diff --git a/base/file.cpp b/base/file.cpp
index 721ab2f..6284b04 100644
--- a/base/file.cpp
+++ b/base/file.cpp
@@ -55,10 +55,11 @@
   return (n == 0) ? true : false;
 }
 
-bool ReadFileToString(const std::string& path, std::string* content) {
+bool ReadFileToString(const std::string& path, std::string* content, bool follow_symlinks) {
   content->clear();
 
-  int fd = TEMP_FAILURE_RETRY(open(path.c_str(), O_RDONLY | O_CLOEXEC | O_NOFOLLOW | O_BINARY));
+  int flags = O_RDONLY | O_CLOEXEC | O_BINARY | (follow_symlinks ? 0 : O_NOFOLLOW);
+  int fd = TEMP_FAILURE_RETRY(open(path.c_str(), flags));
   if (fd == -1) {
     return false;
   }
@@ -91,8 +92,10 @@
 
 #if !defined(_WIN32)
 bool WriteStringToFile(const std::string& content, const std::string& path,
-                       mode_t mode, uid_t owner, gid_t group) {
-  int flags = O_WRONLY | O_CREAT | O_TRUNC | O_CLOEXEC | O_NOFOLLOW | O_BINARY;
+                       mode_t mode, uid_t owner, gid_t group,
+                       bool follow_symlinks) {
+  int flags = O_WRONLY | O_CREAT | O_TRUNC | O_CLOEXEC | O_BINARY |
+              (follow_symlinks ? 0 : O_NOFOLLOW);
   int fd = TEMP_FAILURE_RETRY(open(path.c_str(), flags, mode));
   if (fd == -1) {
     PLOG(ERROR) << "android::WriteStringToFile open failed";
@@ -118,8 +121,10 @@
 }
 #endif
 
-bool WriteStringToFile(const std::string& content, const std::string& path) {
-  int flags = O_WRONLY | O_CREAT | O_TRUNC | O_CLOEXEC | O_NOFOLLOW | O_BINARY;
+bool WriteStringToFile(const std::string& content, const std::string& path,
+                       bool follow_symlinks) {
+  int flags = O_WRONLY | O_CREAT | O_TRUNC | O_CLOEXEC | O_BINARY |
+              (follow_symlinks ? 0 : O_NOFOLLOW);
   int fd = TEMP_FAILURE_RETRY(open(path.c_str(), flags, DEFFILEMODE));
   if (fd == -1) {
     return false;
diff --git a/base/file_test.cpp b/base/file_test.cpp
index f5d6062..f741d89 100644
--- a/base/file_test.cpp
+++ b/base/file_test.cpp
@@ -45,6 +45,24 @@
   EXPECT_EQ("abc", s);
 }
 
+// symlinks require elevated privileges on Windows.
+#if !defined(_WIN32)
+TEST(file, ReadFileToString_WriteStringToFile_symlink) {
+  TemporaryFile target, link;
+  ASSERT_EQ(0, unlink(link.path));
+  ASSERT_EQ(0, symlink(target.path, link.path));
+  ASSERT_FALSE(android::base::WriteStringToFile("foo", link.path, false));
+  ASSERT_EQ(ELOOP, errno);
+  ASSERT_TRUE(android::base::WriteStringToFile("foo", link.path, true));
+
+  std::string s;
+  ASSERT_FALSE(android::base::ReadFileToString(link.path, &s));
+  ASSERT_EQ(ELOOP, errno);
+  ASSERT_TRUE(android::base::ReadFileToString(link.path, &s, true));
+  ASSERT_EQ("foo", s);
+}
+#endif
+
 // WriteStringToFile2 is explicitly for setting Unix permissions, which make no
 // sense on Windows.
 #if !defined(_WIN32)
diff --git a/base/include/android-base/file.h b/base/include/android-base/file.h
index 5b22a65..cd64262 100644
--- a/base/include/android-base/file.h
+++ b/base/include/android-base/file.h
@@ -28,14 +28,17 @@
 namespace base {
 
 bool ReadFdToString(int fd, std::string* content);
-bool ReadFileToString(const std::string& path, std::string* content);
+bool ReadFileToString(const std::string& path, std::string* content,
+                      bool follow_symlinks = false);
 
-bool WriteStringToFile(const std::string& content, const std::string& path);
+bool WriteStringToFile(const std::string& content, const std::string& path,
+                       bool follow_symlinks = false);
 bool WriteStringToFd(const std::string& content, int fd);
 
 #if !defined(_WIN32)
 bool WriteStringToFile(const std::string& content, const std::string& path,
-                       mode_t mode, uid_t owner, gid_t group);
+                       mode_t mode, uid_t owner, gid_t group,
+                       bool follow_symlinks = false);
 #endif
 
 bool ReadFully(int fd, void* data, size_t byte_count);