diff --git a/tests/vmcheck/overlay.sh b/tests/vmcheck/overlay.sh
index 3f4fe265..8447645e 100755
--- a/tests/vmcheck/overlay.sh
+++ b/tests/vmcheck/overlay.sh
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ fi
 cd /ostree/repo/tmp
 rm vmcheck -rf
 ostree checkout $commit vmcheck --fsync=0
-rsync -rv /var/roothome/sync/insttree/usr/ vmcheck/usr/
+rsync -rlv /var/roothome/sync/insttree/usr/ vmcheck/usr/
 ostree refs --delete vmcheck || true
 ostree commit -b vmcheck -s '' --tree=dir=vmcheck --link-checkout-speedup
 ostree admin deploy vmcheck
diff --git a/tests/vmcheck/sync.sh b/tests/vmcheck/sync.sh
index f063c1cd..046adf2a 100755
--- a/tests/vmcheck/sync.sh
+++ b/tests/vmcheck/sync.sh
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ else
     # then do this in the VM
     set -x
     ostree admin unlock || :
-    rsync -rv /var/roothome/sync/insttree/usr/ /usr/
+    rsync -rlv /var/roothome/sync/insttree/usr/ /usr/
     restorecon /usr/libexec/rpm-ostreed
     systemctl restart rpm-ostreed
 fi