diff --git a/bin/et b/bin/et
index f5389c1af7445..38c60777ceb2f 100755
--- a/bin/et
+++ b/bin/et
@@ -9,25 +9,19 @@ set -e
 # Needed because if it is set, cd may print the path it changed to.
 unset CDPATH
 
-# On Mac OS, readlink -f doesn't work, so follow_links traverses the path one
-# link at a time, and then cds into the link destination and find out where it
-# ends up.
-#
-# The function is enclosed in a subshell to avoid changing the working directory
-# of the caller.
-function follow_links() (
-  cd -P "$(dirname -- "$1")"
-  file="$PWD/$(basename -- "$1")"
-  while [[ -h "$file" ]]; do
-    cd -P "$(dirname -- "$file")"
-    file="$(readlink -- "$file")"
-    cd -P "$(dirname -- "$file")"
-    file="$PWD/$(basename -- "$file")"
-  done
-  echo "$file"
-)
+# Returns the canonical path for its argument, with any symlinks resolved.
+function canonical_path() {
+  if [[ -x "$(which realpath)" ]]; then
+    realpath -q -- "$1"
+  elif [[ -x "$(which readlink)" ]]; then
+    readlink -f -- "$1"
+  else
+    echo "The host platform is not supported by this tool"
+    exit 1
+  fi
+}
 
-SCRIPT_DIR="$(dirname -- "$(follow_links "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")")"
+SCRIPT_DIR="$(dirname -- "$(canonical_path "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")")"
 ENGINE_DIR="$(cd "$SCRIPT_DIR/.."; pwd -P)"
 
 case "$(uname -s)" in