diff --git a/source/common/putil.cpp b/source/common/putil.cpp
index ab25f3b9..d6dcd96c 100644
--- a/source/common/putil.cpp
+++ b/source/common/putil.cpp
@@ -1171,31 +1171,16 @@ uprv_tzname(int n)
         because the tzfile contents is underspecified.
         This isn't guaranteed to work because it may not be a symlink.
         */
-        char *ret = realpath(TZDEFAULT, gTimeZoneBuffer);
-        if (ret != nullptr && uprv_strcmp(TZDEFAULT, gTimeZoneBuffer) != 0) {
+        int32_t ret = (int32_t)readlink(TZDEFAULT, gTimeZoneBuffer, sizeof(gTimeZoneBuffer)-1);
+        if (0 < ret) {
             int32_t tzZoneInfoTailLen = uprv_strlen(TZZONEINFOTAIL);
-            const char *tzZoneInfoTailPtr = uprv_strstr(gTimeZoneBuffer, TZZONEINFOTAIL);
-            // MacOS14 has the realpath as something like
-            // /usr/share/zoneinfo.default/Australia/Melbourne
-            // which will not have "/zoneinfo/" in the path.
-            // Therefore if we fail, we fall back to read the link which is
-            // /var/db/timezone/zoneinfo/Australia/Melbourne
-            // We also fall back to reading the link if the realpath leads to something like
-            // /usr/share/zoneinfo/posixrules
-            if (tzZoneInfoTailPtr == nullptr ||
-                    uprv_strcmp(tzZoneInfoTailPtr + tzZoneInfoTailLen, "posixrules") == 0) {
-                ssize_t size = readlink(TZDEFAULT, gTimeZoneBuffer, sizeof(gTimeZoneBuffer)-1);
-                if (size > 0) {
-                    gTimeZoneBuffer[size] = 0;
-                    tzZoneInfoTailPtr = uprv_strstr(gTimeZoneBuffer, TZZONEINFOTAIL);
-                }
-            }
-            if (tzZoneInfoTailPtr != nullptr) {
-                tzZoneInfoTailPtr += tzZoneInfoTailLen;
-                skipZoneIDPrefix(&tzZoneInfoTailPtr);
-                if (isValidOlsonID(tzZoneInfoTailPtr)) {
-                    return (gTimeZoneBufferPtr = tzZoneInfoTailPtr);
-                }
+            gTimeZoneBuffer[ret] = 0;
+            char *  tzZoneInfoTailPtr = uprv_strstr(gTimeZoneBuffer, TZZONEINFOTAIL);
+
+            if (tzZoneInfoTailPtr != NULL
+                && isValidOlsonID(tzZoneInfoTailPtr + tzZoneInfoTailLen))
+            {
+                return (gTimeZoneBufferPtr = tzZoneInfoTailPtr + tzZoneInfoTailLen);
             }
         } else {
 #if defined(SEARCH_TZFILE)
diff --git a/source/common/uposixdefs.h b/source/common/uposixdefs.h
index 7c008fdd..3770a335 100644
--- a/source/common/uposixdefs.h
+++ b/source/common/uposixdefs.h
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@
 #endif
 
 /*
- * Make sure things like realpath and such functions work.
+ * Make sure things like readlink and such functions work.
  * Poorly upgraded Solaris machines can't have this defined.
  * Cleanly installed Solaris can use this #define.
  *