diff --git a/lib/Test/MockFile.pm b/lib/Test/MockFile.pm
index f2a3f57..c88d891 100644
--- a/lib/Test/MockFile.pm
+++ b/lib/Test/MockFile.pm
@@ -1936,6 +1936,22 @@ sub unlink {
         $self->{'contents'}    = undef;
     }
 
+    # Decrement nlink on this mock and any other hard links sharing the same inode
+    if ( $self->{'nlink'} > 0 ) {
+        my $inode = $self->{'inode'};
+        if ( $inode && $self->{'nlink'} > 1 ) {
+            for my $path ( keys %files_being_mocked ) {
+                my $m = $files_being_mocked{$path};
+                next if !$m || $m == $self;
+                next if !$m->exists;
+                if ( defined $m->{'inode'} && $m->{'inode'} == $inode ) {
+                    $m->{'nlink'}-- if $m->{'nlink'} > 0;
+                }
+            }
+        }
+        $self->{'nlink'}--;
+    }
+
     _update_parent_dir_times( $self->path );
     return 1;
 }
@@ -3395,10 +3411,12 @@ sub __rename ($$) {
         $mock_old->{'contents'} = undef;
     }
 
-    # Copy mode and ownership
+    # Copy mode, ownership, and inode metadata
     $mock_new->{'mode'}  = $mock_old->{'mode'};
     $mock_new->{'uid'}   = $mock_old->{'uid'};
     $mock_new->{'gid'}   = $mock_old->{'gid'};
+    $mock_new->{'inode'} = $mock_old->{'inode'};
+    $mock_new->{'nlink'} = $mock_old->{'nlink'};
     $mock_new->{'mtime'} = $mock_old->{'mtime'};
     $mock_new->{'atime'} = $mock_old->{'atime'};
 
diff --git a/t/rename.t b/t/rename.t
index 7fa7cb6..62663e9 100644
--- a/t/rename.t
+++ b/t/rename.t
@@ -88,4 +88,16 @@ note "-------------- rename: dir over existing file fails --------------";
     is( $! + 0, ENOTDIR, 'errno is ENOTDIR' );
 }
 
+note "-------------- rename: preserves inode and nlink --------------";
+{
+    my $old = Test::MockFile->file( '/mock/ino_old', 'data', { inode => 42, nlink => 3 } );
+    my $new = Test::MockFile->file('/mock/ino_new');
+
+    ok( rename( '/mock/ino_old', '/mock/ino_new' ), 'rename preserves inode metadata' );
+
+    my @st = stat('/mock/ino_new');
+    is( $st[1], 42, 'inode preserved after rename' );
+    is( $st[3], 3,  'nlink preserved after rename' );
+}
+
 done_testing();
diff --git a/t/symlink_link.t b/t/symlink_link.t
index da702f0..397c431 100644
--- a/t/symlink_link.t
+++ b/t/symlink_link.t
@@ -246,4 +246,36 @@ note "-------------- link() builtin on mocked paths --------------";
     is( \@entries, [qw< . .. newhard >], 'parent dir lists the new hard link' );
 }
 
+{
+    note "unlink() decrements nlink on the unlinked file";
+    my $src  = Test::MockFile->file( '/mock/ul_src', 'data', { nlink => 1, inode => 90001 } );
+    my $dest = Test::MockFile->file('/mock/ul_dst');
+
+    link( '/mock/ul_src', '/mock/ul_dst' );
+
+    my $nlink_before = ( stat('/mock/ul_src') )[3];
+    is( $nlink_before, 2, 'source nlink is 2 after link' );
+
+    unlink('/mock/ul_src');
+
+    my $src_nlink_after = ( stat('/mock/ul_src') )[3];
+    is( $src_nlink_after, undef, 'stat on unlinked file returns undef (no longer exists)' );
+
+    my $dst_nlink = ( stat('/mock/ul_dst') )[3];
+    is( $dst_nlink, 1, 'remaining hard link nlink decremented after unlink' );
+}
+
+{
+    note "unlink() on a file with nlink=1 decrements to 0";
+    my $file = Test::MockFile->file( '/mock/ul_single', 'data', { nlink => 1 } );
+
+    my $nlink_before = ( stat('/mock/ul_single') )[3];
+    is( $nlink_before, 1, 'nlink is 1 before unlink' );
+
+    unlink('/mock/ul_single');
+
+    # File no longer exists, but the mock object's nlink should be decremented
+    ok( !-e '/mock/ul_single', 'file no longer exists after unlink' );
+}
+
 done_testing();