--- a/generator.c
+++ b/generator.c
@@ -584,29 +584,54 @@ static void do_delete_pass(void)
 
 int unchanged_attrs(const char *fname, struct file_struct *file, stat_x *sxp)
 {
-#if !defined HAVE_LUTIMES || !defined HAVE_UTIMES
+	int skip_times = 0, skip_perms = 0, skip_ownership = 0;
+#ifdef SUPPORT_ACLS
+	int skip_acls = 0;
+#endif
+#ifdef SUPPORT_XATTRS
+	int skip_xattrs = 0;
+#endif
+
 	if (S_ISLNK(file->mode)) {
-		;
-	} else
+#ifndef CAN_SET_SYMLINK_TIMES
+		skip_times = 1;
 #endif
-	if (preserve_times && cmp_time(sxp->st.st_mtime, file->modtime) != 0)
+#ifndef CAN_CHMOD_SYMLINK
+		skip_perms = 1;
+#endif
+#ifndef CAN_CHOWN_SYMLINK
+		skip_ownership = 1;
+#endif
+#ifdef SUPPORT_ACLS
+		skip_acls = 1;
+#endif
+#if defined SUPPORT_XATTRS && defined NO_SYMLINK_XATTRS
+		skip_xattrs = 1;
+#endif
+	}
+
+	if (!skip_times && preserve_times && cmp_time(sxp->st.st_mtime, file->modtime) != 0)
 		return 0;
 
-	if (preserve_perms) {
-		if (!BITS_EQUAL(sxp->st.st_mode, file->mode, CHMOD_BITS))
+	if (!skip_perms) {
+		if (preserve_perms) {
+			if (!BITS_EQUAL(sxp->st.st_mode, file->mode, CHMOD_BITS))
+				return 0;
+		} else if (preserve_executability
+		 && ((sxp->st.st_mode & 0111 ? 1 : 0) ^ (file->mode & 0111 ? 1 : 0)))
 			return 0;
-	} else if (preserve_executability
-	 && ((sxp->st.st_mode & 0111 ? 1 : 0) ^ (file->mode & 0111 ? 1 : 0)))
-		return 0;
+	}
 
-	if (am_root && uid_ndx && sxp->st.st_uid != (uid_t)F_OWNER(file))
-		return 0;
+	if (!skip_ownership) {
+		if (am_root && uid_ndx && sxp->st.st_uid != (uid_t)F_OWNER(file))
+			return 0;
 
-	if (gid_ndx && !(file->flags & FLAG_SKIP_GROUP) && sxp->st.st_gid != (gid_t)F_GROUP(file))
-		return 0;
+		if (gid_ndx && !(file->flags & FLAG_SKIP_GROUP) && sxp->st.st_gid != (gid_t)F_GROUP(file))
+			return 0;
+	}
 
 #ifdef SUPPORT_ACLS
-	if (preserve_acls && !S_ISLNK(file->mode)) {
+	if (!skip_acls && preserve_acls) {
 		if (!ACL_READY(*sxp))
 			get_acl(fname, sxp);
 		if (set_acl(NULL, file, sxp) == 0)
@@ -614,7 +639,7 @@ int unchanged_attrs(const char *fname, struct file_struct *file, stat_x *sxp)
 	}
 #endif
 #ifdef SUPPORT_XATTRS
-	if (preserve_xattrs) {
+	if (!skip_xattrs && preserve_xattrs) {
 		if (!XATTR_READY(*sxp))
 			get_xattr(fname, sxp);
 		if (xattr_diff(file, sxp, 0))
--- a/rsync.c
+++ b/rsync.c
@@ -444,7 +444,7 @@ int set_file_attrs(const char *fname, struct file_struct *file, stat_x *sxp,
 	change_uid = am_root && uid_ndx && sxp->st.st_uid != (uid_t)F_OWNER(file);
 	change_gid = gid_ndx && !(file->flags & FLAG_SKIP_GROUP)
 		  && sxp->st.st_gid != (gid_t)F_GROUP(file);
-#if !defined HAVE_LCHOWN && !defined CHOWN_MODIFIES_SYMLINK
+#ifndef CAN_CHOWN_SYMLINK
 	if (S_ISLNK(sxp->st.st_mode)) {
 		;
 	} else
--- a/rsync.h
+++ b/rsync.h
@@ -335,6 +335,14 @@ enum msgcode {
 #include <utime.h>
 #endif
 
+#if defined HAVE_LCHOWN || defined CHOWN_MODIFIES_SYMLINK
+#define CAN_CHOWN_SYMLINK 1
+#endif
+
+#if defined HAVE_LCHMOD || defined HAVE_SETATTRLIST
+#define CAN_CHMOD_SYMLINK 1
+#endif
+
 #ifdef HAVE_SYS_SELECT_H
 #include <sys/select.h>
 #endif