diff --git a/system/Helpers/filesystem_helper.php b/system/Helpers/filesystem_helper.php
index 47c829bbc3c6..4e0e8b1532e9 100644
--- a/system/Helpers/filesystem_helper.php
+++ b/system/Helpers/filesystem_helper.php
@@ -209,7 +209,7 @@ function get_filenames(
 
         try {
             foreach (new RecursiveIteratorIterator(
-                new RecursiveDirectoryIterator($sourceDir, RecursiveDirectoryIterator::SKIP_DOTS),
+                new RecursiveDirectoryIterator($sourceDir, RecursiveDirectoryIterator::SKIP_DOTS | FilesystemIterator::FOLLOW_SYMLINKS),
                 RecursiveIteratorIterator::SELF_FIRST
             ) as $name => $object) {
                 $basename = pathinfo($name, PATHINFO_BASENAME);
diff --git a/tests/system/Helpers/FilesystemHelperTest.php b/tests/system/Helpers/FilesystemHelperTest.php
index e92505cc8a91..987e11eb5dcb 100644
--- a/tests/system/Helpers/FilesystemHelperTest.php
+++ b/tests/system/Helpers/FilesystemHelperTest.php
@@ -396,6 +396,35 @@ public function testGetFilenamesFailure(): void
         $this->assertSame([], get_filenames(SUPPORTPATH . 'Files/shaker/'));
     }
 
+    public function testGetFilenamesWithSymlinks(): void
+    {
+        $targetDir = APPPATH . 'Language';
+        $linkDir   = APPPATH . 'Controllers/Language';
+        if (file_exists($linkDir)) {
+            unlink($linkDir);
+        }
+        symlink($targetDir, $linkDir);
+
+        $targetFile = APPPATH . 'Common.php';
+        $linkFile   = APPPATH . 'Controllers/Common.php';
+        if (file_exists($linkFile)) {
+            unlink($linkFile);
+        }
+        symlink($targetFile, $linkFile);
+
+        $this->assertSame([
+            0 => 'BaseController.php',
+            1 => 'Common.php',
+            2 => 'Home.php',
+            3 => 'Language',
+            4 => 'Validation.php',
+            5 => 'en',
+        ], get_filenames(APPPATH . 'Controllers'));
+
+        unlink($linkDir);
+        unlink($linkFile);
+    }
+
     public function testGetDirFileInfo(): void
     {
         $file = SUPPORTPATH . 'Files/baker/banana.php';
diff --git a/user_guide_src/source/changelogs/v4.4.4.rst b/user_guide_src/source/changelogs/v4.4.4.rst
index 7ee96a53556f..599681b48e4a 100644
--- a/user_guide_src/source/changelogs/v4.4.4.rst
+++ b/user_guide_src/source/changelogs/v4.4.4.rst
@@ -33,6 +33,12 @@ The use of the `ssl_key` option in CURLRequest was removed
 Due to a bug, we were using the undocumented `ssl_key` config option to define the CA bundle in CURLRequest.
 This was fixed and is now working according to documentation. You can define your CA bundle via the `verify` option.
 
+Filesystem Helper
+=================
+
+:php:func:`get_filenames()` now follows symlink folders, which it previously just returned
+without following.
+
 ***************
 Message Changes
 ***************
diff --git a/user_guide_src/source/helpers/filesystem_helper.rst b/user_guide_src/source/helpers/filesystem_helper.rst
index e122660959c5..0d0cc031caff 100644
--- a/user_guide_src/source/helpers/filesystem_helper.rst
+++ b/user_guide_src/source/helpers/filesystem_helper.rst
@@ -164,6 +164,8 @@ The following functions are available:
     the second parameter to 'relative' for relative paths or any other non-empty value for
     a full file path.
 
+    .. note:: Prior to v4.4.4, due to a bug, this function did not follow symlink folders.
+
     Example:
 
     .. literalinclude:: filesystem_helper/010.php