diff --git a/mercurial/context.py b/mercurial/context.py
--- a/mercurial/context.py
+++ b/mercurial/context.py
@@ -1178,6 +1178,25 @@ class workingctx(committablectx):
             finally:
                 wlock.release()
 
+    def _filtersuspectsymlink(self, files):
+        if not files or self._repo.dirstate._checklink:
+            return files
+
+        # Symlink placeholders may get non-symlink-like contents
+        # via user error or dereferencing by NFS or Samba servers,
+        # so we filter out any placeholders that don't look like a
+        # symlink
+        sane = []
+        for f in files:
+            if self.flags(f) == 'l':
+                d = self[f].data()
+                if d == '' or len(d) >= 1024 or '\n' in d or util.binary(d):
+                    self._repo.ui.debug('ignoring suspect symlink placeholder'
+                                        ' "%s"\n' % f)
+                    continue
+            sane.append(f)
+        return sane
+
 class committablefilectx(basefilectx):
     """A committablefilectx provides common functionality for a file context
     that wants the ability to commit, e.g. workingfilectx or memfilectx."""
diff --git a/mercurial/localrepo.py b/mercurial/localrepo.py
--- a/mercurial/localrepo.py
+++ b/mercurial/localrepo.py
@@ -1609,21 +1609,8 @@ class localrepository(object):
                     added.append(fn)
             removed = mf1.keys()
 
-        if working and modified and not self.dirstate._checklink:
-            # Symlink placeholders may get non-symlink-like contents
-            # via user error or dereferencing by NFS or Samba servers,
-            # so we filter out any placeholders that don't look like a
-            # symlink
-            sane = []
-            for f in modified:
-                if ctx2.flags(f) == 'l':
-                    d = ctx2[f].data()
-                    if d == '' or len(d) >= 1024 or '\n' in d or util.binary(d):
-                        self.ui.debug('ignoring suspect symlink placeholder'
-                                      ' "%s"\n' % f)
-                        continue
-                sane.append(f)
-            modified = sane
+        if working:
+            modified = ctx2._filtersuspectsymlink(modified)
 
         r = modified, added, removed, deleted, unknown, ignored, clean