diff --git a/ChangeLog.md b/ChangeLog.md
--- a/ChangeLog.md
+++ b/ChangeLog.md
@@ -1,5 +1,11 @@
 # ChangeLog
 
+## [0.6.1.0](https://github.com/haskell-nix/hnix-store/compare/core-0.6.0.0...core-0.6.1.0) 2023-01-02
+
+* Fixed:
+
+    * [(link)](https://github.com/haskell-nix/hnix-store/pull/201) [(link)](https://github.com/haskell-nix/hnix-store/pull/203) NAR serialization compatibility (symlinks, directory symlinks, UTF-8 handling)
+
 ## [0.6.0.0](https://github.com/haskell-nix/hnix-store/compare/core-0.5.0.0...core-0.6.0.0) 2022-06-06
 
 * Breaking:
diff --git a/hnix-store-core.cabal b/hnix-store-core.cabal
--- a/hnix-store-core.cabal
+++ b/hnix-store-core.cabal
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 cabal-version:       2.2
 name:                hnix-store-core
-version:             0.6.0.0
+version:             0.6.1.0
 synopsis:            Core effects for interacting with the Nix store.
 description:
   This package contains types and functions needed to describe
diff --git a/src/System/Nix/Internal/Nar/Streamer.hs b/src/System/Nix/Internal/Nar/Streamer.hs
--- a/src/System/Nix/Internal/Nar/Streamer.hs
+++ b/src/System/Nix/Internal/Nar/Streamer.hs
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 -- | Stream out a NAR file from a regular file
 
-{-# language ScopedTypeVariables #-}
+{-# LANGUAGE ScopedTypeVariables #-}
 
 module System.Nix.Internal.Nar.Streamer
   ( NarSource
@@ -16,8 +16,10 @@
 import qualified Data.ByteString.Char8           as Bytes.Char8
 import qualified Data.ByteString.Lazy            as Bytes.Lazy
 import qualified Data.Serialize                  as Serial
+import qualified Data.Text                       as T (pack)
+import qualified Data.Text.Encoding              as TE (encodeUtf8)
 import qualified System.Directory                as Directory
-import           System.FilePath                  ( (</>) )
+import           System.FilePath                 ((</>))
 
 import qualified System.Nix.Internal.Nar.Effects as Nar
 
@@ -61,33 +63,32 @@
  where
   go :: FilePath -> m ()
   go path = do
-    isDir     <- IO.liftIO $ Nar.narIsDir effs path
     isSymLink <- IO.liftIO $ Nar.narIsSymLink effs path
-    let isRegular = not $ isDir || isSymLink
-
-    when isSymLink $ do
+    if isSymLink then do
       target <- IO.liftIO $ Nar.narReadLink effs path
       yield $
-        strs ["type", "symlink", "target", Bytes.Char8.pack target]
-
-    when isRegular $ do
-      isExec <- IO.liftIO $ isExecutable effs path
-      yield $ strs ["type", "regular"]
-      when (isExec == Executable) $ yield $ strs ["executable", ""]
-      fSize <- IO.liftIO $ Nar.narFileSize effs path
-      yield $ str "contents"
-      yield $ int fSize
-      yieldFile path fSize
+        strs ["type", "symlink", "target", filePathToBS target]
+      else do
+        isDir <- IO.liftIO $ Nar.narIsDir effs path
+        if isDir then do
+          fs <- IO.liftIO (Nar.narListDir effs path)
+          yield $ strs ["type", "directory"]
+          forM_ (sort fs) $ \f -> do
+            yield $ str "entry"
+            parens $ do
+              let fullName = path </> f
+              yield $ strs ["name", filePathToBS f, "node"]
+              parens $ go fullName
+        else do
+          isExec <- IO.liftIO $ isExecutable effs path
+          yield $ strs ["type", "regular"]
+          when (isExec == Executable) $ yield $ strs ["executable", ""]
+          fSize <- IO.liftIO $ Nar.narFileSize effs path
+          yield $ str "contents"
+          yield $ int fSize
+          yieldFile path fSize
 
-    when isDir $ do
-      fs <- IO.liftIO (Nar.narListDir effs path)
-      yield $ strs ["type", "directory"]
-      forM_ (sort fs) $ \f -> do
-        yield $ str "entry"
-        parens $ do
-          let fullName = path </> f
-          yield $ strs ["name", Bytes.Char8.pack f, "node"]
-          parens $ go fullName
+  filePathToBS = TE.encodeUtf8 . T.pack
 
   parens act = do
     yield $ str "("
diff --git a/tests/NarFormat.hs b/tests/NarFormat.hs
--- a/tests/NarFormat.hs
+++ b/tests/NarFormat.hs
@@ -115,6 +115,8 @@
 
     it "matches directory" $ do
       encEqualsNixStore (Nar sampleDirectory) sampleDirectoryBaseline
+    it "matches symlink to directory" $ do
+      encEqualsNixStore (Nar sampleLinkToDirectory) sampleLinkToDirectoryBaseline
 
 
 unit_nixStoreRegular :: HU.Assertion
@@ -452,6 +454,14 @@
      )
   ]
 
+sampleLinkToDirectory :: FileSystemObject
+sampleLinkToDirectory = Directory $ Map.fromList [
+  (FilePathPart "foo", Directory $ Map.fromList [
+        (FilePathPart "file", Regular Nar.NonExecutable 8 "foo text")
+      ])
+  , (FilePathPart "linkfoo"  , SymLink "foo")
+  ]
+
 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 sampleDirWithManyFiles :: Int -> FileSystemObject
 sampleDirWithManyFiles nFiles =
@@ -525,6 +535,21 @@
   ,"AAAAKQAAAAAAAAABAAAAAAAAACkAAAAAAAAA"
   ]
 
+sampleLinkToDirectoryBaseline :: BSL.ByteString
+sampleLinkToDirectoryBaseline = B64.decodeLenient $ BSL.concat
+  ["DQAAAAAAAABuaXgtYXJjaGl2ZS0xAAAAAQAAAAAAAAAoAAAAAAAAAAQAAAAAAAAAdHlwZQAAAAAJ"
+  ,"AAAAAAAAAGRpcmVjdG9yeQAAAAAAAAAFAAAAAAAAAGVudHJ5AAAAAQAAAAAAAAAoAAAAAAAAAAQA"
+  ,"AAAAAAAAbmFtZQAAAAADAAAAAAAAAGZvbwAAAAAABAAAAAAAAABub2RlAAAAAAEAAAAAAAAAKAAA"
+  ,"AAAAAAAEAAAAAAAAAHR5cGUAAAAACQAAAAAAAABkaXJlY3RvcnkAAAAAAAAABQAAAAAAAABlbnRy"
+  ,"eQAAAAEAAAAAAAAAKAAAAAAAAAAEAAAAAAAAAG5hbWUAAAAABAAAAAAAAABmaWxlAAAAAAQAAAAA"
+  ,"AAAAbm9kZQAAAAABAAAAAAAAACgAAAAAAAAABAAAAAAAAAB0eXBlAAAAAAcAAAAAAAAAcmVndWxh"
+  ,"cgAIAAAAAAAAAGNvbnRlbnRzCAAAAAAAAABmb28gdGV4dAEAAAAAAAAAKQAAAAAAAAABAAAAAAAA"
+  ,"ACkAAAAAAAAAAQAAAAAAAAApAAAAAAAAAAEAAAAAAAAAKQAAAAAAAAAFAAAAAAAAAGVudHJ5AAAA"
+  ,"AQAAAAAAAAAoAAAAAAAAAAQAAAAAAAAAbmFtZQAAAAAHAAAAAAAAAGxpbmtmb28ABAAAAAAAAABu"
+  ,"b2RlAAAAAAEAAAAAAAAAKAAAAAAAAAAEAAAAAAAAAHR5cGUAAAAABwAAAAAAAABzeW1saW5rAAYA"
+  ,"AAAAAAAAdGFyZ2V0AAADAAAAAAAAAGZvbwAAAAAAAQAAAAAAAAApAAAAAAAAAAEAAAAAAAAAKQAA"
+  ,"AAAAAAABAAAAAAAAACkAAAAAAAAA"
+  ]
 
 -- | Control testcase sizes (bytes) by env variable
 getBigFileSize :: IO Int64