diff --git a/.github/workflows/bbknn.yml b/.github/workflows/bbknn.yml
index 2c6f77f2..b0d22503 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/bbknn.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/bbknn.yml
@@ -22,7 +22,6 @@ jobs:
         export NXF_VER='20.10.0'
         wget -qO- get.nextflow.io | bash
         sudo mv nextflow /usr/local/bin/
-        echo 0 | sudo tee /proc/sys/fs/protected_hardlinks
     - name: Get sample data
       run: |
         mkdir testdata
diff --git a/.github/workflows/bbknn_scenic.yml b/.github/workflows/bbknn_scenic.yml
index 74271a0e..e5afbaa2 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/bbknn_scenic.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/bbknn_scenic.yml
@@ -22,7 +22,6 @@ jobs:
         export NXF_VER='20.10.0'
         wget -qO- get.nextflow.io | bash
         sudo mv nextflow /usr/local/bin/
-        echo 0 | sudo tee /proc/sys/fs/protected_hardlinks
     - name: Get sample data
       run: |
         mkdir testdata
diff --git a/.github/workflows/cell_annotate_filter.yml b/.github/workflows/cell_annotate_filter.yml
index 6136d7eb..7b5e32bb 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/cell_annotate_filter.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/cell_annotate_filter.yml
@@ -22,7 +22,6 @@ jobs:
         export NXF_VER='20.10.0'
         wget -qO- get.nextflow.io | bash
         sudo mv nextflow /usr/local/bin/
-        echo 0 | sudo tee /proc/sys/fs/protected_hardlinks
     - name: Get sample data & dummy annotation
       run: |
         wget https://raw.githubusercontent.com/aertslab/SCENICprotocol/master/example/sample_data_tiny.tar.gz
diff --git a/.github/workflows/decontx.yml b/.github/workflows/decontx.yml
index 39ef0eee..f60d3ea8 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/decontx.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/decontx.yml
@@ -22,7 +22,6 @@ jobs:
         export NXF_VER='20.10.0'
         wget -qO- get.nextflow.io | bash
         sudo mv nextflow /usr/local/bin/
-        echo 0 | sudo tee /proc/sys/fs/protected_hardlinks
     - name: Get sample data
       run: |
         wget https://raw.githubusercontent.com/aertslab/SCENICprotocol/master/example/sample_data.tar.gz
diff --git a/.github/workflows/harmony.yml b/.github/workflows/harmony.yml
index 3193e562..3ec15d66 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/harmony.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/harmony.yml
@@ -22,7 +22,6 @@ jobs:
         export NXF_VER='20.10.0'
         wget -qO- get.nextflow.io | bash
         sudo mv nextflow /usr/local/bin/
-        echo 0 | sudo tee /proc/sys/fs/protected_hardlinks
     - name: Get sample data
       run: |
         mkdir testdata
diff --git a/.github/workflows/mnncorrect.yml b/.github/workflows/mnncorrect.yml
index 4640c989..9a584f99 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/mnncorrect.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/mnncorrect.yml
@@ -22,7 +22,6 @@ jobs:
         export NXF_VER='20.10.0'
         wget -qO- get.nextflow.io | bash
         sudo mv nextflow /usr/local/bin/
-        echo 0 | sudo tee /proc/sys/fs/protected_hardlinks
     - name: Get sample data
       run: |
         mkdir testdata
diff --git a/.github/workflows/scenic.yml b/.github/workflows/scenic.yml
index 854dc639..b26e9131 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/scenic.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/scenic.yml
@@ -22,7 +22,6 @@ jobs:
         export NXF_VER='20.10.0'
         wget -qO- get.nextflow.io | bash
         sudo mv nextflow /usr/local/bin/
-        echo 0 | sudo tee /proc/sys/fs/protected_hardlinks
     - name: Run scenic test
       run: |
         nextflow run ${GITHUB_WORKSPACE} -profile scenic,test__scenic,test__compute_resources,docker -entry scenic -ansi-log false
diff --git a/.github/workflows/scenic_multiruns.yml b/.github/workflows/scenic_multiruns.yml
index b7e02f4b..764924f0 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/scenic_multiruns.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/scenic_multiruns.yml
@@ -22,7 +22,6 @@ jobs:
         export NXF_VER='20.10.0'
         wget -qO- get.nextflow.io | bash
         sudo mv nextflow /usr/local/bin/
-        echo 0 | sudo tee /proc/sys/fs/protected_hardlinks
     - name: Run scenic test
       run: |
         nextflow run ${GITHUB_WORKSPACE} -profile scenic_multiruns,test__scenic_multiruns,test__compute_resources,docker -entry scenic -ansi-log false
diff --git a/.github/workflows/single_sample.yml b/.github/workflows/single_sample.yml
index 1afa41c2..901f1047 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/single_sample.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/single_sample.yml
@@ -22,7 +22,6 @@ jobs:
         export NXF_VER='20.10.0'
         wget -qO- get.nextflow.io | bash
         sudo mv nextflow /usr/local/bin/
-        echo 0 | sudo tee /proc/sys/fs/protected_hardlinks
     - name: Get sample data
       run: |
         wget https://raw.githubusercontent.com/aertslab/SCENICprotocol/master/example/sample_data_tiny.tar.gz
diff --git a/.github/workflows/single_sample_decontx.yml b/.github/workflows/single_sample_decontx.yml
index ea763ca2..675f5ed3 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/single_sample_decontx.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/single_sample_decontx.yml
@@ -22,7 +22,6 @@ jobs:
         export NXF_VER='20.10.0'
         wget -qO- get.nextflow.io | bash
         sudo mv nextflow /usr/local/bin/
-        echo 0 | sudo tee /proc/sys/fs/protected_hardlinks
     - name: Get sample data
       run: |
         wget https://raw.githubusercontent.com/aertslab/SCENICprotocol/master/example/sample_data.tar.gz
diff --git a/.github/workflows/single_sample_decontx_scrublet.yml b/.github/workflows/single_sample_decontx_scrublet.yml
index a34c8485..1cfe4aaf 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/single_sample_decontx_scrublet.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/single_sample_decontx_scrublet.yml
@@ -22,7 +22,6 @@ jobs:
         export NXF_VER='20.10.0'
         wget -qO- get.nextflow.io | bash
         sudo mv nextflow /usr/local/bin/
-        echo 0 | sudo tee /proc/sys/fs/protected_hardlinks
     - name: Get sample data
       run: |
         wget https://raw.githubusercontent.com/aertslab/SCENICprotocol/master/example/sample_data.tar.gz
diff --git a/.github/workflows/single_sample_param_exploration.yml b/.github/workflows/single_sample_param_exploration.yml
index 87407c62..216c79e2 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/single_sample_param_exploration.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/single_sample_param_exploration.yml
@@ -22,7 +22,6 @@ jobs:
         export NXF_VER='20.10.0'
         wget -qO- get.nextflow.io | bash
         sudo mv nextflow /usr/local/bin/
-        echo 0 | sudo tee /proc/sys/fs/protected_hardlinks
     - name: Get sample data
       run: |
         wget https://raw.githubusercontent.com/aertslab/SCENICprotocol/master/example/sample_data_tiny.tar.gz
diff --git a/.github/workflows/single_sample_scenic.yml b/.github/workflows/single_sample_scenic.yml
index 03eeb7cc..006d1b98 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/single_sample_scenic.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/single_sample_scenic.yml
@@ -22,7 +22,6 @@ jobs:
         export NXF_VER='20.10.0'
         wget -qO- get.nextflow.io | bash
         sudo mv nextflow /usr/local/bin/
-        echo 0 | sudo tee /proc/sys/fs/protected_hardlinks
     - name: Get sample data
       run: |
         wget https://raw.githubusercontent.com/aertslab/SCENICprotocol/master/example/sample_data_small.tar.gz
diff --git a/.github/workflows/single_sample_scenic_multiruns.yml b/.github/workflows/single_sample_scenic_multiruns.yml
index f3044683..72b546ae 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/single_sample_scenic_multiruns.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/single_sample_scenic_multiruns.yml
@@ -22,7 +22,6 @@ jobs:
         export NXF_VER='20.10.0'
         wget -qO- get.nextflow.io | bash
         sudo mv nextflow /usr/local/bin/
-        echo 0 | sudo tee /proc/sys/fs/protected_hardlinks
     - name: Get sample data
       run: |
         wget https://raw.githubusercontent.com/aertslab/SCENICprotocol/master/example/sample_data_small.tar.gz
diff --git a/.github/workflows/single_sample_scrublet.yml b/.github/workflows/single_sample_scrublet.yml
index 9c2e2872..423db3cf 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/single_sample_scrublet.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/single_sample_scrublet.yml
@@ -22,7 +22,6 @@ jobs:
         export NXF_VER='20.10.0'
         wget -qO- get.nextflow.io | bash
         sudo mv nextflow /usr/local/bin/
-        echo 0 | sudo tee /proc/sys/fs/protected_hardlinks
     - name: Get sample data
       run: |
         wget https://raw.githubusercontent.com/aertslab/SCENICprotocol/master/example/sample_data.tar.gz
diff --git a/src/utils/processes/utils.nf b/src/utils/processes/utils.nf
index 55a26de2..bbab099f 100644
--- a/src/utils/processes/utils.nf
+++ b/src/utils/processes/utils.nf
@@ -442,7 +442,7 @@ process SC__PUBLISH {
     input:
         tuple \
             val(tag), \
-            path(f), \
+            path(f, stageAs: 'input_file'), \
             val(stashedParams)
         val(fileOutputSuffix)
         val(toolName)
@@ -463,13 +463,9 @@ process SC__PUBLISH {
             isParameterExplorationModeOn,
             stashedParams
         )
-        /* avoid cases where the input and output files have identical names:
-           Move the input file to a unique name, then create a link to
-           the input file */
         """
-        mv $f tmp
         if [ ! -f ${outputFileName} ]; then
-            ln -L tmp "${outputFileName}"
+            ln -s input_file "${outputFileName}"
         fi
         """
 }