diff -u a/tarfile.py b/tarfile.py
--- a/tarfile.py	2010-11-02 01:55:03.765219300 -0400
+++ b/tarfile.py	2010-11-02 01:57:34.039814500 -0400
@@ -2118,8 +2118,14 @@
                 raise StreamError("cannot extract (sym)link as file object")
             else:
                 # A (sym)link's file object is its target's file object.
-                return self.extractfile(self._getmember(tarinfo.linkname,
-                                                        tarinfo))
+                # The target is usually relative to the actual link.
+                parent = os.path.dirname(tarinfo.name)
+                target = normpath(upperdir + "/" + tarinfo.linkname)
+                member = self._getmember(target, tarinfo)
+                if member is None:
+                    # Fallback to absolute.
+                    member = self._getmember(tarinfo.linkname, tarinfo)
+                return self.extractfile(member)
         else:
             # If there's no data associated with the member (directory, chrdev,
             # blkdev, etc.), return None instead of a file object.
Only in b: tarfile.py~