diff --git a/doc/api/fs.markdown b/doc/api/fs.markdown
index 76ae6a24633..445fd59c2ba 100644
--- a/doc/api/fs.markdown
+++ b/doc/api/fs.markdown
@@ -170,12 +170,14 @@ the completion callback.
 
 Synchronous link(2).
 
-### fs.symlink(linkdata, path, [callback])
+### fs.symlink(linkdata, path, [type], [callback])
 
 Asynchronous symlink(2). No arguments other than a possible exception are given
 to the completion callback.
+`type` argument can be either `'dir'` or `'file'` (default is `'file'`).  It is only 
+used on Windows (ignored on other platforms).
 
-### fs.symlinkSync(linkdata, path)
+### fs.symlinkSync(linkdata, path, [type])
 
 Synchronous symlink(2).
 
diff --git a/lib/fs.js b/lib/fs.js
index 61adbdf9b99..7b61c8984c8 100644
--- a/lib/fs.js
+++ b/lib/fs.js
@@ -422,17 +422,17 @@ fs.readlinkSync = function(path) {
   return binding.readlink(pathModule._makeLong(path));
 };
 
-fs.symlink = function(destination, path, mode_, callback) {
-  var mode = (typeof(mode_) == 'string' ? mode_ : null);
+fs.symlink = function(destination, path, type_, callback) {
+  var type = (typeof(type_) == 'string' ? type_ : null);
   var callback_ = arguments[arguments.length - 1];
   callback = (typeof(callback_) == 'function' ? callback_ : null);
   binding.symlink(pathModule._makeLong(destination),
-    pathModule._makeLong(path), mode, callback);
+    pathModule._makeLong(path), type, callback);
 };
 
-fs.symlinkSync = function(destination, path, mode) {
+fs.symlinkSync = function(destination, path, type) {
   return binding.symlink(pathModule._makeLong(destination),
-    pathModule._makeLong(path), mode);
+    pathModule._makeLong(path), type);
 };
 
 fs.link = function(srcpath, dstpath, callback) {