diff --git a/lib/galaxy/util/__init__.py b/lib/galaxy/util/__init__.py
index 061b32f62fa..2955454cdec 100644
--- a/lib/galaxy/util/__init__.py
+++ b/lib/galaxy/util/__init__.py
@@ -609,14 +609,33 @@ def which(file):
 def in_directory( file, directory, local_path_module=os.path ):
     """
     Return true, if the common prefix of both is equal to directory
-    e.g. /a/b/c/d.rst and directory is /a/b, the common prefix is /a/b
+    e.g. /a/b/c/d.rst and directory is /a/b, the common prefix is /a/b.
+    This function isn't used exclusively for security checks, but if it is
+    used for such checks it is assumed that ``directory`` is a "trusted" path -
+    supplied by Galaxy or by the admin and ``file`` is something generated by
+    a tool, configuration, external web server, or user supplied input.
 
     local_path_module is used by Pulsar to check Windows paths while running on
     a POSIX-like system.
+
+    >>> base_dir = tempfile.mkdtemp()
+    >>> safe_dir = os.path.join(base_dir, "user")
+    >>> os.mkdir(safe_dir)
+    >>> good_file = os.path.join(safe_dir, "1")
+    >>> with open(good_file, "w") as f: f.write("hello")
+    >>> in_directory(good_file, safe_dir)
+    True
+    >>> in_directory("/other/file/is/here.txt", safe_dir)
+    False
+    >>> unsafe_link = os.path.join(safe_dir, "2")
+    >>> os.symlink("/other/file/bad.fasta", unsafe_link)
+    >>> in_directory(unsafe_link, safe_dir)
+    False
     """
     if local_path_module != os.path:
         _safe_contains = importlib.import_module('galaxy.util.path.%s' % local_path_module.__name__).safe_contains
     else:
+        directory = os.path.realpath(directory)
         _safe_contains = safe_contains
     return _safe_contains(directory, file)
 
diff --git a/lib/galaxy/util/path/__init__.py b/lib/galaxy/util/path/__init__.py
index 48a8355ad79..3cde6fb0934 100644
--- a/lib/galaxy/util/path/__init__.py
+++ b/lib/galaxy/util/path/__init__.py
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ def safe_contains(prefix, path, whitelist=None):
 
     Given any two filesystem paths, ensure that ``path`` is contained in ``prefix``. If ``path`` exists (either as an
     absolute path or relative to ``prefix``), it is canonicalized with :func:`os.path.realpath` to ensure it is not a
-    symbolic link that points outside of ``path``. If it is a symbolic link and ``whitelist`` is set, the symbolic link
+    symbolic link that points outside of ``prefix``. If it is a symbolic link and ``whitelist`` is set, the symbolic link
     may also point inside a ``whitelist`` path.
 
     The ``path`` is checked against ``whitelist`` using either its absolute pathname (if passed in as absolute) or
diff --git a/lib/galaxy/util/path/ntpath.py b/lib/galaxy/util/path/ntpath.py
index 5363409b3af..3c86944963a 100644
--- a/lib/galaxy/util/path/ntpath.py
+++ b/lib/galaxy/util/path/ntpath.py
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 """
 from __future__ import absolute_import
 
-import ntpath
+import ntpath  # noqa: I100 See https://github.com/PyCQA/flake8-import-order/pull/115
 import sys
 
 from . import _build_self
diff --git a/lib/galaxy/webapps/galaxy/controllers/library_common.py b/lib/galaxy/webapps/galaxy/controllers/library_common.py
index 5ac56968e39..ed22ff9e366 100644
--- a/lib/galaxy/webapps/galaxy/controllers/library_common.py
+++ b/lib/galaxy/webapps/galaxy/controllers/library_common.py
@@ -278,7 +278,6 @@ class LibraryCommon( BaseUIController, UsesFormDefinitionsMixin, UsesExtendedMet
                                     status=escape( status ) )
 
     @web.expose
-    @web.require_admin
     def create_folder( self, trans, cntrller, parent_id, library_id, **kwd ):
         message = escape( kwd.get( 'message', '' ) )
         status = kwd.get( 'status', 'done' )
@@ -803,7 +802,6 @@ class LibraryCommon( BaseUIController, UsesFormDefinitionsMixin, UsesExtendedMet
                                     status=escape( status ) )
 
     @web.expose
-    @web.require_admin
     def upload_library_dataset( self, trans, cntrller, library_id, folder_id, **kwd ):
         message = escape( kwd.get( 'message', '' ) )
         status = kwd.get( 'status', 'done' )