diff --git a/rse/plugins/org.eclipse.rse.services.ssh/src/org/eclipse/rse/internal/services/ssh/files/SftpFileService.java b/rse/plugins/org.eclipse.rse.services.ssh/src/org/eclipse/rse/internal/services/ssh/files/SftpFileService.java
index a2126e97a88..796e798033c 100644
--- a/rse/plugins/org.eclipse.rse.services.ssh/src/org/eclipse/rse/internal/services/ssh/files/SftpFileService.java
+++ b/rse/plugins/org.eclipse.rse.services.ssh/src/org/eclipse/rse/internal/services/ssh/files/SftpFileService.java
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@
  * Martin Oberhuber (Wind River) - [235477][ssh] SftpFileService.createFolder() fails for file named "a?*"
  * Martin Oberhuber (Wind River) - [235360][ftp][ssh][local] Return proper "Root" IHostFile
  * David McKnight   (IBM)        - [235472] [ssh] RSE doesn't show correct properties of the file system root ("/")
+ * Martin Oberhuber (Wind River) - [238703] getFile() needs to lstat for consistency with internalFetch()
  *******************************************************************************/
 
 package org.eclipse.rse.internal.services.ssh.files;
@@ -470,7 +471,7 @@ public class SftpFileService extends AbstractFileService implements ISshService,
 		String fullPath = concat(remoteParent, fileName);
 		if (fDirChannelMutex.waitForLock(monitor, fDirChannelTimeout)) {
 			try {
-				attrs = getChannel("SftpFileService.getFile: " + fullPath).stat(recodeSafeForJsch(fullPath)); //$NON-NLS-1$
+				attrs = getChannel("SftpFileService.getFile: " + fullPath).lstat(recodeSafeForJsch(fullPath)); //$NON-NLS-1$
 				Activator.trace("SftpFileService.getFile <--"); //$NON-NLS-1$
 				node = makeHostFile(remoteParent, fileName, attrs);
 			} catch(Exception e) {