diff --git a/src/lib-csharp/Util/SymbolicLink.cs b/src/lib-csharp/Util/SymbolicLink.cs
index a319adbb..1c6d8365 100644
--- a/src/lib-csharp/Util/SymbolicLink.cs
+++ b/src/lib-csharp/Util/SymbolicLink.cs
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 using System;
+using System.Diagnostics.CodeAnalysis;
 using System.IO;
 
 namespace Velopack.Util
@@ -59,7 +60,7 @@ namespace Velopack.Util
         {
             var isLink = TryGetLinkFsi(linkPath, out var fsi);
             if (fsi != null && !isLink) {
-                throw new IOException("Path is not a junction point / symlink.");
+                ThrowPathNotASymlinkException(linkPath);
             } else {
                 fsi?.Delete();
             }
@@ -73,6 +74,7 @@ namespace Velopack.Util
         public static string GetTarget(string linkPath, bool relative = false)
         {
             var target = GetUnresolvedTarget(linkPath);
+
             if (relative) {
                 if (Path.IsPathRooted(target)) {
                     return PathUtil.MakePathRelativeTo(Path.GetDirectoryName(linkPath)!, target);
@@ -97,6 +99,8 @@ namespace Velopack.Util
 
         private static void CreateSymlink(string linkPath, string targetPath, SymbolicLinkFlag mode)
         {
+            linkPath = linkPath.TrimEnd('\\', '/');
+
 #if NET6_0_OR_GREATER
             if (mode == SymbolicLinkFlag.File) {
                 File.CreateSymbolicLink(linkPath, targetPath);
@@ -118,23 +122,30 @@ namespace Velopack.Util
 
         private static string GetUnresolvedTarget(string linkPath)
         {
+            linkPath = linkPath.TrimEnd('\\', '/');
+
             if (!TryGetLinkFsi(linkPath, out var fsi)) {
-                throw new IOException("Path does not exist or is not a junction point / symlink.");
+                ThrowPathNotASymlinkException(linkPath);
             }
 
+            string target;
+
 #if NET6_0_OR_GREATER
-            return fsi!.LinkTarget!;
+            target = fsi!.LinkTarget!;
 #else
             if (VelopackRuntimeInfo.IsWindows) {
-                return WindowsReadLink(linkPath);
+                target = WindowsReadLink(linkPath);
+            } else if (VelopackRuntimeInfo.IsLinux || VelopackRuntimeInfo.IsOSX) {
+                target = UnixReadLink(linkPath);
+            } else {
+                throw new NotSupportedException("Symbolic links are not supported on this platform.");
             }
-
-            if (VelopackRuntimeInfo.IsLinux || VelopackRuntimeInfo.IsOSX) {
-                return UnixReadLink(linkPath);
-            }
-
-            throw new NotSupportedException();
 #endif
+            if (String.IsNullOrEmpty(target)) {
+                ThrowPathNotASymlinkException(linkPath);
+            }
+
+            return target;
         }
 
         private static bool TryGetLinkFsi(string path, out FileSystemInfo? fsi)
@@ -152,5 +163,13 @@ namespace Velopack.Util
 
             return (fsi.Attributes & FileAttributes.ReparsePoint) != 0;
         }
+
+#if NET6_0_OR_GREATER
+        [DoesNotReturn]
+#endif
+        private static void ThrowPathNotASymlinkException(string path)
+        {
+            throw new IOException($"The path '{path}' is not a symbolic link or junction point.");
+        }
     }
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/test/Velopack.Tests/SymbolicLinkTests.cs b/test/Velopack.Tests/SymbolicLinkTests.cs
index 8b61dcfc..30de7a01 100644
--- a/test/Velopack.Tests/SymbolicLinkTests.cs
+++ b/test/Velopack.Tests/SymbolicLinkTests.cs
@@ -599,7 +599,7 @@ public class SymbolicLinkTests
         Assert.Contains("junction", ex2.Message.ToLower());
 
         var ex3 = Assert.Throws<IOException>(() => SymbolicLink.GetTarget(nonExistent));
-        Assert.Contains("does not exist", ex3.Message.ToLower());
+        Assert.Contains("junction", ex2.Message.ToLower());
     }
 
     [Fact]