diff --git a/commands/cli/parse.go b/commands/cli/parse.go
index 64bb3735bc5..1bee40df7b3 100644
--- a/commands/cli/parse.go
+++ b/commands/cli/parse.go
@@ -388,7 +388,10 @@ func appendFile(fpath string, argDef *cmds.Argument, recursive, hidden bool) (fi
 	}
 
 	fpath = filepath.ToSlash(filepath.Clean(fpath))
-
+	fpath, err := filepath.EvalSymlinks(fpath)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
 	stat, err := os.Lstat(fpath)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
diff --git a/test/sharness/t0044-add-symlink.sh b/test/sharness/t0044-add-symlink.sh
index 13247b945f1..b7111bbfd39 100755
--- a/test/sharness/t0044-add-symlink.sh
+++ b/test/sharness/t0044-add-symlink.sh
@@ -11,9 +11,13 @@ test_description="Test add -w"
 test_expect_success "creating files succeeds" '
 	mkdir -p files/foo &&
 	mkdir -p files/bar &&
+	mkdir -p files/badin
 	echo "some text" > files/foo/baz &&
-	ln -s files/foo/baz files/bar/baz &&
-	ln -s files/does/not/exist files/bad
+	ln -s ../foo/baz files/bar/baz &&
+	ln -s files/does/not/exist files/badin/bad &&
+	mkdir -p files2/a/b/c &&
+	echo "some other text" > files2/a/b/c/foo &&
+	ln -s b files2/a/d
 '
 
 test_add_symlinks() {
@@ -23,27 +27,34 @@ test_add_symlinks() {
 	'
 
 	test_expect_success "output looks good" '
-		echo QmWdiHKoeSW8G1u7ATCgpx4yMoUhYaJBQGkyPLkS9goYZ8 > filehash_exp &&
+		echo QmQRgZT6xVFKJLVVpJDu3WcPkw2iqQ1jqK1F9jmdeq9zAv > filehash_exp &&
 		test_cmp filehash_exp filehash_out
 	'
 
-	test_expect_success "adding a symlink adds the link itself" '
+	test_expect_success "adding a symlink adds the file itself" '
 		ipfs add -q files/bar/baz > goodlink_out
 	'
 
 	test_expect_success "output looks good" '
-		echo "QmdocmZeF7qwPT9Z8SiVhMSyKA2KKoA2J7jToW6z6WBmxR" > goodlink_exp &&
+		echo QmcPNXE5zjkWkM24xQ7Bi3VAm8fRxiaNp88jFsij7kSQF1 > goodlink_exp &&
 		test_cmp goodlink_exp goodlink_out
 	'
 
 	test_expect_success "adding a broken symlink works" '
-		ipfs add -q files/bad > badlink_out
+		ipfs add -qr files/badin | head -1 > badlink_out
 	'
 
 	test_expect_success "output looks good" '
 		echo "QmWYN8SEXCgNT2PSjB6BnxAx6NJQtazWoBkTRH9GRfPFFQ" > badlink_exp &&
 		test_cmp badlink_exp badlink_out
 	'
+
+	test_expect_success "adding with symlink in middle of path is same as\
+adding with no symlink" '
+		ipfs add -rq files2/a/b/c > no_sym &&
+		ipfs add -rq files2/a/d/c > sym &&
+		test_cmp no_sym sym
+	'
 }
 
 test_init_ipfs