diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index 738e9898..471f18b5 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -904,6 +904,17 @@ endif # HAVE_POSIX
 	grep -q '^file:disk1:a-hardlink-main:' test.log
 	grep -q '^link_hardlink:disk1:b-hardlink-link:a-hardlink-main$$' test.log
 	! grep -q '^file:disk1:b-hardlink-link:' test.log
+	$(MSG) Missing hardlink recovery preserves its present target
+	rm bench/disk1/b-hardlink-link
+	echo NEWER-UNSYNCED-CONTENT-WITH-DIFFERENT-SIZE > bench/hardlink-missing-expected
+	cp bench/hardlink-missing-expected bench/disk1/a-hardlink-main
+	$(TESTENV) $(SNAPRAID) $(CHECKFLAGS) -c $(PAR1) -m fix -l test.log
+	cmp bench/hardlink-missing-expected bench/disk1/a-hardlink-main
+	cmp bench/hardlink-missing-expected bench/disk1/b-hardlink-link
+if HAVE_POSIX
+	test bench/disk1/a-hardlink-main -ef bench/disk1/b-hardlink-link
+endif # HAVE_POSIX
+	rm bench/hardlink-missing-expected
 	rm bench/disk1/a-hardlink-main bench/disk1/b-hardlink-link
 	$(TESTENV) $(SNAPRAID) $(CHECKFLAGS) -c $(PAR1) fix -l test.log
 	test -f bench/disk1/a-hardlink-main
diff --git a/cmdline/state.c b/cmdline/state.c
index 649e447a..02c0a56b 100644
--- a/cmdline/state.c
+++ b/cmdline/state.c
@@ -5856,6 +5856,27 @@ void state_filter(struct snapraid_state* state, tommy_list* filterlist_file, tom
 			}
 		}
 
+		/*
+		 * Hardlink entries don't own data blocks; their data is represented by the
+		 * target file. If a hardlink pathname is selected while its target file is
+		 * excluded by a path filter, keep the target selected as well so check/fix
+		 * can process the data backing the selected hardlink.
+		 * With the missing filter, a present target must remain excluded because
+		 * fix -m promises to leave existing files untouched. It can be used directly
+		 * to recreate the missing hardlink without processing its data.
+		 */
+		for (j = tommy_list_head(&disk->linklist); j != 0; j = j->next) {
+			struct snapraid_link* slink = j->data;
+
+			if (link_flag_has(slink, FILE_IS_HARDLINK) && !link_flag_has(slink, FILE_IS_EXCLUDED)) {
+				struct snapraid_file* file;
+
+				file = tommy_hashdyn_search(&disk->pathset, file_path_compare_to_arg, slink->linkto, file_path_hash(slink->linkto));
+				if (file && filter_existence(filter_missing, disk->dir, file->sub) == 0)
+					file_flag_clear(file, FILE_IS_EXCLUDED);
+			}
+		}
+
 		/* for each empty dir */
 		for (j = tommy_list_head(&disk->dirlist); j != 0; j = j->next) {
 			struct snapraid_dir* dir = j->data;