diff --git a/changelog/66980.fixed.md b/changelog/66980.fixed.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..499e1961eb1b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelog/66980.fixed.md
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+make file.symlink/_symlink_check() respect follow_symlinks
diff --git a/salt/modules/file.py b/salt/modules/file.py
index 19b2bf10de09..59bc9c6e08c7 100644
--- a/salt/modules/file.py
+++ b/salt/modules/file.py
@@ -4201,9 +4201,10 @@ def stats(path, hash_type=None, follow_symlinks=True):
         salt '*' file.stats /etc/passwd
     """
     path = os.path.expanduser(path)
+    exists = os.path.exists if follow_symlinks else os.path.lexists
 
     ret = {}
-    if not os.path.exists(path):
+    if not exists(path):
         try:
             # Broken symlinks will return False for os.path.exists(), but still
             # have a uid and gid
@@ -4247,7 +4248,7 @@ def stats(path, hash_type=None, follow_symlinks=True):
         ret["type"] = "pipe"
     if stat.S_ISSOCK(pstat.st_mode):
         ret["type"] = "socket"
-    ret["target"] = os.path.realpath(path)
+    ret["target"] = os.path.realpath(path) if follow_symlinks else os.path.abspath(path)
     return ret
 
 
diff --git a/salt/states/file.py b/salt/states/file.py
index f33727a8ba54..e2907889e00f 100644
--- a/salt/states/file.py
+++ b/salt/states/file.py
@@ -983,12 +983,14 @@ def _set_symlink_ownership(path, user, group, win_owner):
     return _check_symlink_ownership(path, user, group, win_owner)
 
 
-def _symlink_check(name, target, force, user, group, win_owner):
+def _symlink_check(name, target, force, user, group, win_owner, follow_symlinks=False):
     """
     Check the symlink function
     """
     changes = {}
-    if not os.path.exists(name) and not __salt__["file.is_link"](name):
+    exists = os.path.exists if follow_symlinks else os.path.lexists
+
+    if not exists(name) and not __salt__["file.is_link"](name):
         changes["new"] = name
         return (
             None,
@@ -1788,7 +1790,7 @@ def symlink(
         return _error(ret, msg)
 
     tresult, tcomment, tchanges = _symlink_check(
-        name, target, force, user, group, win_owner
+        name, target, force, user, group, win_owner, follow_symlinks
     )
 
     if not os.path.isdir(os.path.dirname(name)):
diff --git a/tests/pytests/unit/modules/file/test_file_basics.py b/tests/pytests/unit/modules/file/test_file_basics.py
index 5da99d6e47af..d981c96bca51 100644
--- a/tests/pytests/unit/modules/file/test_file_basics.py
+++ b/tests/pytests/unit/modules/file/test_file_basics.py
@@ -294,3 +294,18 @@ def test_symlink_lexists_called_follow_symlinks_false():
         filemod.symlink(tfile, a_link, follow_symlinks=False)
         lexists.assert_called()
         exists.assert_not_called()
+
+
+def test_symlink_lexists_called_follow_symlinks_true():
+    tfile = "/tmp/file-basics-test-file"
+    a_link = "/tmp/a_link"
+
+    exists = MagicMock(return_value=False)
+    lexists = MagicMock(return_value=False)
+
+    with patch("os.path.exists", exists), patch("os.path.lexists", lexists), patch(
+        "os.symlink", MagicMock(return_value=True)
+    ):
+        filemod.symlink(tfile, a_link, follow_symlinks=True)
+        lexists.assert_not_called()
+        exists.assert_called()