diff --git a/conan/internal/cache/cache.py b/conan/internal/cache/cache.py
index 03165dc334b..6ecfe629fd8 100644
--- a/conan/internal/cache/cache.py
+++ b/conan/internal/cache/cache.py
@@ -23,12 +23,9 @@ def __init__(self, base_folder, db_filename):
     def _create_path(self, relative_path, remove_contents=True):
         path = self._full_path(relative_path)
         if os.path.exists(path) and remove_contents:
-            self._remove_path(relative_path)
+            rmdir(path)
         os.makedirs(path, exist_ok=True)
 
-    def _remove_path(self, relative_path):
-        rmdir(self._full_path(relative_path))
-
     def _full_path(self, relative_path):
         # This one is used only for rmdir and mkdir operations, not returned to user
         # or stored in DB
diff --git a/conans/client/conf/config_installer.py b/conans/client/conf/config_installer.py
index 4501644f0c2..67411f6b7f2 100644
--- a/conans/client/conf/config_installer.py
+++ b/conans/client/conf/config_installer.py
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ def _hide_password(resource):
 def tmp_config_install_folder(cache):
     tmp_folder = os.path.join(cache.cache_folder, "tmp_config_install")
     # necessary for Mac OSX, where the temp folders in /var/ are symlinks to /private/var/
-    tmp_folder = os.path.realpath(tmp_folder)
+    tmp_folder = os.path.abspath(tmp_folder)
     rmdir(tmp_folder)
     mkdir(tmp_folder)
     try:
diff --git a/conans/test/functional/command/test_custom_symlink_home.py b/conans/test/functional/command/test_custom_symlink_home.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..091ace37e7f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/conans/test/functional/command/test_custom_symlink_home.py
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+import os
+import platform
+
+import pytest
+
+from conans.test.utils.scm import create_local_git_repo
+from conans.test.utils.test_files import temp_folder
+from conans.test.utils.tools import TestClient
+from conans.util.files import save
+
+
+@pytest.mark.skipif(platform.system() == "Windows", reason="Uses symlinks")
+def test_custom_symlinked_home_config_install():
+    base_cache = temp_folder()
+    real_cache = os.path.join(base_cache, "real_cache")
+    os.makedirs(real_cache)
+    symlink_cache = os.path.join(base_cache, "symlink_cache")
+    os.symlink(real_cache, symlink_cache)
+    origin_folder = temp_folder()
+    save(os.path.join(origin_folder, "myfile.txt"), "some contents")
+    create_local_git_repo(folder=origin_folder)
+    c = TestClient(cache_folder=symlink_cache)
+    c.run(f'config install "{origin_folder}" --type=git')
+    assert "Copying file myfile.txt to" in c.out