diff --git a/dvc/remote/ssh/connection.py b/dvc/remote/ssh/connection.py
index 16f74c2d5..039652e61 100644
--- a/dvc/remote/ssh/connection.py
+++ b/dvc/remote/ssh/connection.py
@@ -60,13 +60,13 @@ class SSHConnection:
 
     def st_mode(self, path):
         with ignore_file_not_found():
-            return self.sftp.stat(path).st_mode
+            return self.sftp.lstat(path).st_mode
 
         return 0
 
     def getsize(self, path):
         with ignore_file_not_found():
-            return self.sftp.stat(path).st_size
+            return self.sftp.lstat(path).st_size
 
         return 0
 
diff --git a/tests/unit/remote/ssh/test_connection.py b/tests/unit/remote/ssh/test_connection.py
index ae79d4d92..cadba03f2 100644
--- a/tests/unit/remote/ssh/test_connection.py
+++ b/tests/unit/remote/ssh/test_connection.py
@@ -81,7 +81,9 @@ def test_walk(tmp_path, ssh):
                     reason="Only works on OSX (because of APFS)")
 def test_reflink(chdir_tmp, foo, ssh):
     ssh.reflink("foo", "bar")
-    assert System.is_reflink(bar_path)
+    assert filecmp.cmp("foo", "bar")
+    assert not System.is_symlink("bar")
+    assert not System.is_hardlink("bar")
 
 @pytest.mark.skip(reason="MockSSH doesn't support symlinks")
 def test_symlink(chdir_tmp, foo, ssh):