diff --git a/src/compute.rs b/src/compute.rs
index 27ff041d..4f2989fb 100644
--- a/src/compute.rs
+++ b/src/compute.rs
@@ -153,7 +153,8 @@ fn prepare_snapshot_dir(path: &Path) -> Result<()> {
     {
         use std::os::unix::fs::MetadataExt;
 
-        let metadata = std::fs::symlink_metadata(path)?;
+        // Follow symlinks: a user-owned link to a user-owned directory is fine.
+        let metadata = std::fs::metadata(path)?;
         if !metadata.file_type().is_dir() || metadata.uid() != unsafe { libc::geteuid() } {
             return Err(anyhow!(
                 "Source snapshot directory {} is not owned by the current user.",
@@ -1081,6 +1082,18 @@ fn not_ready(detail: impl Into<String>) -> Preflight {
 pub(crate) mod tests {
     use super::*;
 
+    #[cfg(unix)]
+    #[test]
+    fn snapshot_dir_accepts_a_user_owned_symlinked_directory() {
+        let root = std::env::temp_dir().join(format!("orx-snapshot-link-{}", uuid::Uuid::new_v4()));
+        let target = root.join("target");
+        let link = root.join("source-snapshots");
+        std::fs::create_dir_all(&target).unwrap();
+        std::os::unix::fs::symlink(&target, &link).unwrap();
+        prepare_snapshot_dir(&link).unwrap();
+        std::fs::remove_dir_all(&root).unwrap();
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn run_reports_name_the_native_invoker_or_an_explicit_exception() {
         let identity = |harness: &str| crate::store::InvocationIdentity {
diff --git a/src/store.rs b/src/store.rs
index 60eb65e2..d08a4dc8 100644
--- a/src/store.rs
+++ b/src/store.rs
@@ -1931,7 +1931,13 @@ impl Store {
             .chain(["source-snapshots"])
         {
             let path = self.data_dir.join(name);
-            match std::fs::symlink_metadata(&path) {
+            // Launch accepts user-owned links for these roots (compute::prepare_snapshot_dir).
+            let metadata = if matches!(name, "source-snapshots" | "submission-handles") {
+                std::fs::metadata(&path)
+            } else {
+                std::fs::symlink_metadata(&path)
+            };
+            match metadata {
                 Ok(metadata) if !metadata.file_type().is_dir() => {
                     return Err(anyhow!(
                         "Refusing artifact cleanup through {}",
@@ -5058,6 +5064,23 @@ mod tests {
         std::fs::remove_dir_all(dir).unwrap();
     }
 
+    #[cfg(unix)]
+    #[test]
+    fn artifact_cleanup_follows_symlinked_snapshot_roots_only() {
+        let dir = std::env::temp_dir().join(format!("orx-linked-roots-{}", uuid::Uuid::new_v4()));
+        let store = Store::open_at(dir.clone()).unwrap();
+        for name in ["source-snapshots", "submission-handles"] {
+            std::fs::create_dir_all(dir.join(format!("outside-{name}"))).unwrap();
+            std::os::unix::fs::symlink(dir.join(format!("outside-{name}")), dir.join(name))
+                .unwrap();
+        }
+        store.validate_run_artifact_roots().unwrap();
+        std::fs::create_dir_all(dir.join("outside-local-runs")).unwrap();
+        std::os::unix::fs::symlink(dir.join("outside-local-runs"), dir.join("local-runs")).unwrap();
+        assert!(store.validate_run_artifact_roots().is_err());
+        std::fs::remove_dir_all(&dir).unwrap();
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn refused_project_deletion_never_reaches_the_native_purge() {
         let dir = std::env::temp_dir().join(format!("orx-delete-order-{}", uuid::Uuid::new_v4()));