diff --git a/kernel/sy_old/mars_light.c b/kernel/sy_old/mars_light.c
index 1b8eb3ec..3c725627 100644
--- a/kernel/sy_old/mars_light.c
+++ b/kernel/sy_old/mars_light.c
@@ -735,12 +735,12 @@ int compare_replaylinks(struct mars_rotate *rot, const char *hosta, const char *
 	}
 
 	a = mars_readlink(linka);
-	if (unlikely(!a)) {
+	if (unlikely(!a || !a[0])) {
 		MARS_ERR_TO(rot->log_say, "cannot read replaylink '%s'\n", linka);
 		goto done;
 	}
 	b = mars_readlink(linkb);
-	if (unlikely(!b)) {
+	if (unlikely(!b || !b[0])) {
 		MARS_ERR_TO(rot->log_say, "cannot read replaylink '%s'\n", linkb);
 		goto done;
 	}
@@ -885,7 +885,7 @@ int _update_version_link(struct mars_rotate *rot, struct trans_logger_info *inf)
 			char *msg = "";
 			int skip_nr = -1;
 			int nr_char = 0;
-			if (skip_link) {
+			if (likely(skip_link && skip_link[0])) {
 				(void)sscanf(skip_link, "%d%n", &skip_nr, &nr_char);
 				msg = skip_link + nr_char;
 			}
@@ -920,7 +920,7 @@ int _update_version_link(struct mars_rotate *rot, struct trans_logger_info *inf)
 		len += sprintf(old + len, "%02x", digest[i]);
 	}
 
-	if (likely(prev_link)) {
+	if (likely(prev_link && prev_link[0])) {
 		char *tmp;
 		prev_digest = brick_strdup(prev_link);
 		if (unlikely(!prev_digest)) {
@@ -2083,18 +2083,18 @@ bool is_switchover_possible(struct mars_rotate *rot, const char *old_log_path, c
 
 	// fetch all the versionlinks and test for their existence.
 	own_versionlink = get_versionlink(rot->parent_path, old_log_seq, my_id(), &own_versionlink_path);
-	if (unlikely(!own_versionlink)) {
+	if (unlikely(!own_versionlink || !own_versionlink[0])) {
 		MARS_ERR_TO(rot->log_say, "cannot read my own versionlink '%s'\n", SAFE_STR(own_versionlink_path));
 		goto done;
 	}
 	old_versionlink = get_versionlink(rot->parent_path, old_log_seq, old_host, &old_versionlink_path);
-	if (unlikely(!old_versionlink)) {
+	if (unlikely(!old_versionlink || !old_versionlink[0])) {
 		MARS_ERR_TO(rot->log_say, "cannot read old versionlink '%s'\n", SAFE_STR(old_versionlink_path));
 		goto done;
 	}
 	if (!skip_new) {
 		new_versionlink = get_versionlink(rot->parent_path, new_log_seq, new_host, &new_versionlink_path);
-		if (unlikely(!new_versionlink)) {
+		if (unlikely(!new_versionlink || !new_versionlink[0])) {
 			MARS_INF_TO(rot->log_say, "new versionlink '%s' does not yet exist, we must wait for it.\n", SAFE_STR(new_versionlink_path));
 			goto done;
 		}
@@ -2108,7 +2108,7 @@ bool is_switchover_possible(struct mars_rotate *rot, const char *old_log_path, c
 
 	// check: did I fully apply my old logfile data?
 	own_replaylink = get_replaylink(rot->parent_path, my_id(), &own_replaylink_path);
-	if (unlikely(!own_replaylink)) {
+	if (unlikely(!own_replaylink || !own_replaylink[0])) {
 		MARS_ERR_TO(rot->log_say, "cannot read my own replaylink '%s'\n", SAFE_STR(own_replaylink_path));
 		goto done;
 	}
@@ -3615,7 +3615,7 @@ int _update_syncstatus(struct mars_rotate *rot, struct copy_brick *copy, char *p
 		    mars_stat(dst,              &syncstatus_stat,  true) >= 0 &&
 		    mars_stat(peer_replay_path, &peer_replay_stat, true) >= 0 &&
 		    timespec_compare(&syncstatus_stat.mtime, &peer_replay_stat.mtime) <= 0 &&
-		    (peer_replay_link = mars_readlink(peer_replay_path)) &&
+		    (peer_replay_link = mars_readlink(peer_replay_path)) && peer_replay_link[0] &&
 		    (mars_stat(syncpos_path,     &syncpos_stat, true) < 0 ||
 		     timespec_compare(&syncpos_stat.mtime, &syncstatus_stat.mtime) < 0)) {
 			_update_link_when_necessary(rot, "syncpos", peer_replay_link, syncpos_path);
diff --git a/kernel/sy_old/strategy.h b/kernel/sy_old/strategy.h
index e33c9c8e..b86806f6 100644
--- a/kernel/sy_old/strategy.h
+++ b/kernel/sy_old/strategy.h
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
 
 #define MARS_ARGV_MAX 4
 #define MARS_PATH_MAX 256
+#define MARS_SYMLINK_MAX 1023
 
 extern loff_t global_total_space;
 extern loff_t global_remaining_space;
diff --git a/kernel/sy_old/sy_generic.c b/kernel/sy_old/sy_generic.c
index 7cd03535..b1a8f68a 100644
--- a/kernel/sy_old/sy_generic.c
+++ b/kernel/sy_old/sy_generic.c
@@ -193,7 +193,7 @@ EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(mars_symlink);
 
 char *mars_readlink(const char *newpath)
 {
-	char *res = brick_string_alloc(1024);
+	char *res = brick_string_alloc(MARS_SYMLINK_MAX + 1);
 	struct path path = {};
 	mm_segment_t oldfs;
 	struct inode *inode;
@@ -218,7 +218,7 @@ char *mars_readlink(const char *newpath)
 		goto done_put;
 	}
 
-	status = inode->i_op->readlink(path.dentry, res, 1024);
+	status = inode->i_op->readlink(path.dentry, res, MARS_SYMLINK_MAX);
 	if (unlikely(status < 0)) {
 		MARS_ERR("cannot read link '%s', status = %d\n", newpath, status);
 	} else {
@@ -232,8 +232,7 @@ done_fs:
 	set_fs(oldfs);
 done:
 	if (unlikely(status < 0)) {
-		brick_string_free(res);
-		res = NULL;
+		res[0] = '\0';
 	}
 	return res;
 }
@@ -1414,10 +1413,10 @@ EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(mars_kill_brick_when_possible);
 
 char *_vpath_make(int line, const char *fmt, va_list *args)
 {
-	char *res = _brick_string_alloc(MARS_PATH_MAX, line);
+	char *res = _brick_string_alloc(MARS_SYMLINK_MAX, line);
 
 	if (likely(res)) {
-		vsnprintf(res, MARS_PATH_MAX, fmt, *args);
+		vsnprintf(res, MARS_SYMLINK_MAX, fmt, *args);
 	}
 	return res;
 }
@@ -1437,7 +1436,7 @@ EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(_path_make);
 char *_backskip_replace(int line, const char *path, char delim, bool insert, const char *fmt, ...)
 {
 	int path_len = strlen(path);
-	int total_len = strlen(fmt) + path_len + MARS_PATH_MAX;
+	int total_len = strlen(fmt) + path_len + MARS_SYMLINK_MAX;
 	char *res = _brick_string_alloc(total_len + 1, line);
 	if (likely(res)) {
 		va_list args;