diff --git a/src/config.rs b/src/config.rs
index 98733bc..39d68fb 100644
--- a/src/config.rs
+++ b/src/config.rs
@@ -95,11 +95,20 @@ fn merge_paths(
     let config_paths = globals.iter().chain(profile).cloned();
     let cli_paths = cli
         .into_iter()
-        .map(|p| std::fs::canonicalize(&p).map_err(|_| SandboxError::PathMissing(p)))
+        .map(prepare_cli_bind_path)
         .collect::<Result<Vec<_>, _>>()?;
     Ok(config_paths.chain(cli_paths).collect())
 }
 
+fn prepare_cli_bind_path(path: PathBuf) -> Result<PathBuf, SandboxError> {
+    let absolute =
+        std::path::absolute(&path).map_err(|_| SandboxError::PathMissing(path.clone()))?;
+    if !absolute.exists() {
+        return Err(SandboxError::PathMissing(absolute));
+    }
+    Ok(absolute)
+}
+
 fn split_bwrap_args(raw: Vec<String>) -> Result<Vec<String>, SandboxError> {
     let mut out = Vec::new();
     for value in &raw {
@@ -228,10 +237,10 @@ pub struct Options {
 impl Options {
     fn validate_paths(&mut self) -> Result<(), SandboxError> {
         for p in &mut self.rw {
-            *p = expand_and_canonicalize(p)?;
+            *p = expand_and_require_existing(p)?;
         }
         for p in &mut self.ro {
-            *p = expand_and_canonicalize(p)?;
+            *p = expand_and_require_existing(p)?;
         }
         if let Some(ref chdir) = self.chdir {
             self.chdir = Some(expand_and_canonicalize(chdir)?);
@@ -243,6 +252,14 @@ impl Options {
     }
 }
 
+fn expand_and_require_existing(path: &Path) -> Result<PathBuf, SandboxError> {
+    let expanded = expand_and_require_absolute(path)?;
+    if !expanded.exists() {
+        return Err(SandboxError::PathMissing(expanded));
+    }
+    Ok(expanded)
+}
+
 fn expand_and_require_absolute(path: &Path) -> Result<PathBuf, SandboxError> {
     let expanded = expand_tilde(path)?;
     require_absolute(&expanded)?;
@@ -332,6 +349,8 @@ fn expand_and_canonicalize(path: &Path) -> Result<PathBuf, SandboxError> {
 mod tests {
     use std::sync::LazyLock;
 
+    use tempfile::TempDir;
+
     use super::*;
 
     const FULL_CONFIG_TOML: &str = r#"
@@ -615,6 +634,45 @@ mod tests {
         assert_eq!(config.extra_rw, vec![PathBuf::from(&home)]);
     }
 
+    #[test]
+    fn build_preserves_symlinks_in_config_paths() {
+        let dir = TempDir::new().unwrap();
+        let target = dir.path().join("target");
+        let link = dir.path().join("link");
+        std::fs::write(&target, "x").unwrap();
+        std::os::unix::fs::symlink(&target, &link).unwrap();
+
+        let file_config = FileConfig {
+            options: Options {
+                ro: vec![link.clone()],
+                rw: vec![link.clone()],
+                ..Options::default()
+            },
+            ..FileConfig::default()
+        };
+        let config = build(args_with_command(), Some(file_config)).unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(config.extra_ro, vec![link.clone()]);
+        assert_eq!(config.extra_rw, vec![link]);
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn build_preserves_symlinks_in_cli_paths() {
+        let dir = TempDir::new().unwrap();
+        let target = dir.path().join("target");
+        let link = dir.path().join("link");
+        std::fs::write(&target, "x").unwrap();
+        std::os::unix::fs::symlink(&target, &link).unwrap();
+
+        let args = Args {
+            extra_ro: vec![link.clone()],
+            extra_rw: vec![link.clone()],
+            ..args_with_command()
+        };
+        let config = build(args, None).unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(config.extra_ro, vec![link.clone()]);
+        assert_eq!(config.extra_rw, vec![link]);
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn build_relative_config_path_rejected() {
         let file_config = FileConfig {
diff --git a/src/sandbox.rs b/src/sandbox.rs
index aa053cb..3c0e2e7 100644
--- a/src/sandbox.rs
+++ b/src/sandbox.rs
@@ -180,17 +180,17 @@ fn ro_bind_under_tmpfs(cmd: &mut Command, base: &str, paths: &[&str]) {
 }
 
 fn add_rw_bind(cmd: &mut Command, path: &Path) -> Result<(), SandboxError> {
-    if !path.exists() {
-        return Err(SandboxError::PathMissing(path.to_path_buf()));
-    }
-    cmd.arg("--bind").arg(path).arg(path);
+    let source = resolve_bind_source(path)?;
+    cmd.arg("--bind").arg(source).arg(path);
     Ok(())
 }
 
 fn add_ro_bind(cmd: &mut Command, path: &Path) -> Result<(), SandboxError> {
-    if !path.exists() {
-        return Err(SandboxError::PathMissing(path.to_path_buf()));
-    }
-    cmd.arg("--ro-bind").arg(path).arg(path);
+    let source = resolve_bind_source(path)?;
+    cmd.arg("--ro-bind").arg(source).arg(path);
     Ok(())
 }
+
+fn resolve_bind_source(path: &Path) -> Result<PathBuf, SandboxError> {
+    std::fs::canonicalize(path).map_err(|_| SandboxError::PathMissing(path.to_path_buf()))
+}
diff --git a/tests/integration.rs b/tests/integration.rs
index 04f755f..73f10b5 100644
--- a/tests/integration.rs
+++ b/tests/integration.rs
@@ -796,6 +796,28 @@ fn config_command_replaced_by_passthrough() {
     );
 }
 
+#[test]
+fn whitelist_ro_symlink_visible_at_link_path() {
+    let dir = TempDir::new().unwrap();
+    let target = dir.path().join("target.txt");
+    let link = dir.path().join("link.txt");
+    fs::write(&target, "hello from target").expect("failed to write target");
+    std::os::unix::fs::symlink(&target, &link).expect("failed to create symlink");
+    let link_str = link.to_str().unwrap();
+
+    let output = sandbox(&["--whitelist", "--ro", link_str])
+        .args(["--", "cat", link_str])
+        .output()
+        .expect("agent-sandbox binary failed to execute");
+
+    let stdout = String::from_utf8_lossy(&output.stdout);
+    assert!(
+        stdout.contains("hello from target"),
+        "expected symlink path to be readable inside sandbox, got stdout: {stdout}, stderr: {}",
+        String::from_utf8_lossy(&output.stderr)
+    );
+}
+
 #[test]
 fn mask_nonexistent_path_becomes_tmpfs() {
     let dir = TempDir::new().unwrap();