* to emulate by hand - much easier to let the system
                 * just do the right thing)
                 */
-               unlink(path);
                if (S_ISDIR(st.st_mode)) {
                        /* If it is a gitlink, leave it alone! */
                        if (S_ISGITLINK(ce->ce_mode))
                        if (!state->force)
                                return error("%s is a directory", path);
                        remove_subtree(path);
-               }
+               } else if (unlink(path))
+                       return error("unable to unlink old '%s' (%s)", path, strerror(errno));
        } else if (state->not_new)
                return 0;
        create_directories(path, state);