diff --git a/src/backend/BSSrcServer/Link.pm b/src/backend/BSSrcServer/Link.pm
index 33d8932a5ff..7af28da0c55 100644
--- a/src/backend/BSSrcServer/Link.pm
+++ b/src/backend/BSSrcServer/Link.pm
@@ -215,6 +215,12 @@ sub applylink {
   }
   my $flnk = BSRevision::lsrev($llnk);
   my $fsrc = BSRevision::lsrev($lsrc);
+  my $lnkhasservice;
+  $lnkhasservice = 1 if grep {/^_service/} keys %$flnk;		# do we have service files?
+  if ($lnkhasservice) {
+    # drop all service files if the link also has service files
+    delete $fsrc->{$_} for grep {/^_service[:_]/} keys %$fsrc;
+  }
   my $l = $llnk->{'link'};
   my $patches = $l->{'patches'} || {};
   my @patches = ();
@@ -311,10 +317,9 @@ sub applylink {
       return "baserev $baserev does not exist" unless $fbas;
       return "baserev is link" if $fbas->{'_link'};
 
-      # ignore linked generated service files if our link contains service files
-      if (grep {/^_service/} keys %$flnk) {
+      # also delete service file from the base
+      if ($lnkhasservice) {
 	delete $fbas->{$_} for grep {/^_service[:_]/} keys %$fbas;
-	delete $fsrc->{$_} for grep {/^_service[:_]/} keys %$fsrc;
       }
       # do 3-way merge
       my %destnames = (%$fsrc, %$flnk);
@@ -535,6 +540,7 @@ sub handlelinks {
   my $projid = $rev->{'project'};
   my $packid = $rev->{'package'};
   my $linkrev = $rev->{'linkrev'};
+  my $ignoreserviceerrors = $rev->{'ignoreserviceerrors'};
   push @linkinfo, {'project' => $projid, 'package' => $packid, 'srcmd5' => $rev->{'srcmd5'}, 'rev' => $rev->{'rev'}};
   delete $rev->{'srcmd5'};
   delete $rev->{'linkrev'};
@@ -594,10 +600,17 @@ sub handlelinks {
     return "linked package '$packid' is strange" unless $lrev->{'srcmd5'} =~ /^[0-9a-f]{32}$/;
     $lrev->{'vrev'} = $l->{'vrev'} if defined $l->{'vrev'};
     undef $files;
+    my $lrev_copy;
+    $lrev_copy = { %$lrev } if $ignoreserviceerrors;
     eval {
       # links point to expanded services
       $files = $lsrev_linktarget->($lrev);
     };
+    if ($@ && $ignoreserviceerrors) {
+      # try expanding without service
+      %$lrev = %$lrev_copy;	# restore lrev
+      eval { $files = BSRevision::lsrev($lrev) };
+    }
     if ($@) {
       my $error = $@;
       chomp $error;
diff --git a/src/backend/BSSrcServer/Service.pm b/src/backend/BSSrcServer/Service.pm
index 8d4ad824a19..2322c3fa627 100644
--- a/src/backend/BSSrcServer/Service.pm
+++ b/src/backend/BSSrcServer/Service.pm
@@ -216,6 +216,7 @@ sub runservice {
       };
       if ($@) {
         warn($@);
+	undef $oldfiles;
 	undef $oldfilesrev;
         next if $@ =~ /service in progress/;
       }
@@ -263,37 +264,28 @@ sub runservice {
     return;
   }
 
-  my $linkfiles;
-  my $linksrcmd5;
+  my $sendfiles = $files;	# files we send to the service daemon
+
+  # expand links
+  my $sendsrcmd5;
   if ($files->{'_link'}) {
-    # make sure it's a branch
-    my $l = BSRevision::revreadxml($rev, '_link', $files->{'_link'}, $BSXML::link, 1);
-    if (!$l || !$l->{'patches'} || @{$l->{'patches'}->{''} || []} != 1 || (keys %{$l->{'patches'}->{''}->[0]})[0] ne 'branch') {
-      #addrev_service($cgi, $rev, $files, "services only work on branches\n");
-      #return;
-      # uh oh, not a branch!
-      $linkfiles = { %$files };
-      delete $files->{'/SERVICE'};
-      eval {
-	my $lrev = {%$rev, 'linkrev' => 'base'};
-	$files = BSSrcServer::Link::handlelinks($lrev, $files);
-	die("bad link: $files\n") unless ref $files;
-	$linksrcmd5 = $lrev->{'srcmd5'};
-      };
-      if ($@) {
-	if (($@ =~ /service in progress/) && $linkfiles->{'/SERVICE'}) {
-	  # delay, hope for an event. remove lock for now to re-trigger the service run.
-	  BSSrcrep::addmeta_serviceerror($rev->{'project'}, $rev->{'package'}, $linkfiles->{'/SERVICE'}, undef);
-	  return;
-	}
-        $files = $linkfiles;
-        addrev_service($cgi, $rev, $files, $@);
-        return;
-      }
-      $files->{'/SERVICE'} = $linkfiles->{'/SERVICE'} if $linkfiles->{'/SERVICE'}
+    $sendfiles = { %$files };
+    delete $sendfiles->{'/SERVICE'};
+    eval {
+      my $lrev = {%$rev, 'ignoreserviceerrors' => 1};
+      $sendfiles = BSSrcServer::Link::handlelinks($lrev, $sendfiles);
+      die("bad link: $sendfiles\n") unless ref $sendfiles;
+      $sendsrcmd5 = $lrev->{'srcmd5'};
+    };
+    if ($@) {
+      addrev_service($cgi, $rev, $files, $@);
+      return;
     }
+    # drop all sevice files
+    delete $sendfiles->{$_} for grep {/^_service:/} keys %$sendfiles;
   }
 
+  # handoff to dispatcher if configured
   if ($files->{'/SERVICE'} && $BSConfig::servicedispatch) {
     my $projectservicesmd5;
     if ($projectservices) {
@@ -309,7 +301,7 @@ sub runservice {
       'srcmd5' => $rev->{'srcmd5'},
       'rev' => $rev->{'rev'},
     };
-    $ev->{'linksrcmd5'} = $linksrcmd5 if $linksrcmd5;
+    $ev->{'linksrcmd5'} = $sendsrcmd5 if $sendsrcmd5;
     $ev->{'projectservicesmd5'} = $projectservicesmd5 if $projectservicesmd5;
     $ev->{'oldsrcmd5'} = $oldfilesrev->{'srcmd5'} if %$oldfiles && $oldfilesrev;
     mkdir_p("$eventdir/servicedispatch");
@@ -327,9 +319,9 @@ sub runservice {
     BSUtil::touch($lockfile);
   }
 
-  my @send = map {BSRevision::revcpiofile($rev, $_, $files->{$_})} grep {$_ ne '/SERVICE'} sort(keys %$files);
+  my @send = map {BSRevision::revcpiofile($rev, $_, $sendfiles->{$_})} grep {$_ ne '/SERVICE'} sort(keys %$sendfiles);
   push @send, {'name' => '_serviceproject', 'data' => BSUtil::toxml($projectservices, $BSXML::services)} if $projectservices;
-  push @send, map {BSRevision::revcpiofile($rev, $_, $oldfiles->{$_})} grep {!$files->{$_}} sort(keys %$oldfiles);
+  push @send, map {BSRevision::revcpiofile($rev, $_, $oldfiles->{$_})} grep {!$sendfiles->{$_}} sort(keys %$oldfiles);
 
   # run the source update in own process (do not wait for it)
   my $pid = xfork();
@@ -377,12 +369,9 @@ sub runservice {
       for my $pfile (ls($odir)) {
         if ($pfile eq '.errors') {
           my $e = readstr("$odir/.errors");
-          $e ||= 'empty .errors file';
-          die($e);
+          die($e || "empty .errors file\n");
         }
-	unless ($pfile =~ /^_service[_:]/) {
-	  die("service returned a non-_service file: $pfile\n");
-	}
+	die("service returned a non-_service file: $pfile\n") unless $pfile =~ /^_service[_:]/;
 	BSVerify::verify_filename($pfile);
 	$files->{$pfile} = BSSrcrep::addfile($projid, $packid, "$odir/$pfile", $pfile);
       }
@@ -394,13 +383,6 @@ sub runservice {
   }
   BSUtil::cleandir($odir);
   rmdir($odir);
-  if ($linkfiles) {
-    # argh, a link! put service run result in old filelist
-    if (!$error) {
-      $linkfiles->{$_} = $files->{$_} for grep {/^_service[_:]/} keys %$files;
-    }
-    $files = $linkfiles;
-  }
   addrev_service($cgi, $rev, $files, $error);
   exit(0);
 }
diff --git a/src/backend/bs_servicedispatch b/src/backend/bs_servicedispatch
index fac91465c82..d8dedad2ccc 100755
--- a/src/backend/bs_servicedispatch
+++ b/src/backend/bs_servicedispatch
@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@ sub getrev {
 }
 
 sub runservice {
-  my ($projid, $packid, $servicemark, $srcmd5, $revid, $linksrcmd5, $projectservicesmd5, $oldsrcmd5) = @_;
+  my ($projid, $packid, $servicemark, $srcmd5, $revid, $sendsrcmd5, $projectservicesmd5, $oldsrcmd5) = @_;
 
   print "dispatching service $projid/$packid $servicemark $srcmd5\n";
   # get revision and file list
@@ -113,12 +113,13 @@ sub runservice {
   my $serviceerror = BSSrcrep::getserviceerror($projid, $packid, $servicemark);
   return if $serviceerror ne 'service in progress';
  
-  # handle link case
-  my $linkfiles;
-  if ($linksrcmd5) {
-    $linkfiles = $files;
-    my $lrev = getrev($projid, $packid, $linksrcmd5);
-    $files = BSRevision::lsrev($lrev);
+  # get files to send to service daemon
+  my $sendfiles = $files;
+  if ($sendsrcmd5) {
+    my $lrev = getrev($projid, $packid, $sendsrcmd5);
+    $sendfiles = BSRevision::lsrev($lrev);
+    # drop all service files
+    delete $sendfiles->{$_} for grep {/^_service:/} keys %$sendfiles;
   }
 
   # get old files
@@ -126,12 +127,13 @@ sub runservice {
   if ($oldsrcmd5) {
     my $oldrev = getrev($projid, $packid, $oldsrcmd5);
     $oldfiles = BSRevision::lsrev($oldrev);
+    delete $oldfiles->{$_} for grep {!/^_service:/} keys %$oldfiles;
   }
   $oldfiles ||= {};
 
-  my @send = map {BSRevision::revcpiofile($rev, $_, $files->{$_})} sort(keys %$files);
+  my @send = map {BSRevision::revcpiofile($rev, $_, $sendfiles->{$_})} sort(keys %$sendfiles);
   push @send, BSRevision::revcpiofile({'project' => $projid, 'package' => '_project'}, '_serviceproject', $projectservicesmd5) if $projectservicesmd5;
-  push @send, map {BSRevision::revcpiofile($rev, $_, $oldfiles->{$_})} grep {!$files->{$_}} sort(keys %$oldfiles);
+  push @send, map {BSRevision::revcpiofile($rev, $_, $oldfiles->{$_})} grep {!$sendfiles->{$_}} sort(keys %$oldfiles);
 
   my $odir = "$uploaddir/runservice$$";
   BSUtil::cleandir($odir) if -d $odir;
@@ -164,12 +166,9 @@ sub runservice {
       for my $pfile (ls($odir)) {
         if ($pfile eq '.errors') {
           my $e = readstr("$odir/.errors");
-          $e ||= 'empty .errors file';
-          die($e);
-        }
-        unless ($pfile =~ /^_service[_:]/) {
-          die("service returned a non-_service file: $pfile\n");
+          die($e || "empty .errors file\n");
         }
+        die("service returned a non-_service file: $pfile\n") unless $pfile =~ /^_service[_:]/;
         BSVerify::verify_filename($pfile);
         $files->{$pfile} = BSSrcrep::addfile($projid, $packid, "$odir/$pfile", $pfile);
       }
@@ -183,13 +182,6 @@ sub runservice {
   }
   BSUtil::cleandir($odir);
   rmdir($odir);
-  if ($linkfiles) {
-    # argh, a link! put service run result in old filelist
-    if (!$error) {
-      $linkfiles->{$_} = $files->{$_} for grep {/^_service[_:]/} keys %$files;
-    }
-    $files = $linkfiles;
-  }
   addrev_service($rev, $servicemark, $files, $error);
 }