diff --git a/tests/clone/local.c b/tests/clone/local.c
index 289c50aaf..a4406c1cc 100644
--- a/tests/clone/local.c
+++ b/tests/clone/local.c
@@ -5,11 +5,7 @@
 #include "buffer.h"
 #include "path.h"
 #include "posix.h"
-
-void assert_clone(const char *path, git_clone_local_t opt, int val)
-{
-	cl_assert_equal_i(val, git_clone__should_clone_local(path, opt));
-}
+#include "fileops.h"
 
 void test_clone_local__should_clone_local(void)
 {
@@ -40,20 +36,21 @@ void test_clone_local__hardlinks(void)
 	git_buf buf = GIT_BUF_INIT;
 	struct stat st;
 
+
+	/*
+	 * In this first clone, we just copy over, since the temp dir
+	 * will often be in a different filesystem, so we cannot
+	 * link. It also allows us to control the number of links
+	 */
 	cl_git_pass(git_repository_init(&repo, "./clone.git", true));
 	cl_git_pass(git_remote_create(&remote, repo, "origin", cl_fixture("testrepo.git")));
 	cl_git_pass(git_signature_now(&sig, "foo", "bar"));
-	cl_git_pass(git_clone_local_into(repo, remote, NULL, NULL, true, sig));
+	cl_git_pass(git_clone_local_into(repo, remote, NULL, NULL, false, sig));
 
 	git_remote_free(remote);
 	git_repository_free(repo);
 
-	/*
-	 * We can't rely on the link option taking effect in the first
-	 * clone, since the temp dir and fixtures dir may reside on
-	 * different filesystems. We perform the second clone
-	 * side-by-side to make sure this is the case.
-	 */
+	/* This second clone is in the same filesystem, so we can hardlink */
 
 	cl_git_pass(git_repository_init(&repo, "./clone2.git", true));
 	cl_git_pass(git_buf_puts(&buf, cl_git_path_url("clone.git")));
@@ -65,7 +62,7 @@ void test_clone_local__hardlinks(void)
 	cl_git_pass(git_buf_join_n(&buf, '/', 4, git_repository_path(repo), "objects", "08", "b041783f40edfe12bb406c9c9a8a040177c125"));
 
 	cl_git_pass(p_stat(buf.ptr, &st));
-	cl_assert(st.st_nlink > 1);
+	cl_assert_equal_i(2, st.st_nlink);
 #endif
 
 	git_remote_free(remote);
@@ -83,8 +80,26 @@ void test_clone_local__hardlinks(void)
 	cl_git_pass(p_stat(buf.ptr, &st));
 	cl_assert_equal_i(1, st.st_nlink);
 
-	git_buf_free(&buf);
-	git_signature_free(sig);
 	git_remote_free(remote);
 	git_repository_free(repo);
+
+	/* this one should automatically use links */
+	cl_git_pass(git_clone(&repo, "./clone.git", "./clone4.git", NULL));
+
+#ifndef GIT_WIN32
+	git_buf_clear(&buf);
+	cl_git_pass(git_buf_join_n(&buf, '/', 4, git_repository_path(repo), "objects", "08", "b041783f40edfe12bb406c9c9a8a040177c125"));
+
+	cl_git_pass(p_stat(buf.ptr, &st));
+	cl_assert_equal_i(3, st.st_nlink);
+#endif
+
+	git_buf_free(&buf);
+	git_signature_free(sig);
+	git_repository_free(repo);
+
+	cl_git_pass(git_futils_rmdir_r("./clone.git", NULL, GIT_RMDIR_REMOVE_FILES));
+	cl_git_pass(git_futils_rmdir_r("./clone2.git", NULL, GIT_RMDIR_REMOVE_FILES));
+	cl_git_pass(git_futils_rmdir_r("./clone3.git", NULL, GIT_RMDIR_REMOVE_FILES));
+	cl_git_pass(git_futils_rmdir_r("./clone4.git", NULL, GIT_RMDIR_REMOVE_FILES));
 }