diff --git a/browser/fs.js b/browser/fs.js
index be97954..dbb1f11 100644
--- a/browser/fs.js
+++ b/browser/fs.js
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 const nope = method => `Cannot use fs.${method} inside browser`;
 
-export const isFile = () => false;
+export const lstatSync = nope( 'lstatSync' );
 export const readdirSync = nope( 'readdirSync' );
 export const readFileSync = nope( 'readFileSync' );
+export const realpathSync = nope( 'realpathSync' );
 export const writeFile = nope( 'writeFile' );
diff --git a/src/utils/defaults.js b/src/utils/defaults.js
index c746a7f..8db3c0b 100644
--- a/src/utils/defaults.js
+++ b/src/utils/defaults.js
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { isFile, readdirSync, readFileSync } from './fs.js';
+import { lstatSync, readdirSync, readFileSync, realpathSync } from './fs.js'; // eslint-disable-line
 import { basename, dirname, isAbsolute, resolve } from './path.js';
 import { blank } from './object.js';
 
@@ -6,18 +6,24 @@ export function load ( id ) {
 	return readFileSync( id, 'utf-8' );
 }
 
-function addJsExtensionIfNecessary ( file ) {
+function findFile ( file ) {
 	try {
-		const name = basename( file );
-		const files = readdirSync( dirname( file ) );
-
-		if ( ~files.indexOf( name ) && isFile( file ) ) return file;
-		if ( ~files.indexOf( `${name}.js` ) && isFile( `${file}.js` ) ) return `${file}.js`;
+		const stats = lstatSync( file );
+		if ( stats.isSymbolicLink() ) return findFile( realpathSync( file ) );
+		if ( stats.isFile() ) {
+			// check case
+			const name = basename( file );
+			const files = readdirSync( dirname( file ) );
+
+			if ( ~files.indexOf( name ) ) return file;
+		}
 	} catch ( err ) {
-		// noop
+		// suppress
 	}
+}
 
-	return null;
+function addJsExtensionIfNecessary ( file ) {
+	return findFile( file ) || findFile( file + '.js' );
 }
 
 export function resolveId ( importee, importer ) {
diff --git a/src/utils/fs.js b/src/utils/fs.js
index 8a0e3e7..db790a9 100644
--- a/src/utils/fs.js
+++ b/src/utils/fs.js
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 import * as fs from 'fs';
 import { dirname } from './path.js';
 
+export * from 'fs';
+
 function mkdirpath ( path ) {
 	const dir = dirname( path );
 	try {
@@ -11,15 +13,6 @@ function mkdirpath ( path ) {
 	}
 }
 
-export function isFile ( file ) {
-	try {
-		const stats = fs.statSync( file );
-		return stats.isFile();
-	} catch ( err ) {
-		return false;
-	}
-}
-
 export function writeFile ( dest, data ) {
 	return new Promise( ( fulfil, reject ) => {
 		mkdirpath( dest );
@@ -33,6 +26,3 @@ export function writeFile ( dest, data ) {
 		});
 	});
 }
-
-export const readdirSync = fs.readdirSync;
-export const readFileSync = fs.readFileSync;
diff --git a/test/function/symlink/_config.js b/test/function/symlink/_config.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..561b738
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/function/symlink/_config.js
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+module.exports = {
+	skip: process.platform === 'win32',
+	description: 'follows symlinks'
+};
diff --git a/test/function/symlink/foo.js b/test/function/symlink/foo.js
new file mode 120000
index 0000000..a4af385
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/function/symlink/foo.js
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+symlinked/bar.js
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/test/function/symlink/main.js b/test/function/symlink/main.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..292b3b5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/function/symlink/main.js
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+import foo from './foo.js';
+assert.equal( foo, 'BAZ' );
diff --git a/test/function/symlink/symlinked/bar.js b/test/function/symlink/symlinked/bar.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5d6afaa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/function/symlink/symlinked/bar.js
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+import baz from './baz.js';
+export default baz();
diff --git a/test/function/symlink/symlinked/baz.js b/test/function/symlink/symlinked/baz.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d08083e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/function/symlink/symlinked/baz.js
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+export default function () {
+	return 'BAZ';
+}