diff --git a/src/Project.zig b/src/Project.zig
index 4c9c8c1..4ba6bd5 100644
--- a/src/Project.zig
+++ b/src/Project.zig
@@ -600,13 +600,12 @@ pub fn walk_tree_entry(self: *Self, m: tp.message) OutOfMemoryError!void {
         tp.extract(&file_color),
     }) catch return)) return;
     const mtime = (@as(i128, @intCast(mtime_high)) << 64) | @as(i128, @intCast(mtime_low));
-    const ft = file_type_config.get(file_type) catch null;
 
     self.longest_file_path = @max(self.longest_file_path, file_path.len);
     (try self.pending.addOne(self.allocator)).* = .{
         .path = try self.allocator.dupe(u8, file_path),
-        .type = if (ft) |ft_| ft_.name else try self.allocator.dupe(u8, file_type),
-        .icon = if (ft) |ft_| ft_.icon orelse &.{} else try self.allocator.dupe(u8, file_icon),
+        .type = file_type,
+        .icon = file_icon,
         .color = @intCast(file_color),
         .mtime = mtime,
     };
diff --git a/src/buffer/Buffer.zig b/src/buffer/Buffer.zig
index 2b0ea6b..0f9a4fd 100644
--- a/src/buffer/Buffer.zig
+++ b/src/buffer/Buffer.zig
@@ -38,8 +38,6 @@ pub const BlameLine = struct {
     author_stamp: usize,
 };
 
-pub var retain_symlinks: bool = true;
-
 arena: std.heap.ArenaAllocator,
 allocator: Allocator,
 external_allocator: Allocator,
@@ -1601,14 +1599,7 @@ pub const StoreToFileError = error{
     WriteFailed,
 };
 
-pub fn store_to_existing_file_const(self: *const Self, file_path_: []const u8) StoreToFileError!void {
-    var file_path = file_path_;
-    var link_buf: [std.fs.max_path_bytes]u8 = undefined;
-    if (retain_symlinks) blk: {
-        const link = cwd().readLink(file_path, &link_buf) catch break :blk;
-        file_path = link;
-    }
-
+pub fn store_to_existing_file_const(self: *const Self, file_path: []const u8) StoreToFileError!void {
     var atomic = blk: {
         var write_buffer: [4096]u8 = undefined;
         const stat = cwd().statFile(file_path) catch
diff --git a/src/config.zig b/src/config.zig
index 0ab56c4..e22f890 100644
--- a/src/config.zig
+++ b/src/config.zig
@@ -89,8 +89,6 @@ keybind_mode: KeybindMode = .normal,
 dropdown_keybinds: DropdownKeybindMode = .standard,
 dropdown_limit: usize = 12,
 
-retain_symlinks: bool = true,
-
 include_files: []const u8 = "",
 
 const default_actions = [_]IdleAction{.highlight_references};
diff --git a/src/tui/tui.zig b/src/tui/tui.zig
index 52dba2e..abe8c8a 100644
--- a/src/tui/tui.zig
+++ b/src/tui/tui.zig
@@ -8,7 +8,6 @@ const root = @import("soft_root").root;
 const tracy = @import("tracy");
 const builtin = @import("builtin");
 const file_link = @import("file_link");
-const Buffer = @import("Buffer");
 
 pub const renderer = @import("renderer");
 const input = @import("input");
@@ -155,8 +154,6 @@ fn init(allocator: Allocator) InitError!*Self {
 
     var conf, const conf_bufs = root.read_config(@import("config"), allocator);
 
-    Buffer.retain_symlinks = conf.retain_symlinks;
-
     if (@hasDecl(renderer, "install_crash_handler") and conf.start_debugger_on_crash)
         renderer.jit_debugger_enabled = true;
 
diff --git a/src/walk_tree.zig b/src/walk_tree.zig
index d2c27d4..c88bbeb 100644
--- a/src/walk_tree.zig
+++ b/src/walk_tree.zig
@@ -169,14 +169,23 @@ const FilteredWalker = struct {
                 try self.name_buffer.appendSlice(self.allocator, base.name);
                 switch (base.kind) {
                     .directory => {
-                        _ = try self.next_directory(&base, &top, &containing);
-                        continue;
+                        if (is_filtered_dir(base.name))
+                            continue;
+                        var new_dir = top.iter.dir.openDir(base.name, .{ .iterate = true }) catch |err| switch (err) {
+                            error.NameTooLong => @panic("unexpected error.NameTooLong"), // no path sep in base.name
+                            else => continue,
+                        };
+                        {
+                            errdefer new_dir.close();
+                            try self.stack.append(self.allocator, .{
+                                .iter = new_dir.iterateAssumeFirstIteration(),
+                                .dirname_len = self.name_buffer.items.len,
+                            });
+                            top = &self.stack.items[self.stack.items.len - 1];
+                            containing = &self.stack.items[self.stack.items.len - 2];
+                        }
                     },
                     .file => return self.name_buffer.items,
-                    .sym_link => if (try self.next_sym_link(&base, &top, &containing, 5)) |file|
-                        return file
-                    else
-                        continue,
                     else => continue,
                 }
             } else {
@@ -189,37 +198,4 @@ const FilteredWalker = struct {
         }
         return null;
     }
-
-    fn next_directory(self: *FilteredWalker, base: *const std.fs.Dir.Entry, top: **StackItem, containing: **StackItem) !void {
-        if (is_filtered_dir(base.name))
-            return;
-        var new_dir = top.*.iter.dir.openDir(base.name, .{ .iterate = true }) catch |err| switch (err) {
-            error.NameTooLong => @panic("unexpected error.NameTooLong"), // no path sep in base.name
-            else => return,
-        };
-        {
-            errdefer new_dir.close();
-            try self.stack.append(self.allocator, .{
-                .iter = new_dir.iterateAssumeFirstIteration(),
-                .dirname_len = self.name_buffer.items.len,
-            });
-            top.* = &self.stack.items[self.stack.items.len - 1];
-            containing.* = &self.stack.items[self.stack.items.len - 2];
-        }
-        return;
-    }
-
-    fn next_sym_link(self: *FilteredWalker, base: *const std.fs.Dir.Entry, top: **StackItem, containing: **StackItem, stat_depth: usize) !?[]const u8 {
-        if (stat_depth == 0) return null;
-        const st = top.*.iter.dir.statFile(base.name) catch return null;
-        switch (st.kind) {
-            .directory => {
-                _ = try self.next_directory(base, top, containing);
-                return null;
-            },
-            .file => return self.name_buffer.items,
-            .sym_link => return try self.next_sym_link(base, top, containing, stat_depth - 1),
-            else => return null,
-        }
-    }
 };