diff --git a/lib/jekyll/tags/include.rb b/lib/jekyll/tags/include.rb
index 5c679dc1..394d4e67 100644
--- a/lib/jekyll/tags/include.rb
+++ b/lib/jekyll/tags/include.rb
@@ -96,13 +96,12 @@ eos
 
       def render(context)
         dir = File.join(context.registers[:site].source, INCLUDES_DIR)
-        validate_dir(dir, context.registers[:site].safe)
 
         file = render_variable(context) || @file
         validate_file_name(file)
 
         path = File.join(dir, file)
-        validate_file(path, context.registers[:site].safe)
+        validate_path(path, context.registers[:site].safe)
 
         begin
           partial = Liquid::Template.parse(source(path, context))
@@ -116,17 +115,11 @@ eos
         end
       end
 
-      def validate_dir(dir, safe)
-        if File.symlink?(dir) && safe
-          raise IOError.new "Includes directory '#{dir}' cannot be a symlink"
-        end
-      end
-
-      def validate_file(file, safe)
-        if !File.exists?(file)
-          raise IOError.new "Included file '#{file}' not found" 
-        elsif File.symlink?(file) && safe
-          raise IOError.new "The included file '#{file}' should not be a symlink"
+      def validate_path(path, safe)
+        if !File.exist?(path)
+          raise IOError.new "Included file '#{path}' not found"
+        elsif path != File.realpath(path) && safe
+          raise IOError.new "The included file '#{path}' should not be a symlink"
         end
       end
 
diff --git a/test/test_tags.rb b/test/test_tags.rb
index 68507c76..194846f1 100644
--- a/test/test_tags.rb
+++ b/test/test_tags.rb
@@ -366,8 +366,10 @@ CONTENT
 
     context "with symlink'd include" do
 
-      setup do
-        content = <<CONTENT
+      should "not allow symlink includes" do
+        File.open("/tmp/pages-test", 'w') { |file| file.write("SYMLINK TEST") }
+        assert_raise IOError do
+          content = <<CONTENT
 ---
 title: Include symlink
 ---
@@ -375,11 +377,8 @@ title: Include symlink
 {% include tmp/pages-test %}
 
 CONTENT
-        create_post(content, {'permalink' => 'pretty', 'source' => source_dir, 'destination' => dest_dir, 'read_posts' => true, 'safe' => true })
-      end
-
-      should "not allow symlink includes" do
-        File.open("/tmp/pages-test", 'w') { |file| file.write("SYMLINK TEST") }
+          create_post(content, {'permalink' => 'pretty', 'source' => source_dir, 'destination' => dest_dir, 'read_posts' => true, 'safe' => true })
+        end
         assert_no_match /SYMLINK TEST/, @result
       end
     end