diff --git a/swift/common/middleware/symlink.py b/swift/common/middleware/symlink.py
index bde163aa0a..2aac5d1ebc 100644
--- a/swift/common/middleware/symlink.py
+++ b/swift/common/middleware/symlink.py
@@ -422,7 +422,7 @@ class SymlinkObjectContext(WSGIContext):
         resp = self._app_call(req.environ)
         response_header_dict = HeaderKeyDict(self._response_headers)
         symlink_sysmeta_to_usermeta(response_header_dict)
-        self._response_headers = response_header_dict.items()
+        self._response_headers = list(response_header_dict.items())
         return resp
 
     def handle_get_head(self, req):
diff --git a/test/unit/common/middleware/test_symlink.py b/test/unit/common/middleware/test_symlink.py
index a5e6cbab4b..118aca3077 100644
--- a/test/unit/common/middleware/test_symlink.py
+++ b/test/unit/common/middleware/test_symlink.py
@@ -403,6 +403,7 @@ class TestSymlinkMiddleware(TestSymlinkMiddlewareBase):
         req = Request.blank('/v1/a/c/symlink?symlink=get', method='GET')
         status, headers, body = self.call_sym(req)
         self.assertEqual(status, '200 OK')
+        self.assertIsInstance(headers, list)
         self.assertIn(('X-Symlink-Target', 'c1/o'), headers)
         self.assertNotIn('X-Symlink-Target-Account', dict(headers))