diff --git a/incorporealcms/ssg.py b/incorporealcms/ssg.py
index e45b718..541f2b4 100644
--- a/incorporealcms/ssg.py
+++ b/incorporealcms/ssg.py
@@ -177,6 +177,10 @@ class StaticSiteGenerator(object):
     def symlink_to_relative_dest(self, base_dir: str, source: str) -> str:
         """Given a symlink, make sure it points to something inside the instance and provide its real destination.
 
+        This is made to be relative to the location of the symlink in all
+        circumstances, in order to avoid breaking out of the instance or output
+        dirs.
+
         Args:
             base_dir: the full absolute path of the instance's pages dir, which the symlink destination must be in.
             source: the symlink to check
@@ -185,8 +189,8 @@ class StaticSiteGenerator(object):
         """
         if not os.path.realpath(source).startswith(base_dir):
             raise ValueError(f"symlink destination {os.path.realpath(source)} is outside the instance!")
-        # this symlink points to realpath inside base_dir, so relative to base_dir, the symlink dest is...
-        return os.path.relpath(os.path.realpath(source), base_dir)
+        # this symlink points to realpath inside base_dir, so relative to the source, the symlink dest is...
+        return os.path.relpath(os.path.realpath(source), os.path.dirname(source))
 
 
 def build():
diff --git a/tests/instance/pages/subdir/relative-symlink-to-parent.md b/tests/instance/pages/subdir/relative-symlink-to-parent.md
new file mode 120000
index 0000000..2bb6465
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/instance/pages/subdir/relative-symlink-to-parent.md
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+../more-metadata.md
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/tests/test_ssg.py b/tests/test_ssg.py
index a0bee09..e999264 100644
--- a/tests/test_ssg.py
+++ b/tests/test_ssg.py
@@ -52,6 +52,23 @@ def test_file_copy_symlink():
         assert os.path.islink(os.path.join(tmpdir, 'symlink-to-foo.txt'))
 
 
+def test_file_copy_subdir_symlink():
+    """Test the ability to sync a symlink in a subdirectory to the output dir."""
+    with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory() as tmpdir:
+        src_dir = os.path.join(HERE, 'instance')
+        generator = ssg.StaticSiteGenerator(src_dir, tmpdir)
+        # need to make the subdirectory as if the generator already did
+        os.mkdir(os.path.join(tmpdir, 'subdir'))
+        generator.build_file_in_destination(os.path.join(instance_dir, 'pages'), 'subdir',
+                                            'relative-symlink-to-parent.md', tmpdir)
+        # need to copy the destination for os.path.exists to be happy with this
+        generator.build_file_in_destination(os.path.join(instance_dir, 'pages'), '', 'more-metadata.md', tmpdir)
+        logger.warning("created symlink %s",
+                       os.readlink(os.path.join(tmpdir, 'subdir', 'relative-symlink-to-parent.md')))
+        assert os.path.islink(os.path.join(tmpdir, 'subdir', 'relative-symlink-to-parent.md'))
+        assert os.path.exists(os.path.join(tmpdir, 'subdir', 'relative-symlink-to-parent.md'))
+
+
 def test_file_copy_symlink_of_markdown_also_has_html_symlink():
     """Test the ability to sync source and generated symlinks to the output dir."""
     with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory() as tmpdir: