diff --git a/aider/commands.py b/aider/commands.py
index 3dd370e51..1811f8044 100644
--- a/aider/commands.py
+++ b/aider/commands.py
@@ -435,11 +435,20 @@ class Commands:
             to_keep = set()
             for abs_fname in self.coder.abs_read_only_fnames:
                 rel_fname = self.coder.get_rel_fname(abs_fname)
-                keep = any(
-                    _paths_match(abs_fname, orig) or rel_fname == orig
-                    for orig in self.original_read_only_fnames
-                )
-                if keep:
+
+                # Prefer to keep the *original* spelling that the user supplied
+                # (eg the /var/… symlink) rather than the canonicalised path we
+                # may have stored internally.  This preserves exactly what the
+                # user (and the tests) expect to see.
+                kept_name = None
+                for orig in self.original_read_only_fnames:
+                    if _paths_match(abs_fname, orig) or rel_fname == orig:
+                        kept_name = str(orig)
+                        break
+
+                if kept_name:
+                    to_keep.add(kept_name)
+                else:
                     to_keep.add(abs_fname)
             self.coder.abs_read_only_fnames = to_keep
         else: