diff --git a/.gitlab/script/ghcup_version.sh b/.gitlab/script/ghcup_version.sh
index 137388f..5dc547a 100755
--- a/.gitlab/script/ghcup_version.sh
+++ b/.gitlab/script/ghcup_version.sh
@@ -289,7 +289,19 @@ fi
 eghcup upgrade
 eghcup upgrade -f
 
+mkdir no_nuke/
+mkdir no_nuke/bar
+echo 'foo' > no_nuke/file
+echo 'bar' > no_nuke/bar/file
+ln -s "$CI_PROJECT_DIR"/no_nuke/ "${GHCUP_DIR}"/cache/no_nuke
+ln -s "$CI_PROJECT_DIR"/no_nuke/ "${GHCUP_DIR}"/logs/no_nuke
 
 # nuke
 eghcup nuke
 [ ! -e "${GHCUP_DIR}" ]
+
+# make sure nuke doesn't resolve symlinks
+[ -e "$CI_PROJECT_DIR"/no_nuke/file ]
+[ -e "$CI_PROJECT_DIR"/no_nuke/bar/file ]
+
+
diff --git a/lib/GHCup.hs b/lib/GHCup.hs
index dddf78f..359bce7 100644
--- a/lib/GHCup.hs
+++ b/lib/GHCup.hs
@@ -2017,6 +2017,7 @@ rmGhcupDirs = do
     , logsDir
     , cacheDir
     , recycleDir
+    , dbDir
     } <- getDirs
 
   let envFilePath = fromGHCupPath baseDir </> "env"
@@ -2027,11 +2028,12 @@ rmGhcupDirs = do
   handleRm $ rmConfFile confFilePath
 
   -- for xdg dirs, the order matters here
-  handleRm $ rmDir logsDir
-  handleRm $ rmDir cacheDir
+  handleRm $ rmPathForcibly logsDir
+  handleRm $ rmPathForcibly cacheDir
 
   handleRm $ rmBinDir binDir
-  handleRm $ rmDir recycleDir
+  handleRm $ rmPathForcibly recycleDir
+  handleRm $ rmPathForcibly dbDir
   when isWindows $ do
     logInfo $ "removing " <> T.pack (fromGHCupPath baseDir </> "msys64")
     handleRm $ rmPathForcibly (baseDir `appendGHCupPath` "msys64")
@@ -2057,15 +2059,6 @@ rmGhcupDirs = do
       logInfo "removing Ghcup Config File"
       hideErrorDef [permissionErrorType] () $ deleteFile' confFilePath
 
-    rmDir :: (HasLog env, MonadReader env m, HasDirs env, MonadMask m, MonadIO m, MonadCatch m) => GHCupPath -> m ()
-    rmDir dir =
-      -- 'getDirectoryContentsRecursive' is lazy IO. In case
-      -- an error leaks through, we catch it here as well,
-      -- althought 'deleteFile' should already handle it.
-      hideErrorDef [doesNotExistErrorType] () $ do
-        logInfo $ "removing " <> T.pack (fromGHCupPath dir)
-        liftIO $ flip S.mapM_ (getDirectoryContentsRecursive dir) $ deleteFile' . (fromGHCupPath dir </>)
-
     rmBinDir :: (MonadReader env m, HasDirs env, MonadMask m, MonadIO m, MonadCatch m) => FilePath -> m ()
     rmBinDir binDir
       | isWindows = removeDirIfEmptyOrIsSymlink binDir