diff --git a/mercurial/context.py b/mercurial/context.py
--- a/mercurial/context.py
+++ b/mercurial/context.py
@@ -1375,7 +1375,7 @@ class workingctx(committablectx):
         susposed to be linking to.
         """
         s[0] = self._filtersuspectsymlink(s[0])
-        self._status = s
+        self._status = s[:]
         return s
 
     def _dirstatestatus(self, match=None, ignored=False, clean=False,