diff --git a/src/_pytest/main.py b/src/_pytest/main.py
index 96ead8509d6..d20fa3138d3 100644
--- a/src/_pytest/main.py
+++ b/src/_pytest/main.py
@@ -707,7 +707,7 @@ def _parsearg(self, arg):
                     "file or package not found: " + arg + " (missing __init__.py?)"
                 )
             raise UsageError("file not found: " + arg)
-        parts[0] = path.realpath()
+        parts[0] = path
         return parts
 
     def matchnodes(self, matching, names):
diff --git a/testing/test_collect_new.py b/testing/test_collect_new.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..a61e5aa0d11
--- /dev/null
+++ b/testing/test_collect_new.py
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+def test_symlink_in_sandbox(testdir):
+    appdir = testdir.mkdir("app")
+    testdir.makepyfile(
+        **{
+            "app/__init__.py": """import pleasedontimportme""",
+            "app/test.py": """
+            def test_pass():
+                pass
+        """,
+        }
+    )
+    sandbox = testdir.mkdir("sandbox")
+    symlink = sandbox.join("test_symlink.py")
+    symlink.mksymlinkto(appdir.join("test.py"))
+
+    result = testdir.runpytest(str(symlink))
+    result.stdout.fnmatch_lines(["*= 1 passed in *="])