diff --git a/lib/reader.js b/lib/reader.js
index 876021f..73072df 100644
--- a/lib/reader.js
+++ b/lib/reader.js
@@ -5,7 +5,6 @@ var Stream = require('stream').Stream
 var inherits = require('inherits')
 var path = require('path')
 var getType = require('./get-type.js')
-var hardLinks = Reader.hardLinks = {}
 var Abstract = require('./abstract.js')
 
 // Must do this *before* loading the child classes
@@ -155,25 +154,6 @@ Reader.prototype._stat = function (currentStat) {
     self.size = props.size
 
     var type = getType(props)
-    var handleHardlinks = props.hardlinks !== false
-
-    // special little thing for handling hardlinks.
-    if (handleHardlinks && type !== 'Directory' && props.nlink && props.nlink > 1) {
-      var k = props.dev + ':' + props.ino
-      // console.error("Reader has nlink", self._path, k)
-      if (hardLinks[k] === self._path || !hardLinks[k]) {
-        hardLinks[k] = self._path
-      } else {
-        // switch into hardlink mode.
-        type = self.type = self.props.type = 'Link'
-        self.Link = self.props.Link = true
-        self.linkpath = self.props.linkpath = hardLinks[k]
-        // console.error("Hardlink detected, switching mode", self._path, self.linkpath)
-        // Setting __proto__ would arguably be the "correct"
-        // approach here, but that just seems too wrong.
-        self._stat = self._read = LinkReader.prototype._read
-      }
-    }
 
     if (self.type && self.type !== type) {
       self.error('Unexpected type: ' + type)