diff --git a/docs/content/getting-started/containers.md b/docs/content/getting-started/containers.md
index eb3d80f16..3af645c3e 100644
--- a/docs/content/getting-started/containers.md
+++ b/docs/content/getting-started/containers.md
@@ -191,6 +191,12 @@ The container exposes the following volumes:
 | `/configuration` | Dynamic config files (api_keys.json, external_backends.json, runtime_settings.json) | `--localai-config-dir` | `$LOCALAI_CONFIG_DIR` |
 | `/data` | Persistent data (collections, agent state, tasks, jobs) | `--data-path` | `$LOCALAI_DATA_PATH` |
 
+Backend OCI images contain symbolic links. When `/backends` is stored on a
+filesystem that cannot create links, such as some CIFS/SMB mounts, LocalAI
+materializes each link as a regular file so installation can complete. This can
+use more disk space than a local filesystem. Prefer a Docker or Podman named
+volume for `/backends` when possible.
+
 To persist models and data, mount volumes:
 
 ```bash
diff --git a/pkg/oci/extract_internal_test.go b/pkg/oci/extract_internal_test.go
index 8a56e8c17..b9b99ac11 100644
--- a/pkg/oci/extract_internal_test.go
+++ b/pkg/oci/extract_internal_test.go
@@ -87,6 +87,36 @@ func buildTar() []byte {
 	return buf.Bytes()
 }
 
+func buildChainedLinkTar() []byte {
+	var buf bytes.Buffer
+	tw := tar.NewWriter(&buf)
+
+	content := []byte("real library bytes")
+	Expect(tw.WriteHeader(&tar.Header{
+		Name:     "lib/libcublas.so",
+		Typeflag: tar.TypeSymlink,
+		Linkname: "libcublas.so.12",
+		Mode:     0777,
+	})).To(Succeed())
+	Expect(tw.WriteHeader(&tar.Header{
+		Name:     "lib/libcublas.so.12",
+		Typeflag: tar.TypeSymlink,
+		Linkname: "libcublas.so.12.8.5.5",
+		Mode:     0777,
+	})).To(Succeed())
+	Expect(tw.WriteHeader(&tar.Header{
+		Name:     "lib/libcublas.so.12.8.5.5",
+		Typeflag: tar.TypeReg,
+		Mode:     0644,
+		Size:     int64(len(content)),
+	})).To(Succeed())
+	_, err := tw.Write(content)
+	Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred())
+
+	Expect(tw.Close()).To(Succeed())
+	return buf.Bytes()
+}
+
 var _ = Describe("Tar extraction fallback for link-less filesystems", func() {
 	It("downloads a layered image once and preserves whiteouts before copying links", func() {
 		base := buildLayer(
@@ -185,5 +215,17 @@ var _ = Describe("Tar extraction fallback for link-less filesystems", func() {
 			Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred())
 			Expect(string(data)).To(Equal("real library bytes"))
 		})
+
+		It("materialises chained symlinks regardless of archive order", func() {
+			origSymlink := symlink
+			symlink = func(string, string) error { return syscall.ENOTSUP }
+			DeferCleanup(func() { symlink = origSymlink })
+
+			dir := GinkgoT().TempDir()
+			Expect(extractTarCopyingLinks(bytes.NewReader(buildChainedLinkTar()), dir)).To(Succeed())
+
+			Expect(os.ReadFile(filepath.Join(dir, "lib", "libcublas.so"))).To(Equal([]byte("real library bytes")))
+			Expect(os.ReadFile(filepath.Join(dir, "lib", "libcublas.so.12"))).To(Equal([]byte("real library bytes")))
+		})
 	})
 })
diff --git a/pkg/oci/image.go b/pkg/oci/image.go
index 52656a28f..8e1546647 100644
--- a/pkg/oci/image.go
+++ b/pkg/oci/image.go
@@ -611,11 +611,25 @@ func extractTarCopyingLinks(r io.Reader, targetDestination string) error {
 		}
 	}
 
-	// Second pass: materialise links that the filesystem could not represent.
-	for _, link := range pending {
-		if err := copyFilePreservingMode(link.targetPath, link.path); err != nil {
-			return fmt.Errorf("failed to copy link target %s -> %s: %w", link.targetPath, link.path, err)
+	// Materialise links in dependency order. Soname links are often chained
+	// (libfoo.so -> libfoo.so.1 -> libfoo.so.1.2), and archives do not guarantee
+	// that the nearest-to-file link appears first.
+	for len(pending) > 0 {
+		var unresolved []pendingLink
+		for _, link := range pending {
+			if err := copyFilePreservingMode(link.targetPath, link.path); err != nil {
+				if errors.Is(err, os.ErrNotExist) {
+					unresolved = append(unresolved, link)
+					continue
+				}
+				return fmt.Errorf("failed to copy link target %s -> %s: %w", link.targetPath, link.path, err)
+			}
 		}
+		if len(unresolved) == len(pending) {
+			link := unresolved[0]
+			return fmt.Errorf("failed to resolve copied link target %s -> %s", link.targetPath, link.path)
+		}
+		pending = unresolved
 	}
 	return nil
 }