diff --git a/lib/nodefs-handler.js b/lib/nodefs-handler.js
index 3a396430..199cfe9f 100644
--- a/lib/nodefs-handler.js
+++ b/lib/nodefs-handler.js
@@ -421,7 +421,15 @@ async _handleSymlink(entry, directory, path, item) {
   if (!this.fsw.options.followSymlinks) {
     // watch symlink directly (don't follow) and detect changes
     this.fsw._incrReadyCount();
-    const linkPath = await fsrealpath(path);
+
+    let linkPath;
+    try {
+      linkPath = await fsrealpath(path);
+    } catch (e) {
+      this.fsw._emitReady();
+      return true;
+    }
+
     if (this.fsw.closed) return;
     if (dir.has(item)) {
       if (this.fsw._symlinkPaths.get(full) !== linkPath) {
diff --git a/test.js b/test.js
index b599c31b..29cbcb7b 100644
--- a/test.js
+++ b/test.js
@@ -1172,6 +1172,20 @@ const runTests = (baseopts) => {
       spy.should.have.been.calledWith(EV_ADD, linkedDir);
       spy.should.have.been.calledOnce;
     });
+    it('should survive ENOENT for missing symlinks when followSymlinks:false', async () => {
+      options.followSymlinks = false;
+      const targetDir = getFixturePath('subdir/nonexistent');
+      await fs_mkdir(targetDir);
+      await fs_symlink(targetDir, getFixturePath('subdir/broken'));
+      await fs_rmdir(targetDir);
+
+      const watcher = chokidar_watch(getFixturePath('subdir'), options);
+      const spy = await aspy(watcher, EV_ALL);
+
+      spy.should.have.been.calledTwice;
+      spy.should.have.been.calledWith(EV_ADD_DIR, getFixturePath('subdir'));
+      spy.should.have.been.calledWith(EV_ADD, getFixturePath('subdir/add.txt'));
+    });
     it('should watch symlinks within a watched dir as files when followSymlinks:false', async () => {
       options.followSymlinks = false;
       // Create symlink in linkPath