diff --git a/src/libstore/gc.cc b/src/libstore/gc.cc
index 024da66c1..69755bd19 100644
--- a/src/libstore/gc.cc
+++ b/src/libstore/gc.cc
@@ -841,7 +841,8 @@ void LocalStore::collectGarbage(const GCOptions & options, GCResults & results)
             if (unlink(path.c_str()) == -1)
                 throw SysError("deleting '%1%'", path);
 
-            results.bytesFreed += st.st_size;
+            /* Do not accound for deleted file here. Rely on deletePath()
+               accounting.  */
         }
 
         struct stat st;
diff --git a/src/libutil/util.cc b/src/libutil/util.cc
index 9f13d5f02..70eaf4f9c 100644
--- a/src/libutil/util.cc
+++ b/src/libutil/util.cc
@@ -406,8 +406,29 @@ static void _deletePath(int parentfd, const Path & path, uint64_t & bytesFreed)
         throw SysError("getting status of '%1%'", path);
     }
 
-    if (!S_ISDIR(st.st_mode) && st.st_nlink == 1)
-        bytesFreed += st.st_size;
+    if (!S_ISDIR(st.st_mode)) {
+        /* We are about to delete a file. Will it likely free space? */
+
+        switch (st.st_nlink) {
+            /* Yes: last link. */
+            case 1:
+                bytesFreed += st.st_size;
+                break;
+            /* Maybe: yes, if 'auto-optimise-store' or manual optimisation
+               was performed. Instead of checking for real let's assume
+               it's an optimised file and space will be freed.
+
+               In worst case we will double count on freed space for files
+               with exactly two hardlinks for unoptimised packages.
+             */
+            case 2:
+                bytesFreed += st.st_size;
+                break;
+            /* No: 3+ links. */
+            default:
+                break;
+        }
+    }
 
     if (S_ISDIR(st.st_mode)) {
         /* Make the directory accessible. */