diff --git a/src/Main/fg_init.cxx b/src/Main/fg_init.cxx
index 06a87ae48..08f5a4d8d 100644
--- a/src/Main/fg_init.cxx
+++ b/src/Main/fg_init.cxx
@@ -347,6 +347,7 @@ private:
   
   virtual VisitResult visit(const SGPath& p)
   {
+      SGPath realPath = p.realpath();
     // create cache node
     int i = 0;
     while (1) {
@@ -356,17 +357,17 @@ private:
     
     SGPropertyNode *n, *entry = _cache->getChild("aircraft", --i, true);
 
-    std::string fileName(p.file());
+    std::string fileName(realPath.file());
     n = entry->getNode("file", true);
     n->setStringValue(fileName);
     n->setAttribute(SGPropertyNode::USERARCHIVE, true);
 
     n = entry->getNode("path", true);
-    n->setStringValue(p.dir());
+    n->setStringValue(realPath.dir());
     n->setAttribute(SGPropertyNode::USERARCHIVE, true);
 
     if (simgear::strutils::iequals(fileName, _searchAircraft)) {
-        _foundPath = p;
+        _foundPath = realPath;
         return VISIT_DONE;
     }
 
diff --git a/src/Main/options.cxx b/src/Main/options.cxx
index c6eba0982..75c46a69c 100644
--- a/src/Main/options.cxx
+++ b/src/Main/options.cxx
@@ -2251,7 +2251,8 @@ void Options::initAircraft()
 
   if (isOptionSet("aircraft-dir")) {
     SGPath aircraftDirPath = SGPath::fromUtf8(valueForOption("aircraft-dir"));
-    globals->append_read_allowed_paths(aircraftDirPath);
+    SGPath realAircraftPath = aircraftDirPath.realpath();
+    globals->append_read_allowed_paths(realAircraftPath);
 
     // Set this now, so it's available in FindAndCacheAircraft. Use realpath()
     // as in FGGlobals::append_aircraft_path(), otherwise fgValidatePath()
@@ -2259,7 +2260,7 @@ void Options::initAircraft()
     // is a symlink (which is not a problem, since it was given as is by the
     // user---this is very different from a symlink *under* the aircraft dir
     // or a scenery dir).
-    fgSetString("/sim/aircraft-dir", aircraftDirPath.realpath().utf8Str());
+    fgSetString("/sim/aircraft-dir", realAircraftPath.utf8Str());
   }
 
     if (isOptionSet("state")) {