diff --git a/NEWS b/NEWS
index e14bc2c01..f39025288 100644
--- a/NEWS
+++ b/NEWS
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 ver 0.23.17 (not yet released)
 * storage
   - nfs: require libnfs 4.0 or later
+* database
+  - inotify: trigger update after symlink was created
 * support libfmt 11.1
 
 ver 0.23.16 (2024/12/03)
diff --git a/src/db/update/InotifyUpdate.cxx b/src/db/update/InotifyUpdate.cxx
index 888682df9..40a60c9d0 100644
--- a/src/db/update/InotifyUpdate.cxx
+++ b/src/db/update/InotifyUpdate.cxx
@@ -293,6 +293,10 @@ InotifyUpdate::InotifyCallback(int wd, unsigned mask,
 	}
 
 	if ((mask & (IN_CLOSE_WRITE|IN_MOVE|IN_DELETE)) != 0 ||
+	    /* regular file or symlink was created; this check is only
+	       interesting for symlinks because regular files have
+	       usable content only after IN_CLOSE_WRITE */
+	    (mask & (IN_CREATE|IN_ISDIR)) == IN_CREATE ||
 	    /* at the maximum depth, we watch out for newly created
 	       directories */
 	    (directory.GetDepth() == max_depth &&