diff --git a/src/bootsupport/modules/punk/winlnk-0.1.0.tm b/src/bootsupport/modules/punk/winlnk-0.1.0.tm
index 6b912f5d..9b06a855 100644
--- a/src/bootsupport/modules/punk/winlnk-0.1.0.tm
+++ b/src/bootsupport/modules/punk/winlnk-0.1.0.tm
@@ -615,10 +615,10 @@ tcl::namespace::eval punk::winlnk {
             if {"windows" eq $::tcl_platform(platform)} {
                 set link_target [file join $localbase_path $suffix_path]
             } else {
-                set suffix_path [string map {\\ /} $suffix_path]
+                set suffix_path [string trimleft [string map {\\ /} $suffix_path] /]
                 if {[regexp {([a-zA-Z]):\\(.*)} $localbase_path _match drive_letter tail]} {
                     set localbase_path [string map {\\ /} $localbase_path]
-                    set tail [string map {\\ /} $tail]
+                    set tail [string trimleft [string map {\\ /} $tail] /]
                     set link_target ""
                     #shortcut basepath is a windows path with drive letter - try to resolve it on unix by looking for a corresponding mount from fstab or a point under /mnt
                     set mountinfo [exec mount]
diff --git a/src/modules/punk/winlnk-999999.0a1.0.tm b/src/modules/punk/winlnk-999999.0a1.0.tm
index d2530600..35f5d75b 100644
--- a/src/modules/punk/winlnk-999999.0a1.0.tm
+++ b/src/modules/punk/winlnk-999999.0a1.0.tm
@@ -615,10 +615,10 @@ tcl::namespace::eval punk::winlnk {
             if {"windows" eq $::tcl_platform(platform)} {
                 set link_target [file join $localbase_path $suffix_path]
             } else {
-                set suffix_path [string map {\\ /} $suffix_path]
+                set suffix_path [string trimleft [string map {\\ /} $suffix_path] /]
                 if {[regexp {([a-zA-Z]):\\(.*)} $localbase_path _match drive_letter tail]} {
                     set localbase_path [string map {\\ /} $localbase_path]
-                    set tail [string map {\\ /} $tail]
+                    set tail [string trimleft [string map {\\ /} $tail] /]
                     set link_target ""
                     #shortcut basepath is a windows path with drive letter - try to resolve it on unix by looking for a corresponding mount from fstab or a point under /mnt
                     set mountinfo [exec mount]
diff --git a/src/project_layouts/custom/_project/punk.project-0.1/src/bootsupport/modules/punk/winlnk-0.1.0.tm b/src/project_layouts/custom/_project/punk.project-0.1/src/bootsupport/modules/punk/winlnk-0.1.0.tm
index 6b912f5d..9b06a855 100644
--- a/src/project_layouts/custom/_project/punk.project-0.1/src/bootsupport/modules/punk/winlnk-0.1.0.tm
+++ b/src/project_layouts/custom/_project/punk.project-0.1/src/bootsupport/modules/punk/winlnk-0.1.0.tm
@@ -615,10 +615,10 @@ tcl::namespace::eval punk::winlnk {
             if {"windows" eq $::tcl_platform(platform)} {
                 set link_target [file join $localbase_path $suffix_path]
             } else {
-                set suffix_path [string map {\\ /} $suffix_path]
+                set suffix_path [string trimleft [string map {\\ /} $suffix_path] /]
                 if {[regexp {([a-zA-Z]):\\(.*)} $localbase_path _match drive_letter tail]} {
                     set localbase_path [string map {\\ /} $localbase_path]
-                    set tail [string map {\\ /} $tail]
+                    set tail [string trimleft [string map {\\ /} $tail] /]
                     set link_target ""
                     #shortcut basepath is a windows path with drive letter - try to resolve it on unix by looking for a corresponding mount from fstab or a point under /mnt
                     set mountinfo [exec mount]
diff --git a/src/project_layouts/custom/_project/punk.shell-0.1/src/bootsupport/modules/punk/winlnk-0.1.0.tm b/src/project_layouts/custom/_project/punk.shell-0.1/src/bootsupport/modules/punk/winlnk-0.1.0.tm
index 6b912f5d..9b06a855 100644
--- a/src/project_layouts/custom/_project/punk.shell-0.1/src/bootsupport/modules/punk/winlnk-0.1.0.tm
+++ b/src/project_layouts/custom/_project/punk.shell-0.1/src/bootsupport/modules/punk/winlnk-0.1.0.tm
@@ -615,10 +615,10 @@ tcl::namespace::eval punk::winlnk {
             if {"windows" eq $::tcl_platform(platform)} {
                 set link_target [file join $localbase_path $suffix_path]
             } else {
-                set suffix_path [string map {\\ /} $suffix_path]
+                set suffix_path [string trimleft [string map {\\ /} $suffix_path] /]
                 if {[regexp {([a-zA-Z]):\\(.*)} $localbase_path _match drive_letter tail]} {
                     set localbase_path [string map {\\ /} $localbase_path]
-                    set tail [string map {\\ /} $tail]
+                    set tail [string trimleft [string map {\\ /} $tail] /]
                     set link_target ""
                     #shortcut basepath is a windows path with drive letter - try to resolve it on unix by looking for a corresponding mount from fstab or a point under /mnt
                     set mountinfo [exec mount]
diff --git a/src/vfs/_vfscommon.vfs/modules/punk/winlnk-0.1.0.tm b/src/vfs/_vfscommon.vfs/modules/punk/winlnk-0.1.0.tm
index 6b912f5d..9b06a855 100644
--- a/src/vfs/_vfscommon.vfs/modules/punk/winlnk-0.1.0.tm
+++ b/src/vfs/_vfscommon.vfs/modules/punk/winlnk-0.1.0.tm
@@ -615,10 +615,10 @@ tcl::namespace::eval punk::winlnk {
             if {"windows" eq $::tcl_platform(platform)} {
                 set link_target [file join $localbase_path $suffix_path]
             } else {
-                set suffix_path [string map {\\ /} $suffix_path]
+                set suffix_path [string trimleft [string map {\\ /} $suffix_path] /]
                 if {[regexp {([a-zA-Z]):\\(.*)} $localbase_path _match drive_letter tail]} {
                     set localbase_path [string map {\\ /} $localbase_path]
-                    set tail [string map {\\ /} $tail]
+                    set tail [string trimleft [string map {\\ /} $tail] /]
                     set link_target ""
                     #shortcut basepath is a windows path with drive letter - try to resolve it on unix by looking for a corresponding mount from fstab or a point under /mnt
                     set mountinfo [exec mount]