diff --git a/files/file b/files/file
index bdfcdd1ea78..9ef61d0ce22 100644
--- a/files/file
+++ b/files/file
@@ -132,15 +132,6 @@ EXAMPLES = '''
 - file: src=/file/to/link/to dest=/path/to/symlink owner=foo group=foo state=link
 '''
 
-def dolink(src, path, state, module):
-    try:
-        if state == 'hard':
-            os.link(src,path)
-        else:
-            os.symlink(src, path)
-    except OSError, e:
-        module.fail_json(path=path, msg='Error while linking: %s' % str(e))
-
 def main():
 
     # FIXME: pass this around, should not use global
@@ -203,7 +194,10 @@ def main():
             prev_state = 'link'
         elif os.path.isdir(path):
             prev_state = 'directory'
+        elif os.stat(path).st_nlink > 1:
+            prev_state = 'hard'
         else:
+            # could be many other tings, but defaulting to file
             prev_state = 'file'
 
     if prev_state != 'absent' and state == 'absent':
@@ -229,9 +223,7 @@ def main():
         module.exit_json(path=path, changed=True)
 
     if prev_state != 'absent' and prev_state != state:
-        if force and prev_state == 'file' and state == 'link':
-            pass
-        else:
+        if not (force and prev_state == 'file' and state == 'link'):
             module.fail_json(path=path, msg='refusing to convert between %s and %s for %s' % (prev_state, state, src))
 
     if prev_state == 'absent' and state == 'absent':
@@ -279,43 +271,44 @@ def main():
             module.fail_json(path=path, src=src, msg='src file does not exist')
 
         if prev_state == 'absent':
-            if module.check_mode:
-                module.exit_json(changed=True)
-            dolink(src, path, state, module)
             changed = True
         elif prev_state == 'link':
             old_src = os.readlink(path)
             if not os.path.isabs(old_src):
                 old_src = os.path.join(os.path.dirname(path), old_src)
             if old_src != src:
-                if module.check_mode:
-                    module.exit_json(changed=True)
-                os.unlink(path)
-                dolink(src, path, state, module)
+                changed = True
+        elif prev_state == 'hard':
+            if not (state == 'hard' and os.stat(path).st_ino == os.stat(src).st_ino):
+                if not force:
+                    module.fail_json(dest=path, src=src, msg='Cannot link, different hard link exists at destination')
                 changed = True
         elif prev_state == 'file':
             if not force:
                 module.fail_json(dest=path, src=src, msg='Cannot link, file exists at destination')
-            else:
-                if module.check_mode:
-                    module.exit_json(changed=True)
-                os.unlink(path)
-                dolink(src, path, state, module)
-                changed = True
+            changed = True
         else:
             module.fail_json(dest=path, src=src, msg='unexpected position reached')
 
-        # set modes owners and context as needed
-
-        file_args = module.load_file_common_arguments(module.params)
-        changed   = module.set_context_if_different(path, file_args['secontext'], changed)
-        changed   = module.set_owner_if_different(path, file_args['owner'], changed)
-        changed   = module.set_group_if_different(path, file_args['group'], changed)
-        changed   = module.set_mode_if_different(path, file_args['mode'], changed)
+        if changed and not module.check_mode:
+            if prev_state != 'absent':
+                try:
+                    os.unlink(path)
+                except OSError, e:
+                    module.fail_json(path=path, msg='Error while removing existing target: %s' % str(e))
+            try:
+                if state == 'hard':
+                    os.link(src,path)
+                else:
+                    os.symlink(src, path)
+            except OSError, e:
+                module.fail_json(path=path, msg='Error while linking: %s' % str(e))
 
+        changed = module.set_file_attributes_if_different(file_args, changed)
         module.exit_json(dest=path, src=src, changed=changed)
 
-    module.fail_json(path=path, msg='unexpected position reached')
+    else:
+        module.fail_json(path=path, msg='unexpected position reached')
 
 # this is magic, see lib/ansible/module_common.py
 #<<INCLUDE_ANSIBLE_MODULE_COMMON>>