diff --git a/cmd/quadlet/main.go b/cmd/quadlet/main.go
index c85f2e245e..b36997b32a 100644
--- a/cmd/quadlet/main.go
+++ b/cmd/quadlet/main.go
@@ -146,7 +146,16 @@ func getUnitDirs(rootless bool) []string {
 }
 
 func appendSubPaths(dirs []string, path string, isUserFlag bool, filterPtr func(string, bool) bool) []string {
-	err := filepath.WalkDir(path, func(_path string, info os.DirEntry, err error) error {
+	resolvedPath, err := filepath.EvalSymlinks(path)
+	if err != nil {
+		Debugf("Error occurred resolving path %q: %s", path, err)
+		// Despite the failure add the path to the list for logging purposes
+		// This is the equivalent of adding the path when info==nil below
+		dirs = append(dirs, path)
+		return dirs
+	}
+
+	err = filepath.WalkDir(resolvedPath, func(_path string, info os.DirEntry, err error) error {
 		if info == nil || info.IsDir() {
 			if filterPtr == nil || filterPtr(_path, isUserFlag) {
 				dirs = append(dirs, _path)
diff --git a/cmd/quadlet/main_test.go b/cmd/quadlet/main_test.go
index 9ee2ea00cd..1f29b74a13 100644
--- a/cmd/quadlet/main_test.go
+++ b/cmd/quadlet/main_test.go
@@ -79,4 +79,22 @@ func TestUnitDirs(t *testing.T) {
 
 	unitDirs = getUnitDirs(true)
 	assert.Equal(t, unitDirs, []string{name}, "rootless should use environment variable")
+
+	symLinkTestBaseDir, err := os.MkdirTemp("", "podman-symlinktest")
+	assert.Nil(t, err)
+	// remove the temporary directory at the end of the program
+	defer os.RemoveAll(symLinkTestBaseDir)
+
+	actualDir := filepath.Join(symLinkTestBaseDir, "actual")
+	err = os.Mkdir(actualDir, 0755)
+	assert.Nil(t, err)
+	innerDir := filepath.Join(actualDir, "inner")
+	err = os.Mkdir(innerDir, 0755)
+	assert.Nil(t, err)
+	symlink := filepath.Join(symLinkTestBaseDir, "symlink")
+	err = os.Symlink(actualDir, symlink)
+	assert.Nil(t, err)
+	t.Setenv("QUADLET_UNIT_DIRS", actualDir)
+	unitDirs = getUnitDirs(true)
+	assert.Equal(t, unitDirs, []string{actualDir, innerDir}, "directory resolution should follow symlink")
 }
diff --git a/docs/source/markdown/podman-systemd.unit.5.md b/docs/source/markdown/podman-systemd.unit.5.md
index a18bfa23a3..fece812e97 100644
--- a/docs/source/markdown/podman-systemd.unit.5.md
+++ b/docs/source/markdown/podman-systemd.unit.5.md
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ podman\-systemd.unit - systemd units using Podman Quadlet
 
 ## SYNOPSIS
 
-*name*.container, *name*.volume, *name*.network, `*.kube`
+*name*.container, *name*.volume, *name*.network, *name*.kube *name*.image
 
 ### Podman unit search path
 
@@ -19,6 +19,11 @@ podman\-systemd.unit - systemd units using Podman Quadlet
  * /etc/containers/systemd/users/$(UID)
  * /etc/containers/systemd/users/
 
+### Using symbolic links
+
+Quadlet supports using symbolic links for the base of the search paths.
+Symbolic links below the search paths are not supported.
+
 ## DESCRIPTION
 
 Podman supports starting containers (and creating volumes) via systemd by using a
diff --git a/test/e2e/quadlet_test.go b/test/e2e/quadlet_test.go
index f2a00b971f..7bb376bb59 100644
--- a/test/e2e/quadlet_test.go
+++ b/test/e2e/quadlet_test.go
@@ -554,7 +554,14 @@ var _ = Describe("quadlet system generator", func() {
 			current := session.ErrorToStringArray()
 			expected := "No files parsed from [/something]"
 
-			Expect(current[0]).To(ContainSubstring(expected))
+			found := false
+			for _, line := range current {
+				if strings.Contains(line, expected) {
+					found = true
+					break
+				}
+			}
+			Expect(found).To(BeTrue())
 		})
 
 		It("Should fail on bad quadlet", func() {