diff --git a/common/helper.go b/common/helper.go
index e8e8cb5..e2724c4 100644
--- a/common/helper.go
+++ b/common/helper.go
@@ -170,25 +170,32 @@ func Sprintf(format string, values ...interface{}) (string, error) {
 }
 
 type PathMatchResult struct {
-	Path   string
-	Match  bool
-	IsLink bool
+	Path      string
+	Match     bool
+	IsLink    bool
+	DoesExist bool
 }
 
 func PathMatch(path string, patternList []string) (PathMatchResult, error) {
-	result := PathMatchResult{}
-	if _, err := os.Stat(path); os.IsExist(err) {
+	result := PathMatchResult{Path: path, DoesExist: true}
+
+	if _, err := os.Lstat(path); err == nil {
 		resolvedPath, err := filepath.EvalSymlinks(path)
 		if err != nil {
+			// error out on broken symlinks, because we cannot resolve
+			// their path with EvalSymlinks
+			result.DoesExist = false
 			return result, err
 		} else {
-			result.Path = resolvedPath
+			if resolvedPath != path {
+				result.IsLink = true
+				result.Path = resolvedPath
+			}
 		}
+	} else {
+		result.DoesExist = false
 	}
 
-	if result.Path != path {
-		result.IsLink = true
-	}
 	for _, pattern := range patternList {
 		match, err := filepath.Match(pattern, result.Path)
 		if err != nil {
diff --git a/common/helper_test.go b/common/helper_test.go
index 99b5cd2..51308ff 100644
--- a/common/helper_test.go
+++ b/common/helper_test.go
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ import (
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
 	"regexp"
+	"runtime"
 	"strings"
 	"testing"
 )
@@ -98,3 +99,74 @@ func TestEncloseWithoutData(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fail()
 	}
 }
+
+func TestPathMatch(t *testing.T) {
+	dir, err := ioutil.TempDir("", "test-path-match")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	defer os.RemoveAll(dir)
+
+	execfile := filepath.Join(dir, "myexec")
+	patternList := []string{"/usr/bin/moo", "/sbin/bar"}
+	result, err := PathMatch(execfile, patternList)
+	if err != nil || result.Match {
+		t.Fatalf("'%s' should not match patternList %v err '%v' result '%v'", execfile, patternList, err, result)
+	}
+	if result.DoesExist {
+		t.Fatalf("DoesExist should not be set")
+	}
+
+	os.Create(execfile)
+	patternList = []string{"/usr/bin/moo", "/sbin/bar", execfile}
+	result, err = PathMatch(execfile, patternList)
+	if err != nil || !result.Match {
+		t.Fatalf("'%s' should match patternList %v err '%v' result '%v'", execfile, patternList, err, result)
+	}
+	if !result.DoesExist {
+		t.Fatalf("DoesExist should be set")
+	}
+
+	patternList = []string{"/usr/bin/moo", "/sbin/bar", dir + "/*"}
+	result, err = PathMatch(execfile, patternList)
+	if err != nil || !result.Match {
+		t.Fatalf("'%s' should match globbing patternList %v err '%v' result '%v'",
+			execfile, patternList, err, result)
+	}
+
+}
+
+func TestPathMatchSymlink(t *testing.T) {
+	if runtime.GOOS == "windows" {
+		t.Skip()
+	}
+
+	dir, err := ioutil.TempDir("", "test-path-match")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	defer os.RemoveAll(dir)
+
+	execfile := filepath.Join(dir, "myexec")
+	symlink := filepath.Join(dir, "symlink")
+	if err = os.Symlink(execfile, symlink); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal()
+	}
+	patternList := []string{"moo", "bar", execfile}
+	result, err := PathMatch(symlink, patternList)
+	if err == nil {
+		t.Fatalf("broken symlinks should report an error")
+	}
+
+	os.Create(execfile)
+	result, err = PathMatch(symlink, patternList)
+	if err != nil || !result.Match {
+		t.Fatalf("'%s' should match patternList %v err '%v' result '%v'", execfile, patternList, err, result)
+	}
+	if !result.IsLink {
+		t.Fatalf("result.IsLink is false")
+	}
+	if result.Path != execfile {
+		t.Fatalf("result.Path did not contain resolved symlink")
+	}
+}