diff --git a/README.rst b/README.rst
index d4137ff..6b04064 100644
--- a/README.rst
+++ b/README.rst
@@ -254,6 +254,7 @@
         compression: true
         rsync_tables: true
         compressThreads: 2
+        force_non_empty_directories: true
         database:
           user: username
           password: password
diff --git a/xtrabackup/files/innobackupex-client-restore.sh b/xtrabackup/files/innobackupex-client-restore.sh
index 501e8d9..8d1d3f0 100644
--- a/xtrabackup/files/innobackupex-client-restore.sh
+++ b/xtrabackup/files/innobackupex-client-restore.sh
@@ -11,6 +11,9 @@
 {%- if client.restore_from == 'remote' %}
 RESTORE_FROM_MODE="remote"
 {%- endif %}
+{%- if client.force_non_empty_directories is defined %}
+FORCE_NON_EMPTY="--force-non-empty-directories"
+{%- endif %}
 QPRESS_URL="{{ client.qpress.name }}"
 CLIENT_TARGET_HOST="{{ client.target.host }}"
 SERVERBACKUPDIR="{{ server.backup_dir }}"
@@ -182,7 +185,7 @@
       check_innobackupex_error
 
       # Apply incrementals to base backup
-      for i in $(find $PARENT_DIR -mindepth 1 -maxdepth 1 -type d -printf "%P\n" | sort -n); do
+      for i in $(find -L $PARENT_DIR -mindepth 1 -maxdepth 1 -type d -printf "%P\n" | sort -n); do
         echo "Applying $i to full ..."
         innobackupex --defaults-file=$MYCNF --apply-log --redo-only --use-memory=$MEMORY $FULLBACKUP --incremental-dir=$PARENT_DIR/$i > $TMPFILE 2>&1 || true
         check_innobackupex_error
@@ -202,7 +205,7 @@
   check_innobackupex_error
 
   echo "Restoring ..."
-  innobackupex --defaults-file=$MYCNF --copy-back $FULLBACKUP > $TMPFILE 2>&1 || true
+  innobackupex --defaults-file=$MYCNF $FORCE_NON_EMPTY --copy-back $FULLBACKUP > $TMPFILE 2>&1 || true
   check_innobackupex_error
   chown -R mysql:mysql /var/lib/mysql
   #rm -f $TMPFILE
diff --git a/xtrabackup/files/innobackupex-server-runner.sh b/xtrabackup/files/innobackupex-server-runner.sh
index d210dd6..71ae2c5 100644
--- a/xtrabackup/files/innobackupex-server-runner.sh
+++ b/xtrabackup/files/innobackupex-server-runner.sh
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@
   if [ $BACKUPTIME==false ]; then
     echo "Cleanup. Keeping only $KEEP full backups and its incrementals."
     AGE=$(($FULLBACKUPLIFE * $KEEP / 60))
-    find $FULLBACKUPDIR -maxdepth 1 -type d -mmin +$AGE -execdir echo "removing: "$FULLBACKUPDIR/{} \; -execdir rm -rf $FULLBACKUPDIR/{} \; -execdir echo "removing: "$INCRBACKUPDIR/{} \; -execdir rm -rf $INCRBACKUPDIR/{} \;
+    find -L $FULLBACKUPDIR -maxdepth 1 -type d -mmin +$AGE -execdir echo "removing: "$FULLBACKUPDIR/{} \; -execdir rm -rf $FULLBACKUPDIR/{} \; -execdir echo "removing: "$INCRBACKUPDIR/{} \; -execdir rm -rf $INCRBACKUPDIR/{} \;
     echo "completed: $(date)"
     exit 0
   else