diff --git a/debian/changelog b/debian/changelog
index ffa94ad5..e33e0e69 100644
--- a/debian/changelog
+++ b/debian/changelog
@@ -21,6 +21,9 @@ byobu (5.22) unreleased; urgency=low
     - drop timeout on metadata check to 5 seconds
   * usr/lib/byobu/release: LP: #1068581
     - simplify and use lsb_release -s -r when necessary
+  * usr/lib/byobu/include/constants: LP: #1068580
+    - test for the sed --follow-symlink option and only use it when
+      available
 
   [ Jake Biesinger and Dustin Kirkland ]
   * usr/share/byobu/keybindings/common, usr/share/byobu/keybindings/f-
diff --git a/usr/lib/byobu/include/constants b/usr/lib/byobu/include/constants
index 0ffbec12..f76d61be 100755
--- a/usr/lib/byobu/include/constants
+++ b/usr/lib/byobu/include/constants
@@ -94,10 +94,13 @@ case "$BYOBU_BACKEND" in
 esac
 
 # MacOS Support
-$BYOBU_TEST gsed >/dev/null 2>&1 && export BYOBU_SED="gsed --follow-symlinks" || export BYOBU_SED="sed --follow-symlinks"
+$BYOBU_TEST gsed >/dev/null 2>&1 && export BYOBU_SED="gsed" || export BYOBU_SED="sed"
 $BYOBU_TEST greadlink >/dev/null 2>&1 && export BYOBU_READLINK="greadlink" || export BYOBU_READLINK="readlink"
 $BYOBU_TEST sensible-pager >/dev/null 2>&1 && export BYOBU_PAGER="sensible-pager" || export BYOBU_PAGER="less"
 
+# Check sed's follow-symlinks feature
+$BYOBU_SED --follow-symlinks "s///" </dev/null 2>/dev/null && BYOBU_SED="$BYOBU_SED --follow-symlinks" || true
+
 # Default colors
 export BYOBU_DARK="black"
 export BYOBU_LIGHT="white"