diff --git a/commands/down b/commands/down
index cac316eb4..443119f8e 100755
--- a/commands/down
+++ b/commands/down
@@ -166,7 +166,7 @@ function down() (
 		if test -n "$unzip_format" -o -n "$unzip_filter"; then
 			local url_basename
 			url_basename="$(basename "$url" | echo-trim-special)"
-			download_directory="$(debug-bash -v fs-temp --directory='down' --directory)"
+			download_directory="$(debug-bash fs-temp --directory='down' --directory)"
 			download_file="$url_basename"
 		else
 			download_directory="$directory"
diff --git a/commands/fs-temp b/commands/fs-temp
index 1abcb7f20..4b13eab84 100755
--- a/commands/fs-temp
+++ b/commands/fs-temp
@@ -126,7 +126,7 @@ function fs_temp() (
 			# generate a non-existent directory name
 			while true; do
 				directory="$option_prefix$(get-random-number)$option_suffix"
-				if is-missing "$root/$directory"; then
+				if debug-bash is-missing "$root/$directory"; then
 					break
 				fi
 			done
diff --git a/commands/is-missing b/commands/is-missing
index 3973c3fb3..4b83c9448 100755
--- a/commands/is-missing
+++ b/commands/is-missing
@@ -3,7 +3,10 @@
 function is_missing() (
 	source "$DOROTHY/sources/bash.bash"
 
-	! is-present "$1"
+	# should be opposite of is-present
+
+	# just -e is faulty, as -e fails on symlinks
+	! test -e "$1" -o -L "$1"
 )
 
 # fire if invoked standalone