diff --git a/Lib/tarfile.py b/Lib/tarfile.py
index 105a758..6b9303e 100644
--- a/Lib/tarfile.py
+++ b/Lib/tarfile.py
@@ -2239,12 +2239,14 @@
         if hasattr(os, "symlink") and hasattr(os, "link"):
             # For systems that support symbolic and hard links.
             if tarinfo.issym():
-                if os.path.exists(targetpath):
+                if os.path.lexists(targetpath):
                     os.unlink(targetpath)
                 os.symlink(tarinfo.linkname, targetpath)
             else:
                 # See extract().
                 if os.path.exists(tarinfo._link_target):
+                    if os.path.lexists(targetpath):
+                        os.unlink(targetpath)
                     os.link(tarinfo._link_target, targetpath)
                 else:
                     self._extract_member(self._find_link_target(tarinfo), targetpath)