diff --git a/src/Composer/Util/Filesystem.php b/src/Composer/Util/Filesystem.php
index 4fe3d3e8d..ca395736f 100644
--- a/src/Composer/Util/Filesystem.php
+++ b/src/Composer/Util/Filesystem.php
@@ -95,8 +95,8 @@ class Filesystem
      */
     public function removeDirectory($directory)
     {
-        if (file_exists($directory) && is_link($directory)) {
-            return $this->unlink($directory);
+        if ($this->isSymlinkedDirectory($directory)) {
+            return $this->unlinkSymlinkedDirectory($directory);
         }
 
         if (!file_exists($directory) || !is_dir($directory)) {
@@ -507,4 +507,49 @@ class Filesystem
 
         return unlink($path);
     }
+
+    private function isSymlinkedDirectory($directory)
+    {
+        if (!is_dir($directory)) {
+            return false;
+        }
+
+        $resolved = $this->resolveSymlinkedDirectorySymlink($directory);
+
+        return is_link($resolved);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * @param string $directory
+     *
+     * @return bool
+     */
+    private function unlinkSymlinkedDirectory($directory)
+    {
+        $resolved = $this->resolveSymlinkedDirectorySymlink($directory);
+
+        return $this->unlink($resolved);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * resolve pathname to symbolic link of a directory
+     *
+     * @param string $pathname directory path to resolve
+     *
+     * @return string resolved path to symbolic link or original pathname (unresolved)
+     */
+    private function resolveSymlinkedDirectorySymlink($pathname)
+    {
+        if (!is_dir($pathname)) {
+            return $pathname;
+        }
+
+        $resolved = rtrim($pathname, '/');
+
+        if (!strlen($resolved)) {
+            return $pathname;
+        }
+
+        return $resolved;
+    }
 }
diff --git a/tests/Composer/Test/Util/FilesystemTest.php b/tests/Composer/Test/Util/FilesystemTest.php
index bffea7434..a4d1255f9 100644
--- a/tests/Composer/Test/Util/FilesystemTest.php
+++ b/tests/Composer/Test/Util/FilesystemTest.php
@@ -203,4 +203,38 @@ class FilesystemTest extends TestCase
         $this->assertTrue($result);
         $this->assertFalse(file_exists($symlinked));
     }
+
+    /**
+     * @link https://github.com/composer/composer/issues/3144
+     */
+    public function testRemoveSymlinkedDirectoryWithTrailingSlash()
+    {
+        $tmp = sys_get_temp_dir();
+        $basepath = $tmp . "/composer_testdir";
+        @mkdir($basepath . "/real", 0777, true);
+        touch($basepath . "/real/FILE");
+        $symlinked              = $basepath . "/linked";
+        $symlinkedTrailingSlash = $symlinked . "/";
+
+        $result = @symlink($basepath . "/real", $symlinked);
+
+        if (!$result) {
+            $this->markTestSkipped('Symbolic links for directories not supported on this platform');
+        }
+
+        if (!is_dir($symlinked)) {
+            $this->fail('Precondition assertion failed (is_dir is false on symbolic link to directory).');
+        }
+
+        if (!is_dir($symlinkedTrailingSlash)) {
+            $this->fail('Precondition assertion failed (is_dir false w trailing slash).');
+        }
+
+        $fs = new Filesystem();
+
+        $result = $fs->removeDirectory($symlinkedTrailingSlash);
+        $this->assertTrue($result);
+        $this->assertFalse(file_exists($symlinkedTrailingSlash));
+        $this->assertFalse(file_exists($symlinked));
+    }
 }