diff --git a/Lib/tarfile.py b/Lib/tarfile.py
index af32b0f..f26953e 100644
--- a/Lib/tarfile.py
+++ b/Lib/tarfile.py
@@ -2496,7 +2496,7 @@
         """
         if tarinfo.issym():
             # Always search the entire archive.
-            linkname = os.path.dirname(tarinfo.name) + "/" + tarinfo.linkname
+            linkname = "/".join(filter(None, (os.path.dirname(tarinfo.name), tarinfo.linkname)))
             limit = None
         else:
             # Search the archive before the link, because a hard link is