, char *basedir) {
 int haggis_extract_node(char *basedir, haggis_node *node, haggis_mq *mq) {
     haggis_msg          *msg;
     char                *path, *dir, *fullpath;
-    int                  ret;
+    int                  ret = 0;
 
     path = get_full_path(&node->name, basedir);
     dir = dirname(strndup(path, PATH_MAX));