[arch-general] new install: files under /etc/fonts/conf.d/ not symlinks?

a couple days ago, after the problematic fontconfig update was already done, i installed a new instance of arch no a separate partitionl (via pacman -r / chroot, from my existing, updated arch instance). now i'm surprised to find that the files under /etc/fonts/conf.d/ aren't symlinks, but real files again -- and pacman doesn't complain...how comes? (this install has [testing] enabled, if that makes a difference.) -- phani.