diff --git a/crates/core/src/backend/local_destination.rs b/crates/core/src/backend/local_destination.rs
index afc22f1a..05a65677 100644
--- a/crates/core/src/backend/local_destination.rs
+++ b/crates/core/src/backend/local_destination.rs
@@ -102,6 +102,12 @@ pub enum LocalDestinationErrorKind {
         filename: PathBuf,
         source: std::io::Error,
     },
+    /// failed to create hardlink from `{source_path:?}` to `{filename:?}` with `{source:?}`
+    HardLinkingFailed {
+        source_path: PathBuf,
+        filename: PathBuf,
+        source: std::io::Error,
+    },
 }
 
 pub(crate) type LocalDestinationResult<T> = Result<T, LocalDestinationErrorKind>;
@@ -791,4 +797,37 @@ impl LocalDestination {
             .map_err(LocalDestinationErrorKind::CouldNotWriteToBuffer)?;
         Ok(())
     }
+
+    /// Create a hardlink `item` pointing to `source_item`, both relative to the base path.
+    ///
+    /// # Arguments
+    ///
+    /// * `source_item` - The already-restored file to link to
+    /// * `item` - The path to create as a hardlink
+    ///
+    /// # Errors
+    ///
+    /// * If the new hardlink does not have a parent directory.
+    /// * If the directory could not be created.
+    /// * If the hardlink could not be created.
+    pub(crate) fn hard_link(
+        &self,
+        source_item: impl AsRef<Path>,
+        item: impl AsRef<Path>,
+    ) -> LocalDestinationResult<()> {
+        let source_path = self.path(source_item);
+        let filename = self.path(item);
+        let dir = filename
+            .parent()
+            .ok_or_else(|| LocalDestinationErrorKind::FileDoesNotHaveParent(filename.clone()))?;
+        fs::create_dir_all(dir).map_err(LocalDestinationErrorKind::DirectoryCreationFailed)?;
+        fs::hard_link(&source_path, &filename).map_err(|err| {
+            LocalDestinationErrorKind::HardLinkingFailed {
+                source_path,
+                filename,
+                source: err,
+            }
+        })?;
+        Ok(())
+    }
 }
diff --git a/crates/core/src/commands/restore.rs b/crates/core/src/commands/restore.rs
index d35c14eb..91144963 100644
--- a/crates/core/src/commands/restore.rs
+++ b/crates/core/src/commands/restore.rs
@@ -90,6 +90,12 @@ pub struct RestoreStats {
     pub dirs: FileDirStats,
 }
 
+#[derive(Debug, Clone, Copy, PartialEq, Eq, PartialOrd, Ord)]
+struct HardlinkKey {
+    device_id: u64,
+    inode: u64,
+}
+
 /// Restore the repository to the given destination.
 ///
 /// # Type Parameters
@@ -350,7 +356,11 @@ fn restore_metadata(
     dest: &LocalDestination,
 ) -> RusticResult<()> {
     let mut dir_stack = Vec::new();
+    let mut hardlinks = BTreeMap::<HardlinkKey, Vec<PathBuf>>::new();
     while let Some((path, node)) = node_streamer.next().transpose()? {
+        if let Some(key) = hardlink_key(&node) {
+            hardlinks.entry(key).or_default().push(path.clone());
+        }
         match node.node_type {
             NodeType::Dir => {
                 // set metadata for all non-parent paths in stack
@@ -373,6 +383,57 @@ fn restore_metadata(
         set_metadata(dest, opts, &path, &node);
     }
 
+    restore_hardlinks(dest, &hardlinks)?;
+
+    Ok(())
+}
+
+fn hardlink_key(node: &Node) -> Option<HardlinkKey> {
+    matches!(node.node_type, NodeType::File)
+        .then_some(HardlinkKey {
+            device_id: node.meta.device_id,
+            inode: node.meta.inode,
+        })
+        .filter(|key| node.meta.links > 1 && key.device_id != 0 && key.inode != 0)
+}
+
+fn restore_hardlinks(
+    dest: &LocalDestination,
+    hardlinks: &BTreeMap<HardlinkKey, Vec<PathBuf>>,
+) -> RusticResult<()> {
+    for paths in hardlinks.values() {
+        if paths.len() < 2 {
+            continue;
+        }
+
+        let canonical = &paths[0];
+        for path in paths.iter().skip(1) {
+            debug!(
+                "restoring hardlink {} -> {}",
+                path.display(),
+                canonical.display()
+            );
+            let full_path = dest.path(path);
+            dest.remove_file(&full_path).map_err(|err| {
+                RusticError::with_source(
+                    ErrorKind::InputOutput,
+                    "Failed to remove the file `{path}` before recreating its hardlink.",
+                    err,
+                )
+                .attach_context("path", path.display().to_string())
+            })?;
+            dest.hard_link(canonical, path).map_err(|err| {
+                RusticError::with_source(
+                    ErrorKind::InputOutput,
+                    "Failed to recreate the hardlink `{path}` from `{canonical}`.",
+                    err,
+                )
+                .attach_context("path", path.display().to_string())
+                .attach_context("canonical", canonical.display().to_string())
+            })?;
+        }
+    }
+
     Ok(())
 }
 
diff --git a/crates/core/tests/integration/restore.rs b/crates/core/tests/integration/restore.rs
index 8b137891..dc3b49de 100644
--- a/crates/core/tests/integration/restore.rs
+++ b/crates/core/tests/integration/restore.rs
@@ -1 +1,60 @@
+use std::{fs, path::PathBuf, str::FromStr};
 
+#[cfg(not(windows))]
+use std::os::unix::fs::MetadataExt;
+
+use anyhow::Result;
+use pretty_assertions::assert_eq;
+use rstest::rstest;
+use tempfile::tempdir;
+
+use rustic_core::{
+    BackupOptions, LocalDestination, LsOptions, RestoreOptions, repofile::SnapshotFile,
+};
+
+use super::{RepoOpen, TestSource, set_up_repo, tar_gz_testdata};
+
+#[rstest]
+#[cfg(not(windows))]
+fn test_restore_preserves_hardlinks(
+    tar_gz_testdata: Result<TestSource>,
+    set_up_repo: Result<RepoOpen>,
+) -> Result<()> {
+    let (source, repo) = (tar_gz_testdata?, set_up_repo?.to_indexed_ids()?);
+
+    let opts = BackupOptions::default().as_path(PathBuf::from_str("test")?);
+    let _snapshot = repo.backup(&opts, &source.path_list(), SnapshotFile::default())?;
+
+    let repo = repo.to_indexed()?;
+    let node = repo.node_from_snapshot_path("latest", |_| true)?;
+    let ls_opts = LsOptions::default();
+    let ls = repo.ls(&node, &ls_opts)?;
+
+    let restore_dir = tempdir()?;
+    let dest = LocalDestination::new(
+        restore_dir
+            .path()
+            .to_str()
+            .expect("restore path is valid utf-8"),
+        true,
+        !node.is_dir(),
+    )?;
+    let restore_opts = RestoreOptions::default();
+    let plan = repo.prepare_restore(&restore_opts, ls.clone(), &dest, false)?;
+    repo.restore(plan, &restore_opts, ls, &dest)?;
+
+    let hardlink = restore_dir.path().join("test/0/tests/testfile-hardlink");
+    let linked = restore_dir.path().join("test/0/tests/testfile");
+    let symlink = restore_dir.path().join("test/0/tests/testfile-symlink");
+
+    let hardlink_meta = fs::metadata(&hardlink)?;
+    let linked_meta = fs::metadata(&linked)?;
+    assert_eq!(hardlink_meta.dev(), linked_meta.dev());
+    assert_eq!(hardlink_meta.ino(), linked_meta.ino());
+    assert_eq!(hardlink_meta.nlink(), 2);
+    assert_eq!(linked_meta.nlink(), 2);
+    assert_eq!(fs::read_to_string(&hardlink)?, fs::read_to_string(&linked)?);
+    assert_eq!(fs::read_link(&symlink)?, PathBuf::from("testfile"));
+
+    Ok(())
+}