diff --git a/pkg/fileutils/fileutils.go b/pkg/fileutils/fileutils.go
index 9d0714b1b..85ce2d526 100644
--- a/pkg/fileutils/fileutils.go
+++ b/pkg/fileutils/fileutils.go
@@ -344,7 +344,7 @@ func ReadSymlinkedPath(path string) (realPath string, err error) {
 	if realPath, err = filepath.EvalSymlinks(realPath); err != nil {
 		return "", fmt.Errorf("failed to canonicalise path for %q: %w", path, err)
 	}
-	if _, err := os.Stat(realPath); err != nil {
+	if err := Exists(realPath); err != nil {
 		return "", fmt.Errorf("failed to stat target %q of %q: %w", realPath, path, err)
 	}
 	return realPath, nil
@@ -352,7 +352,7 @@ func ReadSymlinkedPath(path string) (realPath string, err error) {
 
 // CreateIfNotExists creates a file or a directory only if it does not already exist.
 func CreateIfNotExists(path string, isDir bool) error {
-	if _, err := os.Stat(path); err != nil {
+	if err := Exists(path); err != nil {
 		if os.IsNotExist(err) {
 			if isDir {
 				return os.MkdirAll(path, 0o755)