diff --git a/cf-agent/verify_files.c b/cf-agent/verify_files.c
index f9d3dd7116..e568fb4f86 100644
--- a/cf-agent/verify_files.c
+++ b/cf-agent/verify_files.c
@@ -587,6 +587,20 @@ static PromiseResult VerifyFilePromise(EvalContext *ctx, char *path, const Promi
         result = PromiseResultUpdate(result, ScheduleLinkOperation(ctx, path, a.link.source, &a, pp));
     }
 
+    if (a.haveedit || a.content || a.edit_template_string)
+    {
+        if (exists || link)
+        {
+            if (!HandleFileObstruction(ctx, changes_path, &oslb, &a, pp, &result))
+            {
+                 goto exit;
+            }
+            // After moving, it no longer exists at the original path
+            exists = (lstat(changes_path, &oslb) != -1);
+            link = false;
+        }
+    }
+
 /* Phase 3a - direct content */
 
     if (a.content)
diff --git a/cf-agent/verify_files_utils.c b/cf-agent/verify_files_utils.c
index 353d7c4cc1..a743df1fb4 100644
--- a/cf-agent/verify_files_utils.c
+++ b/cf-agent/verify_files_utils.c
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@
   included file COSL.txt.
 */
 
+#include <stddef.h>
 #include <sys/types.h>
 #include <verify_files_utils.h>
 
@@ -2775,6 +2776,57 @@ static PromiseResult VerifyFileAttributes(EvalContext *ctx, const char *file, co
     return result;
 }
 
+bool HandleFileObstruction(EvalContext *ctx, const char *path, const struct stat *sb, const Attributes *attr, const Promise *pp, PromiseResult *result)
+{
+    // Tell static analysis tools that these pointers do not need to be checked for NULL before dereferencing
+    assert(sb != NULL);
+    assert(attr != NULL);
+
+    const mode_t st_mode = sb->st_mode;
+    const bool move_obstructions = attr->move_obstructions;
+
+    // If path exists, but is not a regular file, it's an obstruction
+    if (!S_ISREG(st_mode))
+    {
+        if (move_obstructions)
+        {
+            if (MakingChanges(ctx, pp, attr, result, "Moving obstructing file '%s'", path))
+            {
+                char backup[CF_BUFSIZE];
+                int ret = snprintf(backup, sizeof(backup), "%s.cf-moved", path);
+                if (ret < 0 || (size_t) ret >= sizeof(backup))
+                {
+                    RecordFailure(ctx, pp, attr, "Could not move obstruction '%s': Path too long",
+                                  path);
+                    *result = PromiseResultUpdate(*result, PROMISE_RESULT_FAIL);
+                    return false;
+                }
+
+                if (rename(path, backup) == -1)
+                {
+                    RecordFailure(ctx, pp, attr, "Could not move obstruction '%s' to '%s'. (rename: %s)",
+                                  path, backup, GetErrorStr());
+                    *result = PromiseResultUpdate(*result, PROMISE_RESULT_FAIL);
+                    return false;
+                }
+                else
+                {
+                    RecordChange(ctx, pp, attr, "Moved obstructing path '%s' to '%s'", path, backup);
+                    *result = PromiseResultUpdate(*result, PROMISE_RESULT_CHANGE);
+                    return true;
+                }
+            }
+        }
+        else if (!S_ISLNK(st_mode))
+        {
+            RecordFailure(ctx, pp, attr, "Path '%s' is not a regular file and move_obstructions is not set", path);
+            *result = PromiseResultUpdate(*result, PROMISE_RESULT_FAIL);
+            return false;
+        }
+    }
+    return true;
+}
+
 bool DepthSearch(EvalContext *ctx, char *name, const struct stat *sb, int rlevel, const Attributes *attr,
                 const Promise *pp, dev_t rootdevice, PromiseResult *result)
 {
diff --git a/cf-agent/verify_files_utils.h b/cf-agent/verify_files_utils.h
index 30a573531d..9f1c863d6b 100644
--- a/cf-agent/verify_files_utils.h
+++ b/cf-agent/verify_files_utils.h
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ extern StringSet *SINGLE_COPY_CACHE;
 void SetFileAutoDefineList(const Rlist *auto_define_list);
 
 void VerifyFileLeaf(EvalContext *ctx, char *path, const struct stat *sb, const Attributes *attr, const Promise *pp, PromiseResult *result);
+bool HandleFileObstruction(EvalContext *ctx, const char *path, const struct stat *sb, const Attributes *attr, const Promise *pp, PromiseResult *result);
 bool DepthSearch(EvalContext *ctx, char *name, const struct stat *sb, int rlevel, const Attributes *attr, const Promise *pp, dev_t rootdevice, PromiseResult *result);
 bool CfCreateFile(EvalContext *ctx, char *file, const Promise *pp, const Attributes *attr, PromiseResult *result_out);
 void SetSearchDevice(struct stat *sb, const Promise *pp);
diff --git a/tests/acceptance/10_files/move_obstructions-promiser-is-symlink.cf b/tests/acceptance/10_files/move_obstructions-promiser-is-symlink.cf
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..8e07372895
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/acceptance/10_files/move_obstructions-promiser-is-symlink.cf
@@ -0,0 +1,206 @@
+
+##############################################################################
+#
+# Test that move_obstructions works consistently for various types of files
+# promises targeting a specific file where the promiser is a symlink
+# - copy_from
+#
+##############################################################################
+
+body file control
+{
+  inputs => { "../default.cf.sub" };
+}
+
+##############################################################################
+bundle agent __main__
+{
+  methods:
+      "init";
+      "test";
+      "check";
+      "cleanup";
+}
+
+bundle agent cleanup
+{
+  vars:
+      "potential_files_to_delete"
+        slist => {
+                   # The files we tested
+                   "@(init.test_files)",
+                   "$(init.orig_ln_target_filename)",
+                   # .cfsaved files get created as copy_from replaces files
+                   maplist( "$(this).cfsaved", @(init.test_files) ),
+                   # The special case source file to copy from
+                   maplist( "$(this).source", @(init.test_files) ),
+        };
+
+  files:
+      "$(potential_files_to_delete)"
+        delete => tidy,
+        if => fileexists( "$(this.promiser)" );
+}
+
+bundle agent init
+{
+  vars:
+      # Create test files that will serve as obstructions
+      "test_files" slist => {
+                              "$(G.testdir)/copy_from",
+                              "$(G.testdir)/content",
+                              "$(G.testdir)/edit_template_string_inline_mustache",
+                              "$(G.testdir)/edit_template_cfengine",
+                              "$(G.testdir)/edit_template_mustache",
+                              #"$(G.testdir)/edit_line",
+      };
+
+      "orig_ln_target_filename"
+        string => "$(G.testdir)/orig_ln_target";
+
+      "orig_ln_target_content"
+        string => "This content originally lived in a symlink target";
+
+  files:
+      # Here we initialize a file which will be a symlinks target
+      "$(orig_ln_target_filename)"
+        create => "true",
+        content => "$(orig_ln_target_content)";
+
+      # Here we have a symlink that we will be targeting with a content files promise
+      "$(test_files)"
+        create => "true",
+        move_obstructions => "true",
+        link_from => ln_s( "$(G.testdir)/orig_ln_target" );
+
+  reports:
+      DEBUG::
+      "$(test_files) initalized"
+        if => and( fileexists( "$(test_files)" ),
+                   islink( $(test_files) ) );
+}
+
+body link_from ln_s(x)
+{
+        link_type => "symlink";
+        source => "$(x)";
+        when_no_source => "force";
+}
+##############################################################################
+
+bundle agent test
+{
+  meta:
+      "description"
+        string => concat(
+                          "Test move_obstructions with content, edit_template,",
+                          " and edit_template_string"
+        );
+
+  files:
+      # Test move_obstructions with copy_from
+      # This isn't in init because it's specific to copy_from needing to have a source file.
+      "$(G.testdir)/copy_from.source"
+        content => "$(check.expected_content)",
+        if => fileexists( "$(G.testdir)/copy_from" );
+
+      "$(G.testdir)/copy_from"
+        move_obstructions => "true",
+        copy_from => local_dcp("$(G.testdir)/copy_from.source"),
+        if => fileexists( "$(this.promiser)" );
+
+      "$(G.testdir)/edit_template_cfengine"
+        move_obstructions => "true",
+        template_method => "cfengine",
+        edit_template => "$(G.testdir)/copy_from.source",
+        if => fileexists( "$(this.promiser)" );
+
+      "$(G.testdir)/edit_template_mustache"
+        move_obstructions => "true",
+        template_method => "mustache",
+        edit_template => "$(G.testdir)/copy_from.source",
+        if => fileexists( "$(this.promiser)" );
+
+      # Test move_obstructions with content attribute
+      "$(G.testdir)/content"
+        move_obstructions => "true",
+        content => "$(check.expected_content)",
+        if => fileexists( "$(this.promiser)" );
+
+      # Test move_obstructions with template_method inline_mustache
+      "$(G.testdir)/edit_template_string_inline_mustache"
+        move_obstructions => "true",
+        template_method => "inline_mustache",
+        edit_template_string => "$(check.expected_content)",
+        if => fileexists( "$(this.promiser)" );
+
+      # # Test move_obstructions with edit_line
+      # "$(G.testdir)/edit_line"
+      #   move_obstructions => "true",
+      #   edit_line => insert_lines("$(check.expected_content)"),
+      #   if => fileexists( "$(this.promiser)" );
+
+}
+
+##############################################################################
+
+bundle agent check
+{
+  vars:
+      "expected_content" string => "This is content promised targeting a symlink.";
+      "num_test_files" int => length( @(init.test_files) );
+
+      # We check the promised:
+      # - for each test file
+      #   - content
+      #   - type
+
+      "num_expected_test_ok_classes"
+        int => int( eval( "$(num_test_files)*2", math, infix) );
+
+  classes:
+      "DEBUG" expression => "any";
+      "all_test_files_exist"
+        expression => filesexist( @(init.test_files) );
+
+    all_test_files_exist::
+      # Once we verified that all the test files exist we can check all the expectations
+
+      # These class strings will be canonified as classes, they are tagged for easy identification
+
+      "$(init.test_files) type as expected"
+        meta => { "test_ok_class" },
+        if => isplain( "$(init.test_files)" );
+
+      "$(init.test_files) content as expected"
+        meta => { "test_ok_class" },
+        if => strcmp( readfile("$(init.test_files)"),
+                      "$(expected_content)");
+
+      "overall_success"
+        expression => strcmp( length( classesmatching( ".*", "test_ok_class" ) ),
+                              "$(num_expected_test_ok_classes)" );
+
+  reports:
+    !all_test_files_exist::
+      "The test does not appear to have been initialized, the expected test files are missing $(with)"
+        with => concat( "(", join( ",", @(init.test_files) ), ")" );
+
+    DEBUG::
+
+      "Number of test files: $(num_test_files)";
+
+      "Number of expected test ok classes to pass: $(num_expected_test_ok_classes)";
+
+      "$(with) test_ok_classes:"
+        with => length( classesmatching( ".*", "test_ok_class" ) );
+
+      "$(with)"
+        with => join( "$(const.n)", classesmatching( ".*", "test_ok_class" ) );
+
+    overall_success::
+      "$(this.promise_filename) Pass";
+
+    !overall_success::
+      "$(this.promise_filename) FAIL";
+}