diff --git a/libpkg/pkg_add.c b/libpkg/pkg_add.c
index 53426e5ee..ff4f47e81 100644
--- a/libpkg/pkg_add.c
+++ b/libpkg/pkg_add.c
@@ -421,7 +421,7 @@ reopen_tempdir(int rootfd, struct tempdir *t)
 }
 
 static struct tempdir *
-get_tempdir(int rootfd, const char *path, tempdirs_t *tempdirs, stringlist_t *symlinks_allowed)
+get_tempdir(int rootfd, const char *path, tempdirs_t *tempdirs, c_charv_t *symlinks_allowed)
 {
 	struct tempdir *tmpdir = NULL;
 
@@ -451,7 +451,7 @@ close_tempdir(struct tempdir *t)
 }
 
 static int
-create_dir(struct pkg *pkg, struct pkg_dir *d, tempdirs_t *tempdirs, stringlist_t *symlinks_allowed)
+create_dir(struct pkg *pkg, struct pkg_dir *d, tempdirs_t *tempdirs, c_charv_t *symlinks_allowed)
 {
 	struct stat st;
 	struct tempdir *tmpdir = NULL;
@@ -501,7 +501,7 @@ create_dir(struct pkg *pkg, struct pkg_dir *d, tempdirs_t *tempdirs, stringlist_
 /* In case of directories create the dir and extract the creds */
 static int
 do_extract_dir(struct pkg* pkg, struct archive *a __unused, struct archive_entry *ae,
-    const char *path, struct pkg *local __unused, tempdirs_t *tempdirs, stringlist_t *symlinks_allowed)
+    const char *path, struct pkg *local __unused, tempdirs_t *tempdirs, c_charv_t *symlinks_allowed)
 {
 	struct pkg_dir *d;
 	const struct stat *aest;
@@ -547,7 +547,7 @@ try_mkdir(int fd, const char *path)
 
 static int
 create_symlinks(struct pkg *pkg, struct pkg_file *f, const char *target, tempdirs_t *tempdirs,
-    stringlist_t *symlinks_allowed)
+    c_charv_t *symlinks_allowed)
 {
 	struct tempdir *tmpdir = NULL;
 	int fd;
@@ -594,7 +594,7 @@ create_symlinks(struct pkg *pkg, struct pkg_file *f, const char *target, tempdir
 static int
 do_extract_symlink(struct pkg *pkg, struct archive *a __unused, struct archive_entry *ae,
     const char *path, struct pkg *local __unused, tempdirs_t *tempdirs,
-    stringlist_t *symlinks_allowed)
+    c_charv_t *symlinks_allowed)
 {
 	struct pkg_file *f;
 	const struct stat *aest;
@@ -626,7 +626,7 @@ do_extract_symlink(struct pkg *pkg, struct archive *a __unused, struct archive_e
 
 static int
 create_hardlink(struct pkg *pkg, struct pkg_file *f, const char *path, tempdirs_t *tempdirs,
-    stringlist_t *symlinks_allowed)
+    c_charv_t *symlinks_allowed)
 {
 	bool tried_mkdir = false;
 	struct pkg_file *fh;
@@ -702,7 +702,7 @@ create_hardlink(struct pkg *pkg, struct pkg_file *f, const char *path, tempdirs_
 static int
 do_extract_hardlink(struct pkg *pkg, struct archive *a __unused, struct archive_entry *ae,
     const char *path, struct pkg *local __unused, tempdirs_t *tempdirs,
-    stringlist_t *symlinks_allowed)
+    c_charv_t *symlinks_allowed)
 {
 	struct pkg_file *f;
 	const struct stat *aest;
@@ -749,7 +749,7 @@ open_tempfile(int rootfd, const char *path, int perm)
 static int
 create_regfile(struct pkg *pkg, struct pkg_file *f, struct archive *a,
     struct archive_entry *ae, int fromfd, struct pkg *local, tempdirs_t *tempdirs,
-    stringlist_t *symlinks_allowed)
+    c_charv_t *symlinks_allowed)
 {
 	int fd = -1;
 	size_t len;
@@ -842,7 +842,7 @@ create_regfile(struct pkg *pkg, struct pkg_file *f, struct archive *a,
 
 static int
 do_extract_regfile(struct pkg *pkg, struct archive *a, struct archive_entry *ae,
-    const char *path, struct pkg *local, tempdirs_t *tempdirs, stringlist_t *symlinks_allowed)
+    const char *path, struct pkg *local, tempdirs_t *tempdirs, c_charv_t *symlinks_allowed)
 {
 	struct pkg_file *f;
 	const struct stat *aest;
@@ -875,14 +875,14 @@ do_extract_regfile(struct pkg *pkg, struct archive *a, struct archive_entry *ae,
 static int
 do_extract(struct archive *a, struct archive_entry *ae,
     int nfiles, struct pkg *pkg, struct pkg *local, tempdirs_t *tempdirs,
-    stringlist_t *symlinks_allowed)
+    c_charv_t *symlinks_allowed)
 {
 	int	retcode = EPKG_OK;
 	int	ret = 0, cur_file = 0;
 	char	path[MAXPATHLEN];
 	int (*extract_cb)(struct pkg *pkg, struct archive *a,
 	    struct archive_entry *ae, const char *path, struct pkg *local,
-	    tempdirs_t *tempdirs, stringlist_t *sa);
+	    tempdirs_t *tempdirs, c_charv_t *sa);
 
 #ifndef HAVE_ARC4RANDOM
 	srand(time(NULL));
@@ -1357,11 +1357,12 @@ pkg_add_common(struct pkgdb *db, const char *path, unsigned flags,
 	int			 ret;
 	int			 nfiles;
 	tempdirs_t		 tempdirs;
-	stringlist_t		 symlinks_allowed = tll_init();
+	c_charv_t		 symlinks_allowed;
 
 	assert(path != NULL);
 
 	pkgvec_init(&tempdirs);
+	pkgvec_init(&symlinks_allowed);
 
 	/*
 	 * Open the package archive file, read all the meta files and set the
@@ -1464,7 +1465,7 @@ pkg_add_common(struct pkgdb *db, const char *path, unsigned flags,
 	 */
 	if (extract) {
 		pkg_register_cleanup_callback(pkg_rollback_cb, pkg);
-		tll_push_back(symlinks_allowed, pkg->prefix);
+		pkgvec_push(&symlinks_allowed, pkg->prefix);
 		retcode = do_extract(a, ae, nfiles, pkg, local, &tempdirs, &symlinks_allowed);
 		pkg_unregister_cleanup_callback(pkg_rollback_cb, pkg);
 		if (retcode != EPKG_OK) {
@@ -1563,7 +1564,7 @@ pkg_add_common(struct pkgdb *db, const char *path, unsigned flags,
 	}
 
 cleanup:
-	tll_free(symlinks_allowed);
+	pkgvec_free(&symlinks_allowed);
 
 	if (openxact)
 		pkgdb_register_finale(db, retcode, NULL);
@@ -1662,9 +1663,10 @@ pkg_add_fromdir(struct pkg *pkg, const char *src)
 	size_t link_len;
 	bool install_as_user;
 	tempdirs_t tempdirs;
-	stringlist_t symlinks_allowed = tll_init();
-	tll_push_back(symlinks_allowed, pkg->prefix);
+	c_charv_t symlinks_allowed;
 
+	pkgvec_init(&symlinks_allowed);
+	pkgvec_push(&symlinks_allowed, pkg->prefix);
 	pkgvec_init(&hardlinks);
 	pkgvec_init(&tempdirs);
 	install_as_user = (getenv("INSTALL_AS_USER") != NULL);
@@ -1843,7 +1845,7 @@ pkg_add_fromdir(struct pkg *pkg, const char *src)
 	retcode = pkg_extract_finalize(pkg, &tempdirs);
 
 cleanup:
-	tll_free(symlinks_allowed);
+	pkgvec_free(&symlinks_allowed);
 	pkgvec_free_and_free(&hardlinks, free);
 	close(fromfd);
 	return (retcode);
diff --git a/libpkg/private/utils.h b/libpkg/private/utils.h
index 69271f174..53dca3fe8 100644
--- a/libpkg/private/utils.h
+++ b/libpkg/private/utils.h
@@ -116,7 +116,7 @@ char *rtrimspace(char *buf);
 void hidden_tempfile(char *buf, int buflen, const char *path);
 void append_random_suffix(char *buf, int buflen, int suffixlen);
 char *json_escape(const char *str);
-struct tempdir *open_tempdir(int rootfd, const char *path, stringlist_t *strlist);
+struct tempdir *open_tempdir(int rootfd, const char *path, c_charv_t *strlist);
 const char *get_http_auth(void);
 bool c_charv_contains(c_charv_t *, const char *, bool);
 
diff --git a/libpkg/utils.c b/libpkg/utils.c
index 13412cd39..f63295931 100644
--- a/libpkg/utils.c
+++ b/libpkg/utils.c
@@ -984,7 +984,7 @@ json_escape(const char *str)
 }
 
 struct tempdir *
-open_tempdir(int rootfd, const char *path, stringlist_t *symlinks_allowed)
+open_tempdir(int rootfd, const char *path, c_charv_t *symlinks_allowed)
 {
 	struct stat st;
 	char walk[MAXPATHLEN];
@@ -1003,8 +1003,8 @@ open_tempdir(int rootfd, const char *path, stringlist_t *symlinks_allowed)
 		if (len > 0) {
 			int flag = AT_SYMLINK_NOFOLLOW;
 			if (symlinks_allowed != NULL) {
-				tll_foreach(*symlinks_allowed, t) {
-					if (STREQ(RELATIVE_PATH(walk), RELATIVE_PATH(t->item)))
+				for (size_t i = 0; i < symlinks_allowed->len; i++) {
+					if (STREQ(RELATIVE_PATH(walk), RELATIVE_PATH(symlinks_allowed->d[i])))
 						flag = 0;
 				}
 			}