diff --git a/cloudinit/util.py b/cloudinit/util.py
index 569fc215836..1fadd196291 100644
--- a/cloudinit/util.py
+++ b/cloudinit/util.py
@@ -1886,7 +1886,7 @@ def is_link(path):
 
 def sym_link(source, link, force=False):
     LOG.debug("Creating symbolic link from %r => %r", link, source)
-    if force and os.path.exists(link):
+    if force and os.path.lexists(link):
         del_file(link)
     os.symlink(source, link)
 
diff --git a/tests/unittests/test_util.py b/tests/unittests/test_util.py
index 3765511bec7..3f3079b04e7 100644
--- a/tests/unittests/test_util.py
+++ b/tests/unittests/test_util.py
@@ -361,6 +361,52 @@ def test_mount_is_ro(self, m_mount_info):
         self.assertEqual(is_rw, False)
 
 
+class TestSymlink(CiTestCase):
+    def test_sym_link_simple(self):
+        tmpd = self.tmp_dir()
+        link = self.tmp_path("link", tmpd)
+        target = self.tmp_path("target", tmpd)
+        util.write_file(target, "hello")
+
+        util.sym_link(target, link)
+        self.assertTrue(os.path.exists(link))
+        self.assertTrue(os.path.islink(link))
+
+    def test_sym_link_source_exists(self):
+        tmpd = self.tmp_dir()
+        link = self.tmp_path("link", tmpd)
+        target = self.tmp_path("target", tmpd)
+        util.write_file(target, "hello")
+
+        util.sym_link(target, link)
+        self.assertTrue(os.path.exists(link))
+
+        util.sym_link(target, link, force=True)
+        self.assertTrue(os.path.exists(link))
+
+    def test_sym_link_dangling_link(self):
+        tmpd = self.tmp_dir()
+        link = self.tmp_path("link", tmpd)
+        target = self.tmp_path("target", tmpd)
+
+        util.sym_link(target, link)
+        self.assertTrue(os.path.islink(link))
+        self.assertFalse(os.path.exists(link))
+
+        util.sym_link(target, link, force=True)
+        self.assertTrue(os.path.islink(link))
+        self.assertFalse(os.path.exists(link))
+
+    def test_sym_link_create_dangling(self):
+        tmpd = self.tmp_dir()
+        link = self.tmp_path("link", tmpd)
+        target = self.tmp_path("target", tmpd)
+
+        util.sym_link(target, link)
+        self.assertTrue(os.path.islink(link))
+        self.assertFalse(os.path.exists(link))
+
+
 class TestUptime(CiTestCase):
     @mock.patch("cloudinit.util.boottime")
     @mock.patch("cloudinit.util.os.path.exists")