diff --git a/lib/DirectoryWatcher.js b/lib/DirectoryWatcher.js
index 54788ea..505d94a 100644
--- a/lib/DirectoryWatcher.js
+++ b/lib/DirectoryWatcher.js
@@ -61,6 +61,7 @@ class DirectoryWatcher extends EventEmitter {
 		this.watcherManager = watcherManager;
 		this.options = options;
 		this.path = directoryPath;
+		this.watchingSymlink = false;
 		// safeTime is the point in time after which reading is safe to be unchanged
 		// timestamp is a value that should be compared with another timestamp (mtime)
 		/** @type {Map<string, { safeTime: number, timestamp: number }} */
@@ -111,8 +112,8 @@ class DirectoryWatcher extends EventEmitter {
 					this.watchInParentDirectory();
 				}
 				this.watcher = watchEventSource.watch(this.path);
-				this.watcher.on("change", this.onWatchEvent.bind(this));
 				this.watcher.on("error", this.onWatcherError.bind(this));
+				this.watcher.on("change", this.onWatchEvent.bind(this));
 			}
 		} catch (err) {
 			this.onWatcherError(err);
@@ -550,7 +551,9 @@ class DirectoryWatcher extends EventEmitter {
 			fs.readdir(this.path, (err, items) => {
 				if (this.closed) return;
 				if (err) {
-					if (err.code === "ENOENT" || err.code === "EPERM") {
+					if (this.watchingSymlink && err.code == "ENOTDIR") {
+						return;
+					} else if (err.code === "ENOENT" || err.code === "EPERM") {
 						this.onDirectoryRemoved("scan readdir failed");
 					} else {
 						this.onScanError(err);
@@ -627,22 +630,7 @@ class DirectoryWatcher extends EventEmitter {
 					}
 				});
 				for (const itemPath of itemPaths) {
-					const handleStats = (err2, stats) => {
-						if (this.closed) return;
-						if (err2) {
-							if (
-								err2.code === "ENOENT" ||
-								err2.code === "EPERM" ||
-								err2.code === "EACCES" ||
-								err2.code === "EBUSY"
-							) {
-								this.setMissing(itemPath, initial, "scan (" + err2.code + ")");
-							} else {
-								this.onScanError(err2);
-							}
-							itemFinished();
-							return;
-						}
+					const handleStats = (stats, symlinkStats) => {
 						if (stats.isFile() || stats.isSymbolicLink()) {
 							if (stats.mtime) {
 								ensureFsAccuracy(stats.mtime);
@@ -654,7 +642,11 @@ class DirectoryWatcher extends EventEmitter {
 								true,
 								"scan (file)"
 							);
-						} else if (stats.isDirectory()) {
+						}
+						if (
+							stats.isDirectory() ||
+							(symlinkStats && symlinkStats.isDirectory())
+						) {
 							if (!initial || !this.directories.has(itemPath))
 								this.setDirectory(
 									itemPath,
@@ -665,11 +657,42 @@ class DirectoryWatcher extends EventEmitter {
 						}
 						itemFinished();
 					};
-					if (this.watcherManager.options.followSymlinks) {
-						fs.stat(itemPath, handleStats);
-					} else {
-						fs.lstat(itemPath, handleStats);
-					}
+					fs.lstat(itemPath, (err2, stats) => {
+						if (this.closed) return;
+						if (err2) {
+							if (
+								err2.code === "ENOENT" ||
+								err2.code === "EPERM" ||
+								err2.code === "EACCES" ||
+								err2.code === "EBUSY"
+							) {
+								this.setMissing(itemPath, initial, "scan (" + err2.code + ")");
+							} else {
+								this.onScanError(err2);
+							}
+							itemFinished();
+							return;
+						}
+						if (
+							stats.isSymbolicLink() &&
+							this.watcherManager.options.followSymlinks
+						) {
+							fs.stat(itemPath, (err3, symlinkStats) => {
+								if (this.closed) return;
+								// something is wrong with the symlink, but not with the file itself
+								if (err3) {
+									handleStats(stats);
+									this.watchingSymlink = false;
+									return;
+								}
+								this.watchingSymlink = true;
+								handleStats(stats, symlinkStats);
+							});
+						} else {
+							this.watchingSymlink = false;
+							handleStats(stats);
+						}
+					});
 				}
 				itemFinished();
 			});