diff --git a/database.cc b/database.cc
index 7a4a1e1c41..e1c2ef118d 100644
--- a/database.cc
+++ b/database.cc
@@ -1691,7 +1691,18 @@ future<> column_family::snapshot(sstring name) {
             return parallel_for_each(tables, [name](sstables::shared_sstable sstable) {
                 auto dir = sstable->get_dir() + "/snapshots/" + name;
                 return recursive_touch_directory(dir).then([sstable, dir] {
-                    return sstable->create_links(dir);
+                    return sstable->create_links(dir).then_wrapped([] (future<> f) {
+                        // If the SSTables are shared, one of the CPUs will fail here.
+                        // That is completely fine, though. We only need one link.
+                        try {
+                            f.get();
+                        } catch (std::system_error& e) {
+                            if (e.code() != std::error_code(EEXIST, std::system_category())) {
+                                throw;
+                            }
+                        }
+                        return make_ready_future<>();
+                    });
                 });
             }).then([jsondir, &tables] {
                 // This is not just an optimization. If we have no files, jsondir may not have been created,
@@ -1701,7 +1712,7 @@ future<> column_family::snapshot(sstring name) {
                 } else {
                     return make_ready_future<>();
                 }
-            }).then([this, &tables, jsondir] {
+            }).finally([this, &tables, jsondir] {
                 auto shard = std::hash<sstring>()(jsondir) % smp::count;
                 std::unordered_set<sstring> table_names;
                 for (auto& sst : tables) {