diff --git a/lib/galaxy/files/sources/posix.py b/lib/galaxy/files/sources/posix.py
index 8768b5b5ca9c..6c9d744c682d 100644
--- a/lib/galaxy/files/sources/posix.py
+++ b/lib/galaxy/files/sources/posix.py
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@
 DEFAULT_ENFORCE_SYMLINK_SECURITY = True
 DEFAULT_DELETE_ON_REALIZE = False
 DEFAULT_ALLOW_SUBDIR_CREATION = True
+DEFAULT_LINK_ONLY = False
 
 
 class PosixFilesSourceProperties(FilesSourceProperties, total=False):
@@ -33,6 +34,7 @@ class PosixFilesSourceProperties(FilesSourceProperties, total=False):
     enforce_symlink_security: bool
     delete_on_realize: bool
     allow_subdir_creation: bool
+    link_only: bool
 
 
 class PosixFilesSource(BaseFilesSource):
@@ -50,6 +52,7 @@ def __init__(self, **kwd: Unpack[PosixFilesSourceProperties]):
         self.root = props.get("root")
         if not self.root:
             self.writable = False
+        self.link_only = props.get("link_only", DEFAULT_LINK_ONLY)
         self.enforce_symlink_security = props.get("enforce_symlink_security", DEFAULT_ENFORCE_SYMLINK_SECURITY)
         self.delete_on_realize = props.get("delete_on_realize", DEFAULT_DELETE_ON_REALIZE)
         self.allow_subdir_creation = props.get("allow_subdir_creation", DEFAULT_ALLOW_SUBDIR_CREATION)
@@ -103,7 +106,11 @@ def _realize_to(
             source_native_path = os.path.normpath(source_native_path)
             assert source_native_path.startswith(os.path.normpath(effective_root))
 
-        if not self.delete_on_realize:
+        if self.link_only:
+            if os.path.exists(native_path) or os.path.islink(native_path):
+                os.remove(native_path)
+            os.symlink(source_native_path, native_path)
+        elif not self.delete_on_realize:
             shutil.copyfile(source_native_path, native_path)
         else:
             shutil.move(source_native_path, native_path)
@@ -133,9 +140,14 @@ def _write_from(
 
         # Use a temporary name while writing so anything that consumes written files can detect when they've completed,
         # and identify interrupted writes
-        target_native_path_part = os.path.join(target_native_path_parent, f"_{target_native_path_name}.part")
-        shutil.copyfile(native_path, target_native_path_part)
-        os.rename(target_native_path_part, target_native_path)
+        if self.link_only:
+            if os.path.exists(native_path) or os.path.islink(native_path):
+                os.remove(native_path)
+            os.symlink(target_native_path, native_path)
+        else:
+            target_native_path_part = os.path.join(target_native_path_parent, f"_{target_native_path_name}.part")
+            shutil.copyfile(native_path, target_native_path_part)
+            os.rename(target_native_path_part, target_native_path)
 
     def _to_native_path(self, source_path: str, user_context: OptionalUserContext = None):
         source_path = os.path.normpath(source_path)
@@ -182,6 +194,7 @@ def _serialization_props(self, user_context: OptionalUserContext = None) -> Posi
             "enforce_symlink_security": self.enforce_symlink_security,
             "delete_on_realize": self.delete_on_realize,
             "allow_subdir_creation": self.allow_subdir_creation,
+            "link_only": self.link_only,
         }
 
     @property