diff --git a/lib/scanner/walk.go b/lib/scanner/walk.go
index b46240b40..af3243a82 100644
--- a/lib/scanner/walk.go
+++ b/lib/scanner/walk.go
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/syncthing/syncthing/lib/events"
 	"github.com/syncthing/syncthing/lib/fs"
 	"github.com/syncthing/syncthing/lib/ignore"
+	"github.com/syncthing/syncthing/lib/osutil"
 	"github.com/syncthing/syncthing/lib/protocol"
 	"golang.org/x/text/unicode/norm"
 )
@@ -113,6 +114,10 @@ func (w *walker) walk(ctx context.Context) chan ScanResult {
 			w.Filesystem.Walk(".", hashFiles)
 		} else {
 			for _, sub := range w.Subs {
+				if err := osutil.TraversesSymlink(w.Filesystem, filepath.Dir(sub)); err != nil {
+					l.Debugf("Skip walking %v as it is below a symlink", sub)
+					continue
+				}
 				w.Filesystem.Walk(sub, hashFiles)
 			}
 		}
diff --git a/lib/scanner/walk_test.go b/lib/scanner/walk_test.go
index 5c01eba3d..b6df67b89 100644
--- a/lib/scanner/walk_test.go
+++ b/lib/scanner/walk_test.go
@@ -322,7 +322,7 @@ func TestWalkRootSymlink(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 	defer os.RemoveAll(tmp)
 
-	link := tmp + "/link"
+	link := filepath.Join(tmp, "link")
 	dest, _ := filepath.Abs("testdata/dir1")
 	if err := osutil.DebugSymlinkForTestsOnly(dest, link); err != nil {
 		if runtime.GOOS == "windows" {
@@ -333,13 +333,33 @@ func TestWalkRootSymlink(t *testing.T) {
 		}
 	}
 
-	// Scan it
+	// Scan root with symlink at FS root
 	files := walkDir(fs.NewFilesystem(fs.FilesystemTypeBasic, link), ".", nil, nil, 0)
 
 	// Verify that we got two files
 	if len(files) != 2 {
 		t.Errorf("expected two files, not %d", len(files))
 	}
+
+	// Scan symlink below FS root
+	files = walkDir(fs.NewFilesystem(fs.FilesystemTypeBasic, tmp), "link", nil, nil, 0)
+
+	// Verify that we got the one symlink, except on windows
+	if runtime.GOOS == "windows" {
+		if len(files) != 0 {
+			t.Errorf("expected no files, not %d", len(files))
+		}
+	} else if len(files) != 1 {
+		t.Errorf("expected one file, not %d", len(files))
+	}
+
+	// Scan path below symlink
+	files = walkDir(fs.NewFilesystem(fs.FilesystemTypeBasic, tmp), filepath.Join("link", "cfile"), nil, nil, 0)
+
+	// Verify that we get nothing
+	if len(files) != 0 {
+		t.Errorf("expected no files, not %d", len(files))
+	}
 }
 
 func TestBlocksizeHysteresis(t *testing.T) {