diff --git a/src/slic3r/GUI/GUI_App.cpp b/src/slic3r/GUI/GUI_App.cpp
index dd2a9d8269..72849dd78e 100644
--- a/src/slic3r/GUI/GUI_App.cpp
+++ b/src/slic3r/GUI/GUI_App.cpp
@@ -1520,6 +1520,21 @@ int GUI_App::install_plugin(std::string name, std::string package_name, InstallP
                 }
                 auto dest_path = plugin_folder / dest_file;
                 std::string dest_zip_file = encode_path(dest_path.string().c_str());
+#ifndef WIN32
+                // Validate a symlink's target before anything at the destination is replaced.
+                const bool is_link = S_ISLNK(stat.m_external_attr >> 16);
+                std::string link;
+                if (is_link) {
+                    link.assign(stat.m_uncomp_size, 0);
+                    if (!mz_zip_reader_extract_to_mem(&archive, stat.m_file_index, link.data(), stat.m_uncomp_size, 0) ||
+                        !is_symlink_target_within_root(dest_file, link, plugin_folder)) {
+                        BOOST_LOG_TRIVIAL(error) << "[install_plugin] link " << dest_file << " -> " << link << " is unreadable or resolves outside " << plugin_folder.string();
+                        close_zip_reader(&archive);
+                        if (pro_fn) { pro_fn(InstallStatusUnzipFailed, 0, cancel); }
+                        return InstallStatusUnzipFailed;
+                    }
+                }
+#endif
                 try {
                     boost::filesystem::create_directories(dest_path.parent_path());
                     // symlink_status so that an existing symlink, dangling or not, is replaced rather than written through.
@@ -1551,15 +1566,8 @@ int GUI_App::install_plugin(std::string name, std::string package_name, InstallP
                     }
                     mz_bool res = 0;
 #ifndef WIN32
-                    if (S_ISLNK(stat.m_external_attr >> 16)) {
-                        std::string link(stat.m_uncomp_size, 0);
-                        res = mz_zip_reader_extract_to_mem(&archive, stat.m_file_index, link.data(), stat.m_uncomp_size, 0);
-                        if (res && !is_symlink_target_within_root(dest_file, link, plugin_folder)) {
-                            BOOST_LOG_TRIVIAL(error) << "[install_plugin] link " << dest_file << " -> " << link << " resolves outside " << plugin_folder.string();
-                            close_zip_reader(&archive);
-                            if (pro_fn) { pro_fn(InstallStatusUnzipFailed, 0, cancel); }
-                            return InstallStatusUnzipFailed;
-                        }
+                    if (is_link) {
+                        res = 1;
                         try {
                             boost::filesystem::create_symlink(link, dest_path);
                         } catch (const std::exception &e) {