diff --git a/.changelog/23319.txt b/.changelog/23319.txt
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..d18b0d7399c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changelog/23319.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+```release-note:security
+migration: Added a check for relative paths escaping the allocation directory when unpacking archive during migration, to harden clients against compromised peer clients sending malicious archives
+```
diff --git a/client/allocwatcher/alloc_watcher.go b/client/allocwatcher/alloc_watcher.go
index ee0f096aee4..5f5ac776ace 100644
--- a/client/allocwatcher/alloc_watcher.go
+++ b/client/allocwatcher/alloc_watcher.go
@@ -587,6 +587,12 @@ func (p *remotePrevAlloc) streamAllocDir(ctx context.Context, resp io.ReadCloser
 				p.prevAllocID, p.allocID, err)
 		}
 
+		if escapes, err := escapingfs.PathEscapesAllocDir(dest, "", hdr.Name); err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("error evaluating object: %w", err)
+		} else if escapes {
+			return fmt.Errorf("archive contains object that escapes alloc dir")
+		}
+
 		if hdr.Name == errorFilename {
 			// Error snapshotting on the remote side, try to read
 			// the message out of the file and return it.
@@ -618,12 +624,12 @@ func (p *remotePrevAlloc) streamAllocDir(ctx context.Context, resp io.ReadCloser
 				return fmt.Errorf("error creating symlink: %w", err)
 			}
 
-			escapes, err := escapingfs.PathEscapesAllocDir(dest, "", hdr.Name)
-			if err != nil {
-				return fmt.Errorf("error evaluating symlink: %w", err)
-			}
-			if escapes {
-				return fmt.Errorf("archive contains symlink that escapes alloc dir")
+			for _, path := range []string{hdr.Name, hdr.Linkname} {
+				if escapes, err := escapingfs.PathEscapesAllocDir(dest, "", path); err != nil {
+					return fmt.Errorf("error evaluating symlink: %w", err)
+				} else if escapes {
+					return fmt.Errorf("archive contains symlink that escapes alloc dir")
+				}
 			}
 
 			continue
diff --git a/client/allocwatcher/alloc_watcher_test.go b/client/allocwatcher/alloc_watcher_test.go
index d22dc8fef2a..c79a4ca2e1b 100644
--- a/client/allocwatcher/alloc_watcher_test.go
+++ b/client/allocwatcher/alloc_watcher_test.go
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/hashicorp/nomad/nomad/mock"
 	"github.com/hashicorp/nomad/nomad/structs"
 	"github.com/hashicorp/nomad/testutil"
+	"github.com/shoenig/test/must"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
 )
 
@@ -276,3 +277,38 @@ func TestPrevAlloc_StreamAllocDir_Error(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatalf("expected foo.txt to be size 1 but found %d", fi.Size())
 	}
 }
+
+// TestPrevAlloc_StreamAllocDir_FileEscape asserts that an error is returned
+// when the tar archive contains a file that escapes the allocation directory.
+func TestPrevAlloc_StreamAllocDir_FileEscape(t *testing.T) {
+	ci.Parallel(t)
+
+	// This test only unit tests streamAllocDir so we only need a partially
+	// complete remotePrevAlloc
+	prevAlloc := &remotePrevAlloc{
+		logger:      testlog.HCLogger(t),
+		allocID:     "123",
+		prevAllocID: "abc",
+		migrate:     true,
+	}
+
+	// Create a tar archive with a file that escapes the allocation directory
+	tarBuf := bytes.NewBuffer(nil)
+	tw := tar.NewWriter(tarBuf)
+	err := tw.WriteHeader(&tar.Header{
+		Name:     "../escape.txt",
+		Mode:     0666,
+		Size:     1,
+		ModTime:  time.Now(),
+		Typeflag: tar.TypeReg,
+	})
+	must.NoError(t, err)
+	_, err = tw.Write([]byte{'a'})
+	t.Cleanup(func() { tw.Close() })
+	must.NoError(t, err)
+
+	// Attempt to stream the allocation directory
+	dest := t.TempDir()
+	err = prevAlloc.streamAllocDir(context.Background(), io.NopCloser(tarBuf), dest)
+	must.EqError(t, err, "archive contains object that escapes alloc dir")
+}
diff --git a/client/allocwatcher/alloc_watcher_unix_test.go b/client/allocwatcher/alloc_watcher_unix_test.go
index 6416175bfc9..78f93e70835 100644
--- a/client/allocwatcher/alloc_watcher_unix_test.go
+++ b/client/allocwatcher/alloc_watcher_unix_test.go
@@ -115,6 +115,27 @@ func TestPrevAlloc_StreamAllocDir_BadSymlink(t *testing.T) {
 	must.EqError(t, err, "archive contains symlink that escapes alloc dir")
 }
 
+func TestPrevAlloc_StreamAllocDir_BadSymlink_Linkname(t *testing.T) {
+	ci.Parallel(t)
+
+	// Create a tar archive with a symlink that attempts to escape the allocation directory
+	var buf bytes.Buffer
+	tw := tar.NewWriter(&buf)
+	t.Cleanup(func() { tw.Close() })
+	must.NoError(t, tw.WriteHeader(&tar.Header{
+		Typeflag: tar.TypeSymlink,
+		Name:     "symlink",
+		Linkname: "../escape_attempt",
+		Mode:     0600,
+	}))
+
+	newDir := t.TempDir()
+	prevAlloc := &remotePrevAlloc{logger: testlog.HCLogger(t)}
+	err := prevAlloc.streamAllocDir(context.Background(), io.NopCloser(&buf), newDir)
+
+	must.EqError(t, err, "archive contains symlink that escapes alloc dir")
+}
+
 func testTar(dir string) (*bytes.Buffer, error) {
 
 	buf := new(bytes.Buffer)