diff --git i/src/archives.c w/src/archives.c
index d91a07588..5b7c575f5 100644
--- i/src/archives.c
+++ w/src/archives.c
@@ -875,14 +875,7 @@ tarobject(void *ctx, struct tar_entry *ti)
              conff = conff->next) {
           if (!conff->obsolete)
             continue;
-          if (stat(conff->name, &stabtmp)) {
-            if (errno == ENOENT || errno == ENOTDIR || errno == ELOOP)
-              continue;
-            else
-              ohshite(_("cannot stat file '%s'"), conff->name);
-          }
-          if (stabtmp.st_dev == stab.st_dev &&
-              stabtmp.st_ino == stab.st_ino)
+          if (strcmp(conff->name, nifd->namenode->name) == 0)
             break;
         }
         if (conff) {