diff --git a/swh/vault/tests/test_cookers.py b/swh/vault/tests/test_cookers.py
index 227b3f65a77499cd841d859712b10fb3d954c160..042b831fb13aec8c80ecd25ce9a6caa26e42fb1e 100644
--- a/swh/vault/tests/test_cookers.py
+++ b/swh/vault/tests/test_cookers.py
@@ -580,8 +580,8 @@ class TestDirectoryCooker:
         with cook_extract_directory_dircooker(
             swh_storage, dir.swhid(), fsck=False
         ) as p:
-            assert (p / "submodule").is_symlink()
-            assert os.readlink(str(p / "submodule")) == target_rev
+            assert (p / "submodule").is_dir()
+            assert list((p / "submodule").iterdir()) == []
 
 
 class RepoFixtures:
diff --git a/swh/vault/to_disk.py b/swh/vault/to_disk.py
index b2b16504ef1007a3fdfb81da46bc92abde799d47..5971c5153a844e12b596172b99bcdc524d5b00e3 100644
--- a/swh/vault/to_disk.py
+++ b/swh/vault/to_disk.py
@@ -133,8 +133,7 @@ class DirectoryBuilder:
         identifier."""
         for file_data in revs_data:
             path = os.path.join(self.root, file_data["path"])
-            target = hashutil.hash_to_bytehex(file_data["target"])
-            self._create_file(path, target, mode=DentryPerms.symlink)
+            os.makedirs(path)
 
     def _create_file(
         self, path: bytes, content: bytes, mode: int = DentryPerms.content