diff --git a/autotests/usermetadatawritertest.h b/autotests/usermetadatawritertest.h
--- a/autotests/usermetadatawritertest.h
+++ b/autotests/usermetadatawritertest.h
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@
 private Q_SLOTS:
     void initTestCase();
     void test();
+    void testDanglingSymlink();
     void cleanupTestCase();
 };
 
diff --git a/autotests/usermetadatawritertest.cpp b/autotests/usermetadatawritertest.cpp
--- a/autotests/usermetadatawritertest.cpp
+++ b/autotests/usermetadatawritertest.cpp
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@
 #include <QFile>
 
 #define TEST_FILENAME "writertest.txt"
+#define TEST_SYMLINK "dangling_symlink"
 
 using namespace KFileMetaData;
 
@@ -38,6 +39,8 @@
     QFile testFile(testFilePath("plain_text_file.txt"));
     QFile writerTestFile(testFilePath(TEST_FILENAME));
     QFile::copy(testFilePath("plain_text_file.txt"), testFilePath(TEST_FILENAME));
+
+    QFile::link(testFilePath("invalid_target"), testFilePath(TEST_SYMLINK));
 }
 
 void UserMetaDataWriterTest::test()
@@ -119,9 +122,17 @@
     QVERIFY(!md.hasAttribute(QStringLiteral("test.check_contains")));
 }
 
+
+void UserMetaDataWriterTest::testDanglingSymlink()
+{
+    KFileMetaData::UserMetaData md(testFilePath(TEST_SYMLINK));
+    QVERIFY(md.queryAttributes(UserMetaData::Attribute::All) == UserMetaData::Attribute::None);
+}
+
 void UserMetaDataWriterTest::cleanupTestCase()
 {
     QFile::remove(testFilePath(TEST_FILENAME));
+    QFile::remove(testFilePath(TEST_SYMLINK));
 }
 
 QTEST_GUILESS_MAIN(UserMetaDataWriterTest)
diff --git a/src/xattr_p.h b/src/xattr_p.h
--- a/src/xattr_p.h
+++ b/src/xattr_p.h
@@ -225,15 +225,15 @@
         return UserMetaData::Attribute::None;
     }
 
-    if (size == -1 && errno == ENOTSUP) {
-        return UserMetaData::Attribute::None;
-    }
+    if (size < 0) {
+        if (errno == E2BIG) {
+            return UserMetaData::Attribute::All;
+        }
 
-    if (size == -1 && errno == E2BIG) {
-        return UserMetaData::Attribute::All;
+        return UserMetaData::Attribute::None;
     }
 
-    if (size > 0 && attributes == UserMetaData::Attribute::Any) {
+    if (attributes == UserMetaData::Attribute::Any) {
         return UserMetaData::Attribute::All;
     }