diff --git a/cmd/rpm2tar.go b/cmd/rpm2tar.go
index 5ddac29..333159a 100644
--- a/cmd/rpm2tar.go
+++ b/cmd/rpm2tar.go
@@ -4,12 +4,14 @@ import (
 	"archive/tar"
 	"fmt"
 	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
 	"sort"
 	"strings"
 
+	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
+
 	"github.com/rmohr/bazeldnf/pkg/order"
 	"github.com/rmohr/bazeldnf/pkg/rpm"
-	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
 )
 
 type rpm2tarOpts struct {
@@ -55,12 +57,12 @@ func NewRpm2TarCmd() *cobra.Command {
 				}
 				for _, k := range rpm2taropts.sortedSymlinks {
 					v := rpm2taropts.symlinks[k]
-					// If an absolute path is given let's add a `.` in front. This is
-					// not strictly necessary but adds a more correct tar path
-					// which aligns with the usual rpm entries which start with `./`
-					if strings.HasPrefix(k, "/") {
-						k = "." + k
+					// prefix link paths with `./` which aligns with the usual rpm entries which start with `./`.
+					if !strings.HasPrefix(k, "./") {
+						k = "./" + strings.TrimPrefix(filepath.Clean(k), "/")
 					}
+					// Add normalized symlink to created paths to avoid recreation when merging RPMs
+					collector.AddPath(k)
 					directoryTree.Add(
 						[]tar.Header{
 							{
diff --git a/pkg/rpm/tar.go b/pkg/rpm/tar.go
index 58ba3f2..ecd73bb 100644
--- a/pkg/rpm/tar.go
+++ b/pkg/rpm/tar.go
@@ -25,6 +25,10 @@ func NewCollector() *Collector {
 	}
 }
 
+func (c *Collector) AddPath(path string) {
+	c.createdPaths[path] = struct{}{}
+}
+
 func (c *Collector) RPMToTar(rpmReader io.Reader, tarWriter *tar.Writer, noSymlinksAndDirs bool, capabilities map[string][]string, selinuxLabels map[string]string) error {
 	rpm, err := rpmutils.ReadRpm(rpmReader)
 	if err != nil {