diff --git a/changelog/4321.bugfix.rst b/changelog/4321.bugfix.rst
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..8bfa9efdeb6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelog/4321.bugfix.rst
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Fix ``item.nodeid`` with resolved symlinks.
diff --git a/changelog/4325.bugfix.rst b/changelog/4325.bugfix.rst
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..71f13f429dd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelog/4325.bugfix.rst
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Fix collection of direct symlinked files, where the target does not match ``python_files``.
diff --git a/src/_pytest/main.py b/src/_pytest/main.py
index 1de5f656fd0..b959ef44529 100644
--- a/src/_pytest/main.py
+++ b/src/_pytest/main.py
@@ -488,7 +488,7 @@ def _collect(self, arg):
         from _pytest.python import Package
 
         names = self._parsearg(arg)
-        argpath = names.pop(0).realpath()
+        argpath = names.pop(0)
 
         # Start with a Session root, and delve to argpath item (dir or file)
         # and stack all Packages found on the way.
@@ -636,7 +636,7 @@ def _parsearg(self, arg):
                     "file or package not found: " + arg + " (missing __init__.py?)"
                 )
             raise UsageError("file not found: " + arg)
-        parts[0] = path
+        parts[0] = path.realpath()
         return parts
 
     def matchnodes(self, matching, names):
diff --git a/testing/test_collection.py b/testing/test_collection.py
index 18033b9c006..af565cf9fe7 100644
--- a/testing/test_collection.py
+++ b/testing/test_collection.py
@@ -6,6 +6,8 @@
 import sys
 import textwrap
 
+import py
+
 import pytest
 from _pytest.main import _in_venv
 from _pytest.main import EXIT_NOTESTSCOLLECTED
@@ -1051,3 +1053,22 @@ def test_1():
     result = testdir.runpytest()
     assert result.ret == 0
     result.stdout.fnmatch_lines(["*1 passed in*"])
+
+
+@pytest.mark.skipif(
+    not hasattr(py.path.local, "mksymlinkto"),
+    reason="symlink not available on this platform",
+)
+def test_collect_symlink_file_arg(testdir):
+    """Test that collecting a direct symlink, where the target does not match python_files works (#4325)."""
+    p = testdir.makepyfile(
+        hello="""
+        def test_nodeid(request):
+            print(request.node.nodeid)
+            assert not request.node.nodeid.startswith('::')
+        """
+    )
+    testdir.tmpdir.join("symlink.py").mksymlinkto(p)
+    result = testdir.runpytest("-v", "symlink.py")
+    result.stdout.fnmatch_lines(["hello.py::test_nodeid PASSED*", "*1 passed in*"])
+    assert result.ret == 0