--- ./lib/fsm.c.orig	2019-06-26 14:17:31.407985702 +0000
+++ ./lib/fsm.c	2020-10-19 09:49:02.709129763 +0000
@@ -926,10 +926,6 @@ int rpmPackageFilesInstall(rpmts ts, rpm
         if (!skip) {
 	    int setmeta = 1;
 
-	    /* When touching we don't need any of this... */
-	    if (action == FA_TOUCH)
-		goto touch;
-
 	    /* Directories replacing something need early backup */
 	    if (!suffix) {
 		rc = fsmBackup(fi, action);
@@ -941,6 +937,17 @@ int rpmPackageFilesInstall(rpmts ts, rpm
 		rc = RPMERR_ENOENT;
 	    }
 
+	    /* See if the file was removed while our attention was elsewhere */
+	    if (rc == RPMERR_ENOENT && action == FA_TOUCH) {
+		rpmlog(RPMLOG_DEBUG, "file %s vanished unexpectedly\n", fpath);
+		action = FA_CREATE;
+		fsmDebug(fpath, action, &sb);
+	    }
+
+	    /* When touching we don't need any of this... */
+	    if (action == FA_TOUCH)
+		goto touch;
+
             if (S_ISREG(sb.st_mode)) {
 		if (rc == RPMERR_ENOENT) {
 		    rc = fsmMkfile(fi, fpath, files, psm, nodigest,
--- ./lib/transaction.c.orig	2020-10-19 09:47:25.761418056 +0000
+++ ./lib/transaction.c	2020-10-19 09:48:20.837254277 +0000
@@ -483,13 +483,6 @@ static void handleInstInstalledFile(cons
 	rpmfsSetAction(fs, fx, action);
     }
 
-    /* Skip already existing files - if 'minimize_writes' is set. */
-    if ((!isCfgFile) && (rpmfsGetAction(fs, fx) == FA_UNKNOWN)  && ts->min_writes) {
-	if (rpmfileContentsEqual(otherFi, ofx, fi, fx)) {
-	   rpmfsSetAction(fs, fx, FA_TOUCH);
-	}
-    }
-
     otherFileSize = rpmfilesFSize(otherFi, ofx);
 
     /* Only account for the last file of a hardlink set */
@@ -499,6 +492,16 @@ static void handleInstInstalledFile(cons
 
     /* Add one to make sure the size is not zero */
     rpmfilesSetFReplacedSize(fi, fx, otherFileSize + 1);
+
+    /* Just touch already existing files if minimize_writes is enabled */
+    if (ts->min_writes) {
+	if ((!isCfgFile) && (rpmfsGetAction(fs, fx) == FA_UNKNOWN)) {
+	    /* XXX fsm can't handle FA_TOUCH of hardlinked files */
+	    int nolinks = (nlink == 1 && rpmfilesFNlink(fi, fx) == 1);
+	    if (nolinks && rpmfileContentsEqual(otherFi, ofx, fi, fx))
+	       rpmfsSetAction(fs, fx, FA_TOUCH);
+	}
+    }
 }
 
 /**