diff --git a/coreutils/cp.c b/coreutils/cp.c
index 82d43adff..8f8fe5ed3 100644
--- a/coreutils/cp.c
+++ b/coreutils/cp.c
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ extern int cp_main(int argc, char **argv)
 {
 	int status = 0;
 	int opt;
-	int flags = 0;
+	int flags = FILEUTILS_DEREFERENCE;
 	int i;
 
 	while ((opt = getopt(argc, argv, "adfipR")) != -1)
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ extern int cp_main(int argc, char **argv)
 			flags |= FILEUTILS_PRESERVE_STATUS | FILEUTILS_RECUR;
 			/* fallthrough */
 		case 'd':
-			flags |= FILEUTILS_PRESERVE_SYMLINKS;
+			flags &= ~FILEUTILS_DEREFERENCE;
 			break;
 		case 'f':
 			flags |= FILEUTILS_FORCE;
@@ -73,9 +73,9 @@ extern int cp_main(int argc, char **argv)
 		int source_exists = 1;
 		int dest_exists = 1;
 
-		if (((flags & FILEUTILS_PRESERVE_SYMLINKS) &&
+		if ((!(flags & FILEUTILS_DEREFERENCE) &&
 				lstat(argv[optind], &source_stat) < 0) ||
-				(!(flags & FILEUTILS_PRESERVE_SYMLINKS) &&
+				((flags & FILEUTILS_DEREFERENCE) &&
 				 stat(argv[optind], &source_stat))) {
 			if (errno != ENOENT)
 				perror_msg_and_die("unable to stat `%s'", argv[optind]);
diff --git a/coreutils/mv.c b/coreutils/mv.c
index b890abf6e..1c4a34788 100644
--- a/coreutils/mv.c
+++ b/coreutils/mv.c
@@ -74,8 +74,8 @@ static int manual_rename(const char *source, const char *dest)
 		}
 	}
 
-	if (copy_file(source, dest, FILEUTILS_RECUR | FILEUTILS_PRESERVE_STATUS |
-			FILEUTILS_PRESERVE_SYMLINKS) < 0)
+	if (copy_file(source, dest,
+			FILEUTILS_RECUR | FILEUTILS_PRESERVE_STATUS) < 0)
 		return -1;
 
 	if (remove_file(source, FILEUTILS_RECUR | FILEUTILS_FORCE) < 0)
diff --git a/cp.c b/cp.c
index 82d43adff..8f8fe5ed3 100644
--- a/cp.c
+++ b/cp.c
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ extern int cp_main(int argc, char **argv)
 {
 	int status = 0;
 	int opt;
-	int flags = 0;
+	int flags = FILEUTILS_DEREFERENCE;
 	int i;
 
 	while ((opt = getopt(argc, argv, "adfipR")) != -1)
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ extern int cp_main(int argc, char **argv)
 			flags |= FILEUTILS_PRESERVE_STATUS | FILEUTILS_RECUR;
 			/* fallthrough */
 		case 'd':
-			flags |= FILEUTILS_PRESERVE_SYMLINKS;
+			flags &= ~FILEUTILS_DEREFERENCE;
 			break;
 		case 'f':
 			flags |= FILEUTILS_FORCE;
@@ -73,9 +73,9 @@ extern int cp_main(int argc, char **argv)
 		int source_exists = 1;
 		int dest_exists = 1;
 
-		if (((flags & FILEUTILS_PRESERVE_SYMLINKS) &&
+		if ((!(flags & FILEUTILS_DEREFERENCE) &&
 				lstat(argv[optind], &source_stat) < 0) ||
-				(!(flags & FILEUTILS_PRESERVE_SYMLINKS) &&
+				((flags & FILEUTILS_DEREFERENCE) &&
 				 stat(argv[optind], &source_stat))) {
 			if (errno != ENOENT)
 				perror_msg_and_die("unable to stat `%s'", argv[optind]);
diff --git a/include/libbb.h b/include/libbb.h
index 30f0bb9a7..bbdbc6c86 100644
--- a/include/libbb.h
+++ b/include/libbb.h
@@ -273,7 +273,7 @@ char *simplify_path(const char *path);
 
 enum {
 	FILEUTILS_PRESERVE_STATUS = 1,
-	FILEUTILS_PRESERVE_SYMLINKS = 2,
+	FILEUTILS_DEREFERENCE = 2,
 	FILEUTILS_RECUR = 4,
 	FILEUTILS_FORCE = 8,
 	FILEUTILS_INTERACTIVE = 16
diff --git a/libbb/copy_file.c b/libbb/copy_file.c
index 9c1bba689..d3902ffbe 100644
--- a/libbb/copy_file.c
+++ b/libbb/copy_file.c
@@ -40,9 +40,9 @@ int copy_file(const char *source, const char *dest, int flags)
 	int dest_exists = 1;
 	int status = 0;
 
-	if (((flags & FILEUTILS_PRESERVE_SYMLINKS) &&
+	if ((!(flags & FILEUTILS_DEREFERENCE) &&
 			lstat(source, &source_stat) < 0) ||
-			(!(flags & FILEUTILS_PRESERVE_SYMLINKS) &&
+			((flags & FILEUTILS_DEREFERENCE) &&
 			 stat(source, &source_stat) < 0)) {
 		perror_msg("%s", source);
 		return -1;
diff --git a/libbb/libbb.h b/libbb/libbb.h
index 30f0bb9a7..bbdbc6c86 100644
--- a/libbb/libbb.h
+++ b/libbb/libbb.h
@@ -273,7 +273,7 @@ char *simplify_path(const char *path);
 
 enum {
 	FILEUTILS_PRESERVE_STATUS = 1,
-	FILEUTILS_PRESERVE_SYMLINKS = 2,
+	FILEUTILS_DEREFERENCE = 2,
 	FILEUTILS_RECUR = 4,
 	FILEUTILS_FORCE = 8,
 	FILEUTILS_INTERACTIVE = 16
diff --git a/mv.c b/mv.c
index b890abf6e..1c4a34788 100644
--- a/mv.c
+++ b/mv.c
@@ -74,8 +74,8 @@ static int manual_rename(const char *source, const char *dest)
 		}
 	}
 
-	if (copy_file(source, dest, FILEUTILS_RECUR | FILEUTILS_PRESERVE_STATUS |
-			FILEUTILS_PRESERVE_SYMLINKS) < 0)
+	if (copy_file(source, dest,
+			FILEUTILS_RECUR | FILEUTILS_PRESERVE_STATUS) < 0)
 		return -1;
 
 	if (remove_file(source, FILEUTILS_RECUR | FILEUTILS_FORCE) < 0)