diff --git a/scripts/deploy.sh b/scripts/deploy.sh
index aa12ce7..ea6986a 100755
--- a/scripts/deploy.sh
+++ b/scripts/deploy.sh
@@ -47,16 +47,21 @@ deploy_file() { # $1 = repo file path, $2 = home-relative target path
   if [ -L "$tgt" ]; then
     if [ "$(realpath "$tgt")" = "$(realpath "$src")" ]; then return 0; fi # already deployed
     case "$MODE" in
-      check) echo "DRIFT  $2 (symlink points elsewhere: $(realpath "$tgt"))" ;;
+      check) echo "RELINK $2 (managed symlink changing owners)" ;;
       adopt) echo "SKIP   $2 (foreign symlink, --adopt does not overwrite)" ; skipped=$((skipped+1)) ;;
       sync)
-        ts="$(date +%Y%m%d-%H%M%S)-$$"
-        dest="$QUAR/$HOST/$ts/$2"
-        mkdir -p "$(dirname "$dest")"
-        mv -- "$tgt" "$dest"
-        ln -sfn "$(realpath "$src")" "$tgt"
-        actions=$((actions+1)); quarantined=$((quarantined+1))
-        echo "QUAR   $2 -> .quarantine/$HOST/$ts/$2"
+        if [[ "$(realpath "$tgt")" == "$REPO/"* ]]; then
+          # managed file changing owners between packages: silent relink, nothing to quarantine
+          ln -sfn "$(realpath "$src")" "$tgt"; actions=$((actions+1))
+        else
+          ts="$(date +%Y%m%d-%H%M%S)-$$"
+          dest="$QUAR/$HOST/$ts/$2"
+          mkdir -p "$(dirname "$dest")"
+          mv -- "$tgt" "$dest"
+          ln -sfn "$(realpath "$src")" "$tgt"
+          actions=$((actions+1)); quarantined=$((quarantined+1))
+          echo "QUAR   $2 -> .quarantine/$HOST/$ts/$2"
+        fi
         ;;
     esac
     return 0