diff --git a/package-lock.json b/package-lock.json
index abd5c2ffb..aa55790ef 100644
--- a/package-lock.json
+++ b/package-lock.json
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@
         "hyperswarm": "^4.7.14",
         "iambus": "^1.0.3",
         "listen-async": "^1.0.0",
-        "localdrive": "^1.11.4",
+        "localdrive": "^2.0.0",
         "localwatch": "^1.4.1",
         "mime-db": "^1.53.0",
         "mirror-drive": "^1.4.0",
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@
         "pear-interface": "^1.0.0",
         "pear-ipc": "^3.0.0",
         "pear-link": "^2.0.1",
-        "pear-updater": "^3.3.0",
+        "pear-updater": "^3.4.3",
         "pear-updater-bootstrap": "^1.2.0",
         "protomux": "^3.6.0",
         "pw-to-ek": "^1.0.0",
@@ -3443,10 +3443,9 @@
       }
     },
     "node_modules/localdrive": {
-      "version": "1.12.2",
-      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/localdrive/-/localdrive-1.12.2.tgz",
-      "integrity": "sha512-kISUZK6naLZrvcK/+IqXk5IsAu8S6owlVM0MUT6MZrQSIzLplZ4FXljkEBHwPDe3InVue4FDG9d4p8lKXGgRCQ==",
-      "license": "Apache-2.0",
+      "version": "2.0.0",
+      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/localdrive/-/localdrive-2.0.0.tgz",
+      "integrity": "sha512-e3DFMok4o47RM1fZxh/61UrSCrWt9u2DhQu8SkJQ2auKgfNaZoS/ZQIPC3griRXCDgqpqRlNE1mX/Z3pxQzQlA==",
       "dependencies": {
         "b4a": "^1.6.1",
         "bare-fs": "^4.0.1",
@@ -3957,10 +3956,9 @@
       }
     },
     "node_modules/pear-updater": {
-      "version": "3.4.2",
-      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/pear-updater/-/pear-updater-3.4.2.tgz",
-      "integrity": "sha512-BH+n0OmlId3g9046jD6HYWhS7hlVTIIn96Aa/0ykMbNRw5wn6Ii7bR5f7DQa5FDVnKyiOkmAwyh6UBCpweAVXA==",
-      "license": "Apache-2.0",
+      "version": "3.4.3",
+      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/pear-updater/-/pear-updater-3.4.3.tgz",
+      "integrity": "sha512-lyyO6q0ovTPhVigZdBGpnZPB67wT3hkOqi2oEGPjc7TyRXOxXotx9PGd5dWFQGtY5p+BX9SQSfT4kMGqdXa46w==",
       "dependencies": {
         "b4a": "^1.6.7",
         "bare-bundle": "^1.1.2",
@@ -3969,7 +3967,7 @@
         "drive-bundler": "^2.3.2",
         "fs-native-extensions": "^1.2.0",
         "hypercore-id-encoding": "^1.3.0",
-        "localdrive": "^1.9.0",
+        "localdrive": "^2.0.0",
         "read-write-mutexify": "^2.1.0",
         "ready-resource": "^1.0.0",
         "safety-catch": "^1.0.2",
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 25fc3c788..ac6a50d7b 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -96,7 +96,7 @@
     "hyperswarm": "^4.7.14",
     "iambus": "^1.0.3",
     "listen-async": "^1.0.0",
-    "localdrive": "^1.11.4",
+    "localdrive": "^2.0.0",
     "localwatch": "^1.4.1",
     "mime-db": "^1.53.0",
     "mirror-drive": "^1.4.0",
@@ -106,7 +106,7 @@
     "pear-interface": "^1.0.0",
     "pear-ipc": "^3.0.0",
     "pear-link": "^2.0.1",
-    "pear-updater": "^3.3.0",
+    "pear-updater": "^3.4.3",
     "pear-updater-bootstrap": "^1.2.0",
     "protomux": "^3.6.0",
     "pw-to-ek": "^1.0.0",
diff --git a/subsystems/sidecar/index.js b/subsystems/sidecar/index.js
index 3cc22e603..0bc98fe72 100644
--- a/subsystems/sidecar/index.js
+++ b/subsystems/sidecar/index.js
@@ -724,7 +724,7 @@ class Sidecar extends ReadyResource {
 
     if (state.key === null) {
       LOG.info(LOG_RUN_LINK, id, 'running from disk')
-      const drive = new LocalDrive(state.dir, { followLinks: true })
+      const drive = new LocalDrive(state.dir, { followExternalLinks: true })
       this.#updatePearInterface(drive)
       const appBundle = new Bundle({
         drive,
diff --git a/subsystems/sidecar/ops/stage.js b/subsystems/sidecar/ops/stage.js
index 9cbcb5283..b383d053e 100644
--- a/subsystems/sidecar/ops/stage.js
+++ b/subsystems/sidecar/ops/stage.js
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ module.exports = class Stage extends Opstream {
     if (dryRun) this.push({ tag: 'dry' })
 
     const root = state.dir
-    const src = new LocalDrive(root, { followLinks: !isTerminal, metadata: new Map() })
+    const src = new LocalDrive(root, { followExternalLinks: true, metadata: new Map() })
     const dst = bundle.drive
     const opts = { ignore, dryRun, batch: true }
     const builtins = isTerminal ? sidecar.gunk.bareBuiltins : sidecar.gunk.builtins