diff --git a/lib/ensure/__tests__/symlink.test.js b/lib/ensure/__tests__/symlink.test.js
index 92222738..72ca417c 100644
--- a/lib/ensure/__tests__/symlink.test.js
+++ b/lib/ensure/__tests__/symlink.test.js
@@ -472,4 +472,40 @@ describe('fse-ensure-symlink', () => {
       assert.throws(() => createSymlinkSync(srcpath, dstpath), { code: 'EACCES' })
     })
   })
+
+  describe('ensureSymlinkSync() when src is a broken symlink', () => {
+    it('should create the symlink like ensureSymlink() does', async () => {
+      const brokenpath = path.join(TEST_DIR, 'broken-src')
+      fs.symlinkSync(path.join(TEST_DIR, 'missing-target'), brokenpath)
+
+      await ensureSymlink(brokenpath, path.join(TEST_DIR, 'link-async'))
+      ensureSymlinkSync(brokenpath, path.join(TEST_DIR, 'link-sync'))
+
+      assert.strictEqual(fs.readlinkSync(path.join(TEST_DIR, 'link-async')), brokenpath)
+      assert.strictEqual(fs.readlinkSync(path.join(TEST_DIR, 'link-sync')), brokenpath)
+    })
+
+    it('should create the symlink like ensureSymlink() does with a relative src', async () => {
+      // `broken-rel-src` does not exist relative to `dir-foo`, so it is resolved from the cwd
+      fs.symlinkSync('missing-target', 'broken-rel-src')
+
+      await ensureSymlink('broken-rel-src', 'dir-foo/link-rel-async')
+      ensureSymlinkSync('broken-rel-src', 'dir-foo/link-rel-sync')
+
+      assert.strictEqual(fs.readlinkSync('dir-foo/link-rel-async'), path.join('..', 'broken-rel-src'))
+      assert.strictEqual(fs.readlinkSync('dir-foo/link-rel-sync'), path.join('..', 'broken-rel-src'))
+    })
+  })
+
+  describe('ensureSymlinkSync() when src does not exist', () => {
+    it('should throw ENOENT like ensureSymlink() does', async () => {
+      const srcpath = path.join(TEST_DIR, 'missing-src')
+      const relpath = 'missing-rel-src'
+
+      await assert.rejects(ensureSymlink(srcpath, path.join(TEST_DIR, 'link-abs')), { code: 'ENOENT' })
+      assert.throws(() => ensureSymlinkSync(srcpath, path.join(TEST_DIR, 'link-abs-sync')), { code: 'ENOENT' })
+      await assert.rejects(ensureSymlink(relpath, path.join(TEST_DIR, 'link-rel')), { code: 'ENOENT' })
+      assert.throws(() => ensureSymlinkSync(relpath, path.join(TEST_DIR, 'link-rel-sync')), { code: 'ENOENT' })
+    })
+  })
 })
diff --git a/lib/ensure/symlink-paths.js b/lib/ensure/symlink-paths.js
index 85dda475..3f7765ce 100644
--- a/lib/ensure/symlink-paths.js
+++ b/lib/ensure/symlink-paths.js
@@ -69,8 +69,12 @@ async function symlinkPaths (srcpath, dstpath) {
 
 function symlinkPathsSync (srcpath, dstpath) {
   if (path.isAbsolute(srcpath)) {
-    const exists = fs.existsSync(srcpath)
-    if (!exists) throw new Error('absolute srcpath does not exist')
+    try {
+      fs.lstatSync(srcpath)
+    } catch (err) {
+      err.message = err.message.replace('lstat', 'ensureSymlink')
+      throw err
+    }
     return {
       toCwd: srcpath,
       toDst: srcpath
@@ -87,8 +91,12 @@ function symlinkPathsSync (srcpath, dstpath) {
     }
   }
 
-  const srcExists = fs.existsSync(srcpath)
-  if (!srcExists) throw new Error('relative srcpath does not exist')
+  try {
+    fs.lstatSync(srcpath)
+  } catch (err) {
+    err.message = err.message.replace('lstat', 'ensureSymlink')
+    throw err
+  }
   return {
     toCwd: srcpath,
     toDst: path.relative(dstdir, srcpath)