diff --git a/src/main/java/dev/jbang/devkitman/Jdk.java b/src/main/java/dev/jbang/devkitman/Jdk.java
index b7ab83f..14fe32d 100644
--- a/src/main/java/dev/jbang/devkitman/Jdk.java
+++ b/src/main/java/dev/jbang/devkitman/Jdk.java
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
 import org.jspecify.annotations.Nullable;
 
 import dev.jbang.devkitman.jdkproviders.ExternalJdkProvider;
+import dev.jbang.devkitman.util.FileUtils;
 import dev.jbang.devkitman.util.JavaUtils;
 
 public interface Jdk extends Comparable<Jdk> {
@@ -229,12 +230,7 @@ public Default(
 			@Override
 			@NonNull
 			public InstalledJdk linked() {
-				Path jdkHome;
-				try {
-					jdkHome = home().toRealPath();
-				} catch (Exception e) {
-					jdkHome = home().toAbsolutePath();
-				}
+				Path jdkHome = FileUtils.realPath(home());
 				// First look for a Jdk in updatable non-linking providers
 				InstalledJdk linkedJdk = getLinkedJdk(jdkHome, p -> p.canUpdate() && !p.hasLinkedVersions());
 				if (linkedJdk == null) {
diff --git a/src/main/java/dev/jbang/devkitman/jdkproviders/BaseFoldersJdkProvider.java b/src/main/java/dev/jbang/devkitman/jdkproviders/BaseFoldersJdkProvider.java
index 609c924..6ecdc77 100644
--- a/src/main/java/dev/jbang/devkitman/jdkproviders/BaseFoldersJdkProvider.java
+++ b/src/main/java/dev/jbang/devkitman/jdkproviders/BaseFoldersJdkProvider.java
@@ -14,15 +14,18 @@
 import org.jspecify.annotations.Nullable;
 
 import dev.jbang.devkitman.Jdk;
+import dev.jbang.devkitman.util.FileUtils;
 import dev.jbang.devkitman.util.JavaUtils;
 
 public abstract class BaseFoldersJdkProvider extends BaseJdkProvider {
 	protected final Path jdksRoot;
+	protected final Path realRoot;
 
 	private static final Logger LOGGER = Logger.getLogger(BaseFoldersJdkProvider.class.getName());
 
 	protected BaseFoldersJdkProvider(Path jdksRoot) {
 		this.jdksRoot = jdksRoot;
+		this.realRoot = FileUtils.realPath(jdksRoot);
 	}
 
 	@Override
@@ -130,7 +133,7 @@ protected Stream<Path> listJdkPaths() throws IOException {
 	}
 
 	protected boolean acceptFolder(@NonNull Path jdkFolder) {
-		return jdkFolder.startsWith(jdksRoot) && JavaUtils.hasJavacCmd(jdkFolder);
+		return (jdkFolder.startsWith(jdksRoot) || jdkFolder.startsWith(realRoot)) && JavaUtils.hasJavacCmd(jdkFolder);
 	}
 
 	private final Pattern validId = Pattern.compile("^[a-zA-Z0-9._+-]+$");
diff --git a/src/main/java/dev/jbang/devkitman/jdkproviders/LinuxJdkProvider.java b/src/main/java/dev/jbang/devkitman/jdkproviders/LinuxJdkProvider.java
index b7701fd..4b447ff 100644
--- a/src/main/java/dev/jbang/devkitman/jdkproviders/LinuxJdkProvider.java
+++ b/src/main/java/dev/jbang/devkitman/jdkproviders/LinuxJdkProvider.java
@@ -25,7 +25,11 @@ public class LinuxJdkProvider extends BaseFoldersJdkProvider {
 	private static final Path JDKS_ROOT = Paths.get("/usr/lib/jvm");
 
 	public LinuxJdkProvider() {
-		super(jdksRoot());
+		this(jdksRoot());
+	}
+
+	LinuxJdkProvider(@NonNull Path jdksRoot) {
+		super(jdksRoot);
 	}
 
 	public static Path jdksRoot() {
diff --git a/src/main/java/dev/jbang/devkitman/jdkproviders/MacJdkProvider.java b/src/main/java/dev/jbang/devkitman/jdkproviders/MacJdkProvider.java
index 9a8debf..76e90e7 100644
--- a/src/main/java/dev/jbang/devkitman/jdkproviders/MacJdkProvider.java
+++ b/src/main/java/dev/jbang/devkitman/jdkproviders/MacJdkProvider.java
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ public class MacJdkProvider extends BaseFoldersJdkProvider {
 	private static final String CONTENTS_HOME = "Contents/Home";
 
 	public MacJdkProvider() {
-		super(jdksRoot());
+		this(jdksRoot());
 	}
 
 	MacJdkProvider(@NonNull Path jdksRoot) {
diff --git a/src/main/java/dev/jbang/devkitman/jdkproviders/MiseJdkProvider.java b/src/main/java/dev/jbang/devkitman/jdkproviders/MiseJdkProvider.java
index 1c80f46..a278641 100644
--- a/src/main/java/dev/jbang/devkitman/jdkproviders/MiseJdkProvider.java
+++ b/src/main/java/dev/jbang/devkitman/jdkproviders/MiseJdkProvider.java
@@ -17,7 +17,11 @@ public class MiseJdkProvider extends BaseFoldersJdkProvider {
 	private static final Path JDKS_ROOT = Paths.get(".local", "share", "mise", "installs", "java");
 
 	public MiseJdkProvider() {
-		super(jdksRoot());
+		this(jdksRoot());
+	}
+
+	MiseJdkProvider(@NonNull Path jdksRoot) {
+		super(jdksRoot);
 	}
 
 	public static Path jdksRoot() {
diff --git a/src/main/java/dev/jbang/devkitman/jdkproviders/ScoopJdkProvider.java b/src/main/java/dev/jbang/devkitman/jdkproviders/ScoopJdkProvider.java
index dad5af7..f1798b3 100644
--- a/src/main/java/dev/jbang/devkitman/jdkproviders/ScoopJdkProvider.java
+++ b/src/main/java/dev/jbang/devkitman/jdkproviders/ScoopJdkProvider.java
@@ -20,7 +20,11 @@ public class ScoopJdkProvider extends BaseFoldersJdkProvider {
 	private static final Path JDKS_ROOT = Paths.get("scoop", "apps");
 
 	public ScoopJdkProvider() {
-		super(jdksRoot());
+		this(jdksRoot());
+	}
+
+	ScoopJdkProvider(@NonNull Path jdksRoot) {
+		super(jdksRoot);
 	}
 
 	public static Path jdksRoot() {
diff --git a/src/main/java/dev/jbang/devkitman/jdkproviders/SdkmanJdkProvider.java b/src/main/java/dev/jbang/devkitman/jdkproviders/SdkmanJdkProvider.java
index d36d8fc..e073c57 100644
--- a/src/main/java/dev/jbang/devkitman/jdkproviders/SdkmanJdkProvider.java
+++ b/src/main/java/dev/jbang/devkitman/jdkproviders/SdkmanJdkProvider.java
@@ -17,7 +17,11 @@ public class SdkmanJdkProvider extends BaseFoldersJdkProvider {
 	private static final Path JDKS_ROOT = Paths.get(".sdkman", "candidates", "java");
 
 	public SdkmanJdkProvider() {
-		super(jdksRoot());
+		this(jdksRoot());
+	}
+
+	SdkmanJdkProvider(@NonNull Path jdksRoot) {
+		super(jdksRoot);
 	}
 
 	public static Path jdksRoot() {
diff --git a/src/main/java/dev/jbang/devkitman/util/JavaUtils.java b/src/main/java/dev/jbang/devkitman/util/JavaUtils.java
index 037cfde..675640e 100644
--- a/src/main/java/dev/jbang/devkitman/util/JavaUtils.java
+++ b/src/main/java/dev/jbang/devkitman/util/JavaUtils.java
@@ -144,12 +144,7 @@ public static Path getJavaHomeEnv() {
 	public static Path jre2jdk(@NonNull Path jdkHome) {
 		// Detect if the current JDK is a JRE and try to find the real home
 		if (!Files.isRegularFile(jdkHome.resolve("release"))) {
-			Path jh = jdkHome.toAbsolutePath();
-			try {
-				jh = jh.toRealPath();
-			} catch (IOException e) {
-				// Ignore error
-			}
+			Path jh = FileUtils.realPath(jdkHome);
 			if (jh.endsWith("jre") && Files.isRegularFile(jh.getParent().resolve("release"))) {
 				jdkHome = jh.getParent();
 			}
diff --git a/src/test/java/dev/jbang/devkitman/TestJdkManager.java b/src/test/java/dev/jbang/devkitman/TestJdkManager.java
index e2c820d..7ee49ae 100644
--- a/src/test/java/dev/jbang/devkitman/TestJdkManager.java
+++ b/src/test/java/dev/jbang/devkitman/TestJdkManager.java
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@
 import org.junit.jupiter.api.Test;
 import org.junit.jupiter.api.condition.EnabledOnOs;
 import org.junit.jupiter.api.condition.OS;
+import org.junit.jupiter.api.io.TempDir;
 
 import dev.jbang.devkitman.jdkproviders.DefaultJdkProvider;
 import dev.jbang.devkitman.jdkproviders.JavaHomeJdkProvider;
@@ -125,6 +126,15 @@ void testDefaultCustomLinkPath() {
 		assertThat(jm.getDefaultJdk().id(), is("default"));
 	}
 
+	@Test
+	void testDefaultUnstableBasePath(@TempDir Path tempPath1, @TempDir Path tempPath2) throws IOException {
+		Path tmp = tempPath1.resolve("dkmtest");
+		FileUtils.createLink(tmp, tempPath2);
+		System.setProperty("user.home", tmp.resolve("home").toString());
+		config = new JdkDiscovery.Config(tmp.resolve("jdks"), null, null);
+		testDefault();
+	}
+
 	@Test
 	void testHomeDir() {
 		Arrays.asList(11, 14, 17).forEach(this::createMockJdk);