List a file:// destination through a symlinked directory (closes #296)

List and ListStream walked the destination with afero.Walk, which uses
Lstat and so reported a symlinked metadata/ or blobs/ directory as one
file, while Put, Get and Stat follow the link. The store then listed as
empty, and prune removed the local snapshot records and deleted every
blob. Both listings now walk a view of the filesystem without its Lstat
method, so afero falls back to Stat and enters the link.

A symlink loop is not detected: it is followed until the system refuses
the path for too many levels of links, and the listing fails.

Model: opus-5-5

README.md

@@ -349,11 +349,9 @@ the backup destination store. Blobs are NOT touched — deleting blobs
 requires reading every remaining remote manifest (the destination store
 may hold snapshots this host doesn't know about), which is what
 `vaultik prune` does. On success the command prints the exact `vaultik
-prune` invocation to run as a follow-up. An ID that names no snapshot in
-the local index or on the destination store is an error; with
-`--local-only`, the snapshot must be in the local index. Local row
-cleanup (files, chunks, blobs the snapshot was the last referrer for)
-runs automatically. If the destination store is unreachable, the local-DB
+prune` invocation to run as a follow-up. Local row cleanup (files,
+chunks, blobs the snapshot was the last referrer for) runs
+automatically. If the destination store is unreachable, the local-DB
 removal still completes and a warning is emitted; run `vaultik snapshot
 remove <snapshot-id>` again once the store is reachable to remove the
 snapshot's metadata from it (`vaultik prune` does not). To wipe everything
@@ -414,8 +412,7 @@ destination store.
 entirely. Remote storage is unaffected; the next backup will do a full
 scan and re-deduplicate against existing remote blobs, and the local
 index will re-bind to the currently configured storage destination.
-Use this after changing `storage_url`, or `s3.endpoint`, `s3.bucket` or
-`s3.prefix`, to a different destination.
+Use this after changing `storage_url` to a different destination.
 * `--force`: Skip confirmation prompt
 
 ---

TODO.md

@@ -22,33 +22,15 @@ the tag exists and is exercised; what is left is merging `next` to
 
 # Completed Steps
 
-- 2026-10-13: Made an S3 listing that the server cuts short an error
-  ([issue #297](https://git.eeqj.de/sneak/vaultik/issues/297)). A page
-  marked truncated with no continuation token, as a server answering V2
-  listings V1-style sends, ended the listing without an error, so
-  `prune` saw only the snapshots on the first page and could delete
-  blobs the rest still use. Such a page is now a listing error, and
-  `prune`, `snapshot list` and `remote nuke` handle it as a destination
-  that cannot be listed.
-
-- 2026-10-13: Made `snapshot remove` fail for a snapshot that does not
-  exist ([issue #293](https://git.eeqj.de/sneak/vaultik/issues/293)).
-  The command never checked the ID: it reported the snapshot removed
-  from the local database and from the destination store and exited 0,
-  under `--json`, `--dry-run` and `--local-only` too. An ID that names
-  no snapshot in the local index or on the destination store is now an
-  error; with `--local-only`, the snapshot must be in the local index.
-  The command now reports a removal from either side only when one
-  happened, and `remote_removed` is true only when metadata was deleted.
-
-- 2026-10-12: Bound the local index to the destination an `s3.*` config
-  names ([issue #298](https://git.eeqj.de/sneak/vaultik/issues/298)).
-  Only `storage_url` was checked, so after `s3.bucket` or `s3.prefix`
-  changed, the next backup treated every chunk as already stored,
-  uploaded nothing, and completed a snapshot that could not be restored.
-  Without `storage_url`, the local index is now bound to `s3.endpoint`,
-  `s3.bucket` and `s3.prefix`, and a change is refused as a changed
-  `storage_url` is.
+- 2026-10-12: Made a `file://` destination list through a symlinked
+  directory ([issue #296](https://git.eeqj.de/sneak/vaultik/issues/296)).
+  A `metadata/` or `blobs/` directory that was a symlink to a directory
+  elsewhere was listed as one file, so the destination store listed as
+  empty while backups and restores still worked through the link.
+  `prune` then removed the local snapshot records and deleted every blob,
+  and `remote info` and `remote nuke` found no blobs. The listings now
+  read through the link as `Get` and `Stat` do; a link pointing back up
+  the tree makes them fail.
 
 - 2026-10-12: Rejected a retention duration longer than about 292 years
   ([issue #289](https://git.eeqj.de/sneak/vaultik/issues/289)). The

internal/cli/snapshot.go

@@ -255,12 +255,8 @@ manifest (the destination store may hold snapshots this host doesn't
 know about), which is what 'vaultik prune' does. On success the command
 prints the exact 'vaultik prune' invocation to run as a follow-up.
 
-An ID that names no snapshot in the local index or on the destination
-store is an error.
-
 Use --local-only to skip the remote half (e.g. when you want to forget a
-snapshot locally without touching the destination store); the snapshot
-must then be in the local index.
+snapshot locally without touching the destination store).
 
 If the remote is unreachable, the local-database removal still completes
 and a warning is emitted; run 'vaultik snapshot remove <snapshot-id>' again

internal/s3/client.go

@@ -18,13 +18,6 @@ import (
 	"github.com/aws/smithy-go/logging"
 )
 
-// ErrNoContinuationToken is returned by ListObjects and ListObjectsStream
-// when the server marks a page of a listing truncated but sends no
-// continuation token to fetch the rest with, as a server answering V2
-// listings V1-style does.
-var ErrNoContinuationToken = errors.New(
-	"server marked the listing truncated but sent no continuation token")
-
 // Client wraps the AWS S3 client for vaultik operations.
 // It provides a simplified interface for S3 operations with automatic
 // prefix handling and connection management. All operations are performed
@@ -221,7 +214,7 @@ func (c *Client) ListObjects(ctx context.Context, prefix string) ([]string, erro
 	})
 
 	for paginator.HasMorePages() {
-		page, err := nextListPage(ctx, paginator)
+		page, err := paginator.NextPage(ctx)
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, err
 		}
@@ -242,26 +235,6 @@ func (c *Client) ListObjects(ctx context.Context, prefix string) ([]string, erro
 	return keys, nil
 }
 
-// nextListPage fetches the next page of a listing. The SDK paginator takes
-// a page marked truncated without a continuation token for the last page
-// and stops without an error, so such a page is ErrNoContinuationToken
-// here instead.
-func nextListPage(
-	ctx context.Context, paginator *s3.ListObjectsV2Paginator,
-) (*s3.ListObjectsV2Output, error) {
-	page, err := paginator.NextPage(ctx)
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
-	}
-
-	truncated := aws.ToBool(page.IsTruncated)
-	if truncated && aws.ToString(page.NextContinuationToken) == "" {
-		return nil, ErrNoContinuationToken
-	}
-
-	return page, nil
-}
-
 // HeadObject checks if an object exists in S3.
 // Returns true if the object exists, false otherwise.
 // The key is automatically prefixed with the configured prefix.
@@ -327,7 +300,7 @@ func (c *Client) ListObjectsStream(
 		})
 
 		for paginator.HasMorePages() {
-			page, err := nextListPage(ctx, paginator)
+			page, err := paginator.NextPage(ctx)
 			if err != nil {
 				ch <- ObjectInfo{Err: err}
 

internal/storage/file.go

@@ -120,9 +120,9 @@ func (f *FileStorer) Delete(_ context.Context, key string) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
-// List returns all keys with the given prefix. It fails when the
-// destination directory is missing; a missing prefix under it is an
-// empty listing.
+// List returns all keys with the given prefix, reading through symlinked
+// directories. It fails when the destination directory is missing; a
+// missing prefix under it is an empty listing.
 func (f *FileStorer) List(ctx context.Context, prefix string) ([]string, error) {
 	var keys []string
 
@@ -143,7 +143,7 @@ func (f *FileStorer) List(ctx context.Context, prefix string) ([]string, error)
 		return keys, nil // Empty list for non-existent prefix
 	}
 
-	err = afero.Walk(f.fs, basePath, func(path string, info os.FileInfo, err error) error {
+	err = f.walk(basePath, func(path string, info os.FileInfo, err error) error {
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
@@ -176,7 +176,8 @@ func (f *FileStorer) List(ctx context.Context, prefix string) ([]string, error)
 }
 
 // ListStream returns a channel of ObjectInfo for large result sets. Like
-// List, it sends an error when the destination directory is missing.
+// List, it reads through symlinked directories and sends an error when
+// the destination directory is missing.
 func (f *FileStorer) ListStream(ctx context.Context, prefix string) <-chan ObjectInfo {
 	ch := make(chan ObjectInfo)
 
@@ -204,7 +205,7 @@ func (f *FileStorer) ListStream(ctx context.Context, prefix string) <-chan Objec
 			return // Empty channel for non-existent prefix
 		}
 
-		_ = afero.Walk(f.fs, basePath, func(path string, info os.FileInfo, err error) error {
+		_ = f.walk(basePath, func(path string, info os.FileInfo, err error) error {
 			// Check context cancellation
 			select {
 			case <-ctx.Done():
@@ -352,6 +353,17 @@ func (f *FileStorer) writeAtomic(
 	return nil
 }
 
+// walk is afero.Walk, except that it reads through a symlinked directory
+// the way Get and Stat do, where afero.Walk reports the link as one file.
+// afero.Walk uses Lstat, which does not follow a link, whenever the
+// filesystem has one; the struct below carries only the afero.Fs methods,
+// so the walk uses Stat instead. A link back up the tree is followed until
+// the operating system refuses the path for too many levels of links, and
+// the walk then fails.
+func (f *FileStorer) walk(root string, fn filepath.WalkFunc) error {
+	return afero.Walk(struct{ afero.Fs }{f.fs}, root, fn)
+}
+
 // fullPath returns the full filesystem path for a key.
 func (f *FileStorer) fullPath(key string) string {
 	return filepath.Join(f.basePath, key)

internal/storage/file_backend_test.go

@@ -4,7 +4,10 @@ import (
 	"context"
 	"errors"
 	"io/fs"
+	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
+	"reflect"
+	"strings"
 	"testing"
 
 	"sneak.berlin/go/vaultik/internal/storage"
@@ -60,3 +63,100 @@ func TestFileStorerListMissingDestination(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Errorf("ListStream error = %v, want a not-exist error", streamErr)
 	}
 }
+
+// TestFileStorerListsThroughSymlinkedDirectory checks that List and
+// ListStream read through a symlinked metadata/ or blobs/ directory, as Get
+// and Stat do, instead of listing the link as one key. Listing the whole
+// destination meets the link part-way through the walk; listing its prefix
+// starts the walk at the link.
+func TestFileStorerListsThroughSymlinkedDirectory(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	for _, dir := range []string{"metadata", "blobs"} {
+		t.Run(dir, func(t *testing.T) {
+			t.Parallel()
+
+			base := t.TempDir()
+			key := dir + "/aa/bb/object"
+
+			s, err := storage.NewFileStorer(base)
+			if err != nil {
+				t.Fatalf("NewFileStorer: %v", err)
+			}
+
+			err = s.Put(context.Background(), key, strings.NewReader("data"))
+			if err != nil {
+				t.Fatalf("Put: %v", err)
+			}
+
+			linkPath := filepath.Join(base, dir)
+			movedPath := filepath.Join(t.TempDir(), dir)
+
+			err = os.Rename(linkPath, movedPath)
+			if err != nil {
+				t.Fatalf("moving %s away: %v", dir, err)
+			}
+
+			err = os.Symlink(movedPath, linkPath)
+			if err != nil {
+				t.Fatalf("linking %s: %v", dir, err)
+			}
+
+			want := []string{key}
+
+			for _, prefix := range []string{"", dir + "/"} {
+				got := listSorted(t, s, prefix)
+				if !reflect.DeepEqual(got, want) {
+					t.Errorf("List(%q) = %v, want %v", prefix, got, want)
+				}
+
+				got = listStreamKeys(t, s, prefix)
+				if !reflect.DeepEqual(got, want) {
+					t.Errorf("ListStream(%q) = %v, want %v", prefix, got, want)
+				}
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+// TestFileStorerListFailsOnSymlinkLoop checks that a symlink pointing back
+// at the destination makes List and ListStream fail instead of walking it
+// forever.
+func TestFileStorerListFailsOnSymlinkLoop(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	ctx := context.Background()
+	base := t.TempDir()
+
+	s, err := storage.NewFileStorer(base)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("NewFileStorer: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	err = s.Put(ctx, testBlobKey, strings.NewReader("data"))
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Put: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	err = os.Symlink(base, filepath.Join(base, "blobs", "loop"))
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Symlink: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	keys, err := s.List(ctx, "blobs/")
+	if err == nil {
+		t.Errorf("List = %d keys and no error, want an error", len(keys))
+	}
+
+	var streamErr error
+
+	for object := range s.ListStream(ctx, "blobs/") {
+		if object.Err != nil {
+			streamErr = object.Err
+		}
+	}
+
+	if streamErr == nil {
+		t.Error("ListStream sent no error, want one")
+	}
+}

internal/storage/s3_test.go

@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@ import (
 	"bytes"
 	"context"
 	"errors"
-	"io"
 	"net/http"
 	"net/http/httptest"
 	"slices"
@@ -23,16 +22,13 @@ import (
 // s3TestBucket is the bucket created for each in-process S3 server.
 const s3TestBucket = "test-bucket"
 
-// Credentials for the tests' S3 clients. The test servers accept any.
+// Credentials for the tests that build a storer from a config.Config. The
+// in-process S3 server accepts any.
 const (
 	s3TestAccessKeyID     = "key"
 	s3TestSecretAccessKey = "secret"
 )
 
-// s3TestRegion is the region of the S3 clients built here with
-// s3.NewClient. The test servers ignore it.
-const s3TestRegion = "us-east-1"
-
 // newS3Storer builds an s3:// backend backed by a fresh in-process
 // S3 server. It reuses the same in-memory S3 harness (gofakes3 + s3mem
 // over httptest) that internal/s3 and the not-found regression test use,
@@ -59,7 +55,7 @@ func newS3Storer(t *testing.T) storage.Storer {
 		Bucket:          s3TestBucket,
 		AccessKeyID:     "test",
 		SecretAccessKey: "test",
-		Region:          s3TestRegion,
+		Region:          "us-east-1",
 	})
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("new client: %v", err)
@@ -97,68 +93,6 @@ func TestS3StorerMissingKeyMapsToErrNotFound(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
-// TestS3ListingCutShortIsAnError checks that List and ListStream fail on a
-// listing page marked truncated that carries no continuation token, as a
-// server answering V2 listings V1-style sends it. Taken as the last page,
-// it would hide every later key, and prune would treat the blobs of the
-// snapshots listed there as unreferenced.
-func TestS3ListingCutShortIsAnError(t *testing.T) {
-	t.Parallel()
-
-	const (
-		prefix        = "metadata/"
-		truncatedPage = `<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
-<ListBucketResult xmlns="http://s3.amazonaws.com/doc/2006-03-01/">
-  <Name>test-bucket</Name>
-  <Prefix>metadata/</Prefix>
-  <KeyCount>1</KeyCount>
-  <MaxKeys>1</MaxKeys>
-  <IsTruncated>true</IsTruncated>
-  <Contents>
-    <Key>metadata/snap/manifest.json.zst</Key>
-    <Size>8</Size>
-  </Contents>
-</ListBucketResult>`
-	)
-
-	srv := httptest.NewServer(http.HandlerFunc(
-		func(w http.ResponseWriter, _ *http.Request) {
-			_, _ = io.WriteString(w, truncatedPage)
-		}))
-	t.Cleanup(srv.Close)
-
-	client, err := s3.NewClient(context.Background(), s3.Config{
-		Endpoint:        srv.URL,
-		Bucket:          s3TestBucket,
-		AccessKeyID:     s3TestAccessKeyID,
-		SecretAccessKey: s3TestSecretAccessKey,
-		Region:          s3TestRegion,
-	})
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatalf("new client: %v", err)
-	}
-
-	storer := storage.NewS3Storer(client)
-	ctx := context.Background()
-
-	keys, err := storer.List(ctx, prefix)
-	if !errors.Is(err, s3.ErrNoContinuationToken) {
-		t.Errorf("List = %q, %v; want ErrNoContinuationToken", keys, err)
-	}
-
-	var streamErr error
-
-	for obj := range storer.ListStream(ctx, prefix) {
-		if obj.Err != nil {
-			streamErr = obj.Err
-		}
-	}
-
-	if !errors.Is(streamErr, s3.ErrNoContinuationToken) {
-		t.Errorf("ListStream error = %v, want ErrNoContinuationToken", streamErr)
-	}
-}
-
 // TestS3URLPrefixKeyLayout pins the bucket keys an s3:// URL reads and
 // writes: the README's remote storage layout, with the prefix joined to
 // each key by one "/". s3://b/p and s3://b/p/ must be the same

internal/vaultik/remove_snapshot_test.go

@@ -3,21 +3,17 @@ package vaultik_test
 import (
 	"bytes"
 	"context"
-	"database/sql"
 	"io"
 	"strings"
 	"sync"
 	"testing"
-	"time"
 
 	"github.com/klauspost/compress/zstd"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
-	"sneak.berlin/go/vaultik/internal/database"
 	"sneak.berlin/go/vaultik/internal/log"
 	"sneak.berlin/go/vaultik/internal/snapshot"
 	"sneak.berlin/go/vaultik/internal/storage"
-	"sneak.berlin/go/vaultik/internal/types"
 	"sneak.berlin/go/vaultik/internal/vaultik"
 )
 
@@ -218,37 +214,6 @@ func addBlob(t *testing.T, store *testStorer, hash string) {
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 }
 
-// newLocalIndex returns an in-memory local index holding a completed
-// snapshot row for each of ids.
-func newLocalIndex(t *testing.T, ids ...string) *database.Repositories {
-	t.Helper()
-
-	ctx := context.Background()
-
-	db, err := database.New(ctx, ":memory:")
-	require.NoError(t, err)
-	t.Cleanup(func() { _ = db.Close() })
-
-	repos := database.NewRepositories(db)
-
-	for _, id := range ids {
-		completedAt := time.Now().UTC()
-		snap := &database.Snapshot{
-			ID:          types.SnapshotID(id),
-			Hostname:    snapHostname,
-			StartedAt:   completedAt,
-			CompletedAt: &completedAt,
-		}
-
-		err = repos.WithTx(ctx, func(ctx context.Context, tx *sql.Tx) error {
-			return repos.Snapshots.Create(ctx, tx, snap)
-		})
-		require.NoError(t, err)
-	}
-
-	return repos
-}
-
 // ============================================================================
 // Unit Tests for RemoveSnapshot
 // ============================================================================
@@ -268,7 +233,6 @@ func TestRemoveSnapshot_LocalOnly_PreservesRemote(t *testing.T) {
 	addBlob(t, store, blobA)
 
 	tv := vaultik.NewForTesting(store)
-	tv.Repositories = newLocalIndex(t, "snapshot-001")
 
 	opts := &vaultik.RemoveOptions{Force: true, LocalOnly: true}
 	result, err := tv.RemoveSnapshot("snapshot-001", opts)
@@ -304,7 +268,6 @@ func TestRemoveSnapshot_DefaultRemovesMetadataNotBlobs(t *testing.T) {
 	addBlob(t, store, blobShared)
 
 	tv := vaultik.NewForTesting(store)
-	tv.Repositories = newLocalIndex(t, "snapshot-001", "snapshot-002")
 
 	opts := &vaultik.RemoveOptions{Force: true}
 	result, err := tv.RemoveSnapshot("snapshot-001", opts)
@@ -353,84 +316,6 @@ func TestRemoveSnapshot_DryRun(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.Contains(t, tv.Stdout.String(), "[Dry run - no changes made]")
 }
 
-// TestRemoveSnapshot_UnknownIDIsError checks that an ID naming no
-// snapshot in the local index or on the destination store is an error
-// under every option, and that nothing is reported as removed.
-func TestRemoveSnapshot_UnknownIDIsError(t *testing.T) {
-	log.Initialize(log.Config{})
-	t.Parallel()
-
-	for name, opts := range map[string]vaultik.RemoveOptions{
-		"force":      {Force: true},
-		"json":       {JSON: true},
-		"dry-run":    {Force: true, DryRun: true},
-		"local-only": {Force: true, LocalOnly: true},
-	} {
-		t.Run(name, func(t *testing.T) {
-			t.Parallel()
-
-			store := newTestStorer()
-			addManifest(t, store, "snapshot-001", nil)
-
-			tv := vaultik.NewForTesting(store)
-			tv.Repositories = newLocalIndex(t, "snapshot-001")
-
-			result, err := tv.RemoveSnapshot("snapshot-999", &opts)
-
-			require.ErrorContains(t, err, "snapshot not found")
-			assert.False(t, result.RemoteRemoved)
-			assert.Empty(t, tv.Stdout.String())
-			assert.True(t, store.hasKey(remoteKeyPath("snapshot-001")))
-		})
-	}
-}
-
-// TestRemoveSnapshot_NoMetadataOnDestination checks that removing a
-// snapshot whose metadata is not on the destination store does not
-// report metadata removed from it.
-func TestRemoveSnapshot_NoMetadataOnDestination(t *testing.T) {
-	log.Initialize(log.Config{})
-	t.Parallel()
-
-	tv := vaultik.NewForTesting(newTestStorer())
-	tv.Repositories = newLocalIndex(t, "snapshot-001")
-
-	result, err := tv.RemoveSnapshot("snapshot-001",
-		&vaultik.RemoveOptions{Force: true})
-
-	require.NoError(t, err)
-	assert.False(t, result.RemoteRemoved)
-
-	out := tv.Stdout.String()
-	assert.Contains(t, out, "Removed snapshot 'snapshot-001' from local database")
-	assert.NotContains(t, out, "Removed snapshot metadata from remote storage")
-}
-
-// TestRemoveSnapshot_NotInLocalIndex checks that removing a snapshot
-// only the destination store holds removes its metadata there without
-// reporting a removal from the local database.
-func TestRemoveSnapshot_NotInLocalIndex(t *testing.T) {
-	log.Initialize(log.Config{})
-	t.Parallel()
-
-	store := newTestStorer()
-	addManifest(t, store, "snapshot-001", nil)
-
-	tv := vaultik.NewForTesting(store)
-	tv.Repositories = newLocalIndex(t)
-
-	result, err := tv.RemoveSnapshot("snapshot-001",
-		&vaultik.RemoveOptions{Force: true})
-
-	require.NoError(t, err)
-	assert.True(t, result.RemoteRemoved)
-	assert.False(t, store.hasKey(remoteKeyPath("snapshot-001")))
-
-	out := tv.Stdout.String()
-	assert.NotContains(t, out, "from local database")
-	assert.Contains(t, out, "Removed snapshot metadata from remote storage")
-}
-
 func TestRemoveAllSnapshots_RequiresForce(t *testing.T) {
 	log.Initialize(log.Config{})
 	t.Parallel()

internal/vaultik/snapshot.go

@@ -23,7 +23,6 @@ var (
 	errNoSnapshotsInConfig  = errors.New("no snapshots configured")
 	errSnapshotVerifyFailed = errors.New("verification failed")
 	errRemoveAllNeedsForce  = errors.New("--all requires --force")
-	errSnapshotNotFound     = errors.New("snapshot not found")
 	errInvalidTableName     = errors.New("invalid table name")
 	errNoAgeRecipients      = errors.New(
 		"creating a snapshot needs at least one public key in " +
@@ -644,7 +643,7 @@ func (v *Vaultik) confirmAndExecutePurge(
 				"snapshot_id", snapshotID, "error", err)
 		}
 
-		_, err = v.deleteRemoteSnapshotByKey(snapshot.RemoteSnapshotKey(snapshotID))
+		err = v.deleteRemoteSnapshotByKey(snapshot.RemoteSnapshotKey(snapshotID))
 		if err != nil {
 			return fmt.Errorf("deleting snapshot %s from remote: %w", snapshotID, err)
 		}
@@ -1154,11 +1153,6 @@ func (v *Vaultik) RemoveSnapshot(
 		return result, err
 	}
 
-	inLocalIndex, err := v.findSnapshotToRemove(snapshotID, opts)
-	if err != nil {
-		return result, err
-	}
-
 	if opts.DryRun {
 		return v.removeSnapshotDryRun(result, snapshotID, opts)
 	}
@@ -1167,13 +1161,11 @@ func (v *Vaultik) RemoveSnapshot(
 		return result, nil
 	}
 
-	if inLocalIndex {
-		log.Info("Removing snapshot from local database", "snapshot_id", snapshotID)
+	log.Info("Removing snapshot from local database", "snapshot_id", snapshotID)
 
-		err = v.deleteSnapshotFromLocalDB(snapshotID)
-		if err != nil {
-			return result, fmt.Errorf("removing from local database: %w", err)
-		}
+	err = v.deleteSnapshotFromLocalDB(snapshotID)
+	if err != nil {
+		return result, fmt.Errorf("removing from local database: %w", err)
 	}
 
 	if !opts.LocalOnly {
@@ -1192,11 +1184,9 @@ func (v *Vaultik) RemoveSnapshot(
 		return result, v.outputRemoveJSON(result)
 	}
 
-	if inLocalIndex {
-		v.stdoutf("Removed snapshot '%s' from local database\n", snapshotID)
-	}
+	v.stdoutf("Removed snapshot '%s' from local database\n", snapshotID)
 
-	if result.RemoteRemoved {
+	if !opts.LocalOnly && result.RemoteRemoved {
 		v.printlnStdout("Removed snapshot metadata from remote storage")
 		v.stdoutf("\nNote: The removed snapshot's blobs remain on the remote. "+
 			"Run '%s' to delete any blobs no longer referenced by any "+
@@ -1206,45 +1196,6 @@ func (v *Vaultik) RemoveSnapshot(
 	return result, nil
 }
 
-// findSnapshotToRemove reports whether the local index has a row for
-// snapshotID, and returns errSnapshotNotFound when there is nothing to
-// remove: no row and, unless LocalOnly is set, no metadata on the
-// destination store either. The destination store is consulted only
-// when the local index has no row, so a snapshot in the local index can
-// still be removed from it while the destination store is unreachable.
-func (v *Vaultik) findSnapshotToRemove(
-	snapshotID string, opts *RemoveOptions,
-) (bool, error) {
-	if v.Repositories != nil {
-		snap, err := v.Repositories.Snapshots.GetByID(v.ctx, snapshotID)
-		if err != nil {
-			return false, fmt.Errorf("looking up snapshot in local index: %w", err)
-		}
-
-		if snap != nil {
-			return true, nil
-		}
-	}
-
-	if opts.LocalOnly {
-		return false, fmt.Errorf("%w in the local index: %s",
-			errSnapshotNotFound, snapshotID)
-	}
-
-	objects, err := v.remoteSnapshotObjects(snapshot.RemoteSnapshotKey(snapshotID))
-	if err != nil {
-		return false, fmt.Errorf("looking up snapshot on destination store: %w", err)
-	}
-
-	if len(objects) == 0 {
-		return false, fmt.Errorf(
-			"%w in the local index or on the destination store: %s",
-			errSnapshotNotFound, snapshotID)
-	}
-
-	return false, nil
-}
-
 // removeSnapshotDryRun reports what RemoveSnapshot would do without
 // making changes.
 func (v *Vaultik) removeSnapshotDryRun(
@@ -1304,14 +1255,14 @@ func (v *Vaultik) confirmRemoveSnapshot(snapshotID string, opts *RemoveOptions)
 // didn't finish and to run `vaultik snapshot remove` for the snapshot
 // again once the destination store is reachable (`vaultik prune` never
 // removes snapshot metadata). Returns true when the remote removal
-// succeeded and deleted something.
+// succeeded.
 func (v *Vaultik) removeSnapshotRemote(snapshotID string, opts *RemoveOptions) bool {
 	log.Info("Removing snapshot metadata from remote storage",
 		"snapshot_id", snapshotID)
 
 	remoteKey := snapshot.RemoteSnapshotKey(snapshotID)
 
-	deleted, err := v.deleteRemoteSnapshotByKey(remoteKey)
+	err := v.deleteRemoteSnapshotByKey(remoteKey)
 	if err != nil {
 		log.Warn("Could not remove snapshot metadata from remote storage; "+
 			"run '"+snapshotRemoveCommandHint+"' with the snapshot's ID "+
@@ -1329,7 +1280,7 @@ func (v *Vaultik) removeSnapshotRemote(snapshotID string, opts *RemoveOptions) b
 		return false
 	}
 
-	return deleted > 0
+	return true
 }
 
 // RemoveAllSnapshots removes every snapshot known to the local
@@ -1621,7 +1572,7 @@ func (v *Vaultik) removeAllLocalSnapshots(
 		}
 
 		if !opts.LocalOnly {
-			_, err = v.deleteRemoteSnapshotByKey(
+			err = v.deleteRemoteSnapshotByKey(
 				snapshot.RemoteSnapshotKey(snapshotID))
 			if err != nil {
 				log.Warn("Failed to remove snapshot metadata from remote",
@@ -1647,7 +1598,7 @@ func (v *Vaultik) removeAllOrphanRemotes(
 	for _, key := range orphanRemoteKeys {
 		log.Info("Removing orphan remote snapshot", "remote_key", key)
 
-		_, err := v.deleteRemoteSnapshotByKey(key)
+		err := v.deleteRemoteSnapshotByKey(key)
 		if err != nil {
 			log.Warn("Failed to remove orphan from remote",
 				"remote_key", key, "error", err)
@@ -1694,44 +1645,34 @@ func (v *Vaultik) deleteSnapshotFromLocalDB(snapshotID string) error {
 }
 
 // deleteRemoteSnapshotByKey removes everything under
-// metadata/<remoteKey>/ on the destination store and returns how many
-// objects it deleted. The argument is a remote key (double-SHA256
-// derivation), not a human snapshot ID; callers that have a human ID
-// must hash via snapshot.RemoteSnapshotKey first.
-func (v *Vaultik) deleteRemoteSnapshotByKey(remoteKey string) (int, error) {
-	objectsToDelete, err := v.remoteSnapshotObjects(remoteKey)
-	if err != nil {
-		return 0, err
+// metadata/<remoteKey>/ on the destination store. The argument is a
+// remote key (double-SHA256 derivation), not a human snapshot ID;
+// callers that have a human ID must hash via snapshot.RemoteSnapshotKey
+// first.
+func (v *Vaultik) deleteRemoteSnapshotByKey(remoteKey string) error {
+	prefix := fmt.Sprintf("metadata/%s/", remoteKey)
+	objectCh := v.Storage.ListStream(v.ctx, prefix)
+
+	var objectsToDelete []string
+
+	for object := range objectCh {
+		if object.Err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("listing objects: %w", object.Err)
+		}
+
+		objectsToDelete = append(objectsToDelete, object.Key)
 	}
 
-	for i, key := range objectsToDelete {
-		err = v.Storage.Delete(v.ctx, key)
+	for _, key := range objectsToDelete {
+		err := v.Storage.Delete(v.ctx, key)
 		if err != nil {
-			return i, fmt.Errorf("removing %s: %w", key, err)
+			return fmt.Errorf("removing %s: %w", key, err)
 		}
 
 		log.Debug("Deleted remote object", "key", key)
 	}
 
-	return len(objectsToDelete), nil
-}
-
-// remoteSnapshotObjects lists the keys of every object under
-// metadata/<remoteKey>/ on the destination store.
-func (v *Vaultik) remoteSnapshotObjects(remoteKey string) ([]string, error) {
-	prefix := fmt.Sprintf("metadata/%s/", remoteKey)
-
-	var keys []string
-
-	for object := range v.Storage.ListStream(v.ctx, prefix) {
-		if object.Err != nil {
-			return nil, fmt.Errorf("listing objects: %w", object.Err)
-		}
-
-		keys = append(keys, object.Key)
-	}
-
-	return keys, nil
+	return nil
 }
 
 // outputRemoveJSON outputs the removal result as JSON

internal/vaultik/storage_bind.go

@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ import (
 )
 
 // errStorageBindingMismatch is returned when the local index database is
-// bound to a different destination than the configured one.
+// bound to a different destination than the configured storage_url.
 var errStorageBindingMismatch = errors.New(
 	"local index is bound to a different backup destination")
 
@@ -24,9 +24,8 @@ var errStorageBindingMismatch = errors.New(
 //
 // Behaviour:
 //   - On first use (empty stored value), record the configured
-//     destination (storage_url, or the s3.* endpoint, bucket and
-//     prefix) and log the binding.
-//   - When the stored value matches the configured destination, do
+//     storage_url and log the binding.
+//   - When the stored value matches the configured storage_url, do
 //     nothing and return nil.
 //   - When the two differ, refuse with an error that tells the user
 //     how to recover (revert the config, or run `vaultik database
@@ -47,10 +46,12 @@ func (v *Vaultik) EnsureStorageBinding() error {
 
 	configured := v.Config.StorageURL
 	if configured == "" {
-		// The s3.* form: bind on its endpoint, bucket and prefix,
-		// written the way storage_url would name the same destination.
-		s3 := v.Config.S3
-		configured = "s3://" + s3.Bucket + "/" + s3.Prefix + "?endpoint=" + s3.Endpoint
+		// Some legacy configs still use the split s3.* keys instead of
+		// storage_url. Falling back to a synthetic URL for those would
+		// hide the fact that the binding is loose. Instead, treat
+		// unset as "nothing to bind against" — the check is
+		// necessarily best-effort for those configs.
+		return nil
 	}
 
 	stored, err := v.Repositories.LocalMeta.Get(v.ctx, database.LocalMetaKeyStorageURL)
@@ -95,8 +96,7 @@ func buildBindingMismatchMessage(stored, configured string) string {
 		"future snapshots referencing blobs that don't exist at the new destination.\n" +
 		"\n" +
 		"To proceed, either:\n" +
-		"  - revert storage_url (or the s3.* endpoint, bucket and prefix) in your\n" +
-		"    config to the bound destination, or\n" +
+		"  - revert storage_url in your config to the bound destination, or\n" +
 		"  - run 'vaultik database delete' to discard the local index and rebuild it\n" +
 		"    from a fresh full backup against the new destination"
 }

internal/vaultik/storage_bind_test.go

@@ -76,51 +76,3 @@ func TestEnsureStorageBinding_MismatchRefuses(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.Contains(t, err.Error(), "file:///mnt/backups/new")
 	assert.Contains(t, err.Error(), "vaultik database delete")
 }
-
-// A config with no storage_url names its destination with s3.endpoint,
-// s3.bucket and s3.prefix; a change to any of them must be refused just
-// as a changed storage_url is.
-func TestEnsureStorageBinding_S3FieldsChangeRefuses(t *testing.T) {
-	log.Initialize(log.Config{})
-	t.Parallel()
-
-	bound := config.S3Config{
-		Endpoint: "https://s3.example.com",
-		Bucket:   "bucket-a",
-		Prefix:   "backups",
-	}
-
-	tests := []struct {
-		name    string
-		changed config.S3Config
-	}{
-		{"bucket", config.S3Config{
-			Endpoint: bound.Endpoint, Bucket: "bucket-b", Prefix: bound.Prefix,
-		}},
-		{"prefix", config.S3Config{
-			Endpoint: bound.Endpoint, Bucket: bound.Bucket, Prefix: "other",
-		}},
-		{"endpoint", config.S3Config{
-			Endpoint: "https://s3.other.com", Bucket: bound.Bucket, Prefix: bound.Prefix,
-		}},
-	}
-
-	for _, tt := range tests {
-		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
-			t.Parallel()
-
-			tv, _ := buildBindTestVaultik(t, "")
-
-			tv.Config.S3 = bound
-			require.NoError(t, tv.EnsureStorageBinding(), "first use binds")
-			require.NoError(t, tv.EnsureStorageBinding(), "same destination passes")
-
-			tv.Config.S3 = tt.changed
-			err := tv.EnsureStorageBinding()
-			require.Error(t, err)
-			assert.Contains(t, err.Error(),
-				"local index is bound to a different backup destination")
-			assert.Contains(t, err.Error(), "vaultik database delete")
-		})
-	}
-}

internal/vaultik/symlinked_destination_test.go

@@ -0,0 +1,63 @@
+package vaultik_test
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"io/fs"
+	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+	"sneak.berlin/go/vaultik/internal/log"
+	"sneak.berlin/go/vaultik/internal/vaultik"
+)
+
+// TestPruneDeletesNothingThroughSymlinkedDirectory checks that prune keeps
+// every blob and the local snapshot record when the metadata/ or blobs/
+// directory of a file:// destination is a symlink to a directory elsewhere
+// (https://git.eeqj.de/sneak/vaultik/issues/296). A backup writes through
+// such a link, so prune has to list through it too.
+func TestPruneDeletesNothingThroughSymlinkedDirectory(t *testing.T) {
+	log.Initialize(log.Config{})
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	for _, dir := range []string{"metadata", "blobs"} {
+		t.Run(dir, func(t *testing.T) {
+			t.Parallel()
+
+			ctx := context.Background()
+			storeDir := filepath.Join(t.TempDir(), "store")
+			v, repos, _ := backUpToFileDestination(ctx, t, storeDir)
+
+			var blobFiles []string
+
+			err := filepath.WalkDir(filepath.Join(storeDir, "blobs"),
+				func(path string, entry fs.DirEntry, err error) error {
+					if err == nil && !entry.IsDir() {
+						blobFiles = append(blobFiles, path)
+					}
+
+					return err
+				})
+			require.NoError(t, err)
+			require.NotEmpty(t, blobFiles)
+
+			linkPath := filepath.Join(storeDir, dir)
+			movedPath := filepath.Join(t.TempDir(), dir)
+			require.NoError(t, os.Rename(linkPath, movedPath))
+			require.NoError(t, os.Symlink(movedPath, linkPath))
+
+			require.NoError(t, v.Prune(&vaultik.PruneOptions{Force: true}))
+
+			// When blobs/ is the link, these paths run through it.
+			for _, blobFile := range blobFiles {
+				assert.FileExists(t, blobFile, "prune must delete no blob")
+			}
+
+			snapshots, err := repos.Snapshots.ListRecent(ctx, listRecentTestLimit)
+			require.NoError(t, err)
+			assert.Len(t, snapshots, 1, "prune must delete no local snapshot record")
+		})
+	}
+}