int silent_on_removed = option & DIFF_SILENT_ON_REMOVED;
        unsigned ce_option = ((option & DIFF_RACY_IS_MODIFIED)
                              ? CE_MATCH_RACY_IS_DIRTY : 0);
+       char symcache[PATH_MAX];
 
        if (diff_unmerged_stage < 0)
                diff_unmerged_stage = 2;
        entries = active_nr;
+       symcache[0] = '\0';
        for (i = 0; i < entries; i++) {
                struct stat st;
                unsigned int oldmode, newmode;
                        memset(&(dpath->parent[0]), 0,
                               sizeof(struct combine_diff_parent)*5);
 
-                       if (lstat(ce->name, &st) < 0) {
-                               if (errno != ENOENT && errno != ENOTDIR) {
+                       changed = check_work_tree_entity(ce, &st, symcache);
+                       if (!changed)
+                               dpath->mode = ce_mode_from_stat(ce, st.st_mode);
+                       else {
+                               if (changed < 0) {
                                        perror(ce->name);
                                        continue;
                                }
                                if (silent_on_removed)
                                        continue;
                        }
-                       else
-                               dpath->mode = ce_mode_from_stat(ce, st.st_mode);
 
                        while (i < entries) {
                                struct cache_entry *nce = active_cache[i];
 
                if (ce_uptodate(ce))
                        continue;
-               if (lstat(ce->name, &st) < 0) {
-                       if (errno != ENOENT && errno != ENOTDIR) {
+
+               changed = check_work_tree_entity(ce, &st, symcache);
+               if (changed) {
+                       if (changed < 0) {
                                perror(ce->name);
                                continue;
                        }