diff --git a/src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/remote/UploadManifest.java b/src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/remote/UploadManifest.java
index ace02cd..209c956 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/remote/UploadManifest.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/remote/UploadManifest.java
@@ -75,8 +75,7 @@
   private final DigestUtil digestUtil;
   private final RemotePathResolver remotePathResolver;
   private final ActionResult.Builder result;
-  private final boolean allowSymlinks;
-  private final boolean uploadSymlinks;
+  private final boolean followSymlinks;
   private final Map<Digest, Path> digestToFile = new HashMap<>();
   private final Map<Digest, ByteString> digestToBlobs = new HashMap<>();
   @Nullable private ActionKey actionKey;
@@ -104,8 +103,7 @@
             digestUtil,
             remotePathResolver,
             result,
-            remoteOptions.incompatibleRemoteSymlinks,
-            remoteOptions.allowSymlinkUpload);
+            /* followSymlinks= */ !remoteOptions.incompatibleRemoteSymlinks);
     manifest.addFiles(outputFiles);
     manifest.setStdoutStderr(outErr);
     manifest.addAction(actionKey, action, command);
@@ -142,13 +140,11 @@
       DigestUtil digestUtil,
       RemotePathResolver remotePathResolver,
       ActionResult.Builder result,
-      boolean uploadSymlinks,
-      boolean allowSymlinks) {
+      boolean followSymlinks) {
     this.digestUtil = digestUtil;
     this.remotePathResolver = remotePathResolver;
     this.result = result;
-    this.uploadSymlinks = uploadSymlinks;
-    this.allowSymlinks = allowSymlinks;
+    this.followSymlinks = followSymlinks;
   }
 
   private void setStdoutStderr(FileOutErr outErr) throws IOException {
@@ -185,7 +181,7 @@
       } else if (stat.isFile() && !stat.isSpecialFile()) {
         Digest digest = digestUtil.compute(file, stat.getSize());
         addFile(digest, file);
-      } else if (stat.isSymbolicLink() && allowSymlinks) {
+      } else if (stat.isSymbolicLink()) {
         PathFragment target = file.readSymbolicLink();
         // Need to resolve the symbolic link to know what to add, file or directory.
         FileStatus statFollow = file.statIfFound(Symlinks.FOLLOW);
@@ -198,7 +194,7 @@
         }
         Preconditions.checkState(
             statFollow.isFile() || statFollow.isDirectory(), "Unknown stat type for %s", file);
-        if (uploadSymlinks && !target.isAbsolute()) {
+        if (!followSymlinks && !target.isAbsolute()) {
           if (statFollow.isFile()) {
             addFileSymbolicLink(file, target);
           } else {
@@ -309,9 +305,9 @@
         Directory dir = computeDirectory(child, tree);
         b.addDirectoriesBuilder().setName(name).setDigest(digestUtil.compute(dir));
         tree.addChildren(dir);
-      } else if (dirent.getType() == Dirent.Type.SYMLINK && allowSymlinks) {
+      } else if (dirent.getType() == Dirent.Type.SYMLINK) {
         PathFragment target = child.readSymbolicLink();
-        if (uploadSymlinks && !target.isAbsolute()) {
+        if (!followSymlinks && !target.isAbsolute()) {
           // Whether it is dangling or not, we're passing it on.
           b.addSymlinksBuilder().setName(name).setTarget(target.toString());
           continue;
@@ -345,14 +341,12 @@
     return b.build();
   }
 
-  private void illegalOutput(Path what) throws ExecException {
-    String kind = what.isSymbolicLink() ? "symbolic link" : "special file";
+  private void illegalOutput(Path path) throws ExecException {
     String message =
         String.format(
-            "Output %s is a %s. Only regular files and directories may be "
-                + "uploaded to a remote cache. "
-                + "Change the file type or use --remote_allow_symlink_upload.",
-            remotePathResolver.localPathToOutputPath(what), kind);
+            "Output %s is a special file. Only regular files, directories or symlinks may be "
+                + "uploaded to a remote cache.",
+            remotePathResolver.localPathToOutputPath(path));
 
     FailureDetail failureDetail =
         FailureDetail.newBuilder()
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/remote/options/RemoteOptions.java b/src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/remote/options/RemoteOptions.java
index 6acdadd..37fec40 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/remote/options/RemoteOptions.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/remote/options/RemoteOptions.java
@@ -371,10 +371,9 @@
       effectTags = {OptionEffectTag.EXECUTION},
       metadataTags = {OptionMetadataTag.INCOMPATIBLE_CHANGE},
       help =
-          "If set to true, Bazel will represent symlinks in action outputs "
-              + "in the remote caching/execution protocol as such. The "
-              + "current behavior is for remote caches/executors to follow "
-              + "symlinks and represent them as files. See #6631 for details.")
+          "If set to true, Bazel will represent symlinks in action outputs in the remote"
+              + " caching/execution protocol as such. Otherwise, symlinks will be followed and"
+              + " represented as files or directories. See #6631 for details.")
   public boolean incompatibleRemoteSymlinks;
 
   @Option(
@@ -393,19 +392,6 @@
       help = "The number of threads used to do build event uploads. Capped at 1000.")
   public int buildEventUploadMaxThreads;
 
-  @Deprecated
-  @Option(
-      name = "remote_allow_symlink_upload",
-      defaultValue = "true",
-      category = "remote",
-      documentationCategory = OptionDocumentationCategory.EXECUTION_STRATEGY,
-      effectTags = {OptionEffectTag.EXECUTION},
-      help =
-          "If true, upload action symlink outputs to the remote cache. "
-              + "If this option is not enabled, "
-              + "cachable actions that output symlinks will fail.")
-  public boolean allowSymlinkUpload;
-
   @Option(
       name = "remote_download_outputs",
       oldName = "experimental_remote_download_outputs",