diff --git a/internal/api/folder_test.go b/internal/api/folder_test.go
index 2a45e0b19..94bc1f665 100644
--- a/internal/api/folder_test.go
+++ b/internal/api/folder_test.go
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ func TestGetFoldersOriginals(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Run("flat", func(t *testing.T) {
 		app, router, conf := NewApiTest()
 		_ = conf.CreateDirectories()
-		expected, err := fs.Dirs(conf.OriginalsPath(), false)
+		expected, err := fs.Dirs(conf.OriginalsPath(), false, true)
 
 		if err != nil {
 			t.Fatal(err)
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ func TestGetFoldersOriginals(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Run("recursive", func(t *testing.T) {
 		app, router, conf := NewApiTest()
 		_ = conf.CreateDirectories()
-		expected, err := fs.Dirs(conf.OriginalsPath(), true)
+		expected, err := fs.Dirs(conf.OriginalsPath(), true, true)
 
 		if err != nil {
 			t.Fatal(err)
@@ -96,7 +96,7 @@ func TestGetFoldersImport(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Run("flat", func(t *testing.T) {
 		app, router, conf := NewApiTest()
 		_ = conf.CreateDirectories()
-		expected, err := fs.Dirs(conf.ImportPath(), false)
+		expected, err := fs.Dirs(conf.ImportPath(), false, true)
 
 		if err != nil {
 			t.Fatal(err)
@@ -140,7 +140,7 @@ func TestGetFoldersImport(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Run("recursive", func(t *testing.T) {
 		app, router, conf := NewApiTest()
 		_ = conf.CreateDirectories()
-		expected, err := fs.Dirs(conf.ImportPath(), true)
+		expected, err := fs.Dirs(conf.ImportPath(), true, true)
 
 		if err != nil {
 			t.Fatal(err)
diff --git a/internal/query/folders.go b/internal/query/folders.go
index c509fab45..fde245576 100644
--- a/internal/query/folders.go
+++ b/internal/query/folders.go
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ import (
 
 // FoldersByPath returns a slice of folders in a given directory incl sub directories in recursive mode.
 func FoldersByPath(rootName, rootPath, path string, recursive bool) (folders entity.Folders, err error) {
-	dirs, err := fs.Dirs(filepath.Join(rootPath, path), recursive)
+	dirs, err := fs.Dirs(filepath.Join(rootPath, path), recursive, true)
 
 	if err != nil {
 		return folders, err
diff --git a/pkg/fs/dirs.go b/pkg/fs/dirs.go
index 1da07235a..e0d9ce5bd 100644
--- a/pkg/fs/dirs.go
+++ b/pkg/fs/dirs.go
@@ -88,25 +88,51 @@ var ImportPaths = []string{
 	"~/Import",
 }
 
-func Dirs(root string, recursive bool) (result []string, err error) {
+// Dirs returns a slice of directories in a path, optional recursively and with symlinks.
+//
+// Warning: Following symlinks can make the result non-deterministic and hard to test!
+func Dirs(root string, recursive bool, followLinks bool) (result []string, err error) {
 	result = []string{}
 	ignore := NewIgnoreList(".ppignore", true, false)
 	mutex := sync.Mutex{}
 
-	err = fastwalk.Walk(root, func(fileName string, info os.FileMode) error {
-		if info.IsDir() {
+	symlinks := make(map[string]bool)
+	symlinksMutex := sync.Mutex{}
+
+	appendResult := func(fileName string) {
+		fileName = strings.Replace(fileName, root, "", 1)
+		mutex.Lock()
+		defer mutex.Unlock()
+		result = append(result, fileName)
+	}
+
+	err = fastwalk.Walk(root, func(fileName string, typ os.FileMode) error {
+		if typ.IsDir() || typ == os.ModeSymlink && followLinks {
 			if ignore.Ignore(fileName) {
 				return filepath.SkipDir
 			}
 
 			if fileName != root {
-				mutex.Lock()
-				fileName = strings.Replace(fileName, root, "", 1)
-				result = append(result, fileName)
-				mutex.Unlock()
-
 				if !recursive {
+					appendResult(fileName)
+
 					return filepath.SkipDir
+				} else if typ != os.ModeSymlink {
+					appendResult(fileName)
+
+					return nil
+				} else if resolved, err := filepath.EvalSymlinks(fileName); err == nil {
+					symlinksMutex.Lock()
+					defer symlinksMutex.Unlock()
+
+					if _, ok := symlinks[resolved]; ok {
+						return filepath.SkipDir
+					} else {
+						symlinks[resolved] = true
+						appendResult(fileName)
+					}
+
+					return fastwalk.ErrTraverseLink
 				}
 			}
 		}
diff --git a/pkg/fs/dirs_test.go b/pkg/fs/dirs_test.go
index 68322dc58..d6f685682 100644
--- a/pkg/fs/dirs_test.go
+++ b/pkg/fs/dirs_test.go
@@ -9,27 +9,70 @@ import (
 
 func TestDirs(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Run("recursive", func(t *testing.T) {
-		result, err := Dirs("testdata", true)
+		result, err := Dirs("testdata", true, true)
 
 		if err != nil {
 			t.Fatal(err)
 		}
 
-		expected := []string{"/directory", "/directory/subdirectory", "/linked"}
+		assert.Contains(t, result, "/directory")
+		assert.Contains(t, result, "/directory/subdirectory")
+		assert.Contains(t, result, "/linked")
+		assert.Contains(t, result, "/linked/photoprism")
+		assert.Contains(t, result, "/linked/photoprism/sub")
+	})
 
-		assert.Equal(t, expected, result)
+	t.Run("recursive no-symlinks", func(t *testing.T) {
+		result, err := Dirs("testdata", true, false)
+
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatal(err)
+		}
+
+		assert.Contains(t, result, "/directory")
+		assert.Contains(t, result, "/directory/subdirectory")
+		assert.Contains(t, result, "/linked")
 	})
 
 	t.Run("non-recursive", func(t *testing.T) {
-		result, err := Dirs("testdata", false)
+		result, err := Dirs("testdata", false, true)
 
 		if err != nil {
 			t.Fatal(err)
 		}
 
-		expected := []string{"/directory", "/linked"}
+		assert.Contains(t, result, "/directory")
+		assert.Contains(t, result, "/linked")
+	})
 
-		assert.Equal(t, expected, result)
+	t.Run("non-recursive no-symlinks", func(t *testing.T) {
+		result, err := Dirs("testdata/directory/subdirectory", false, false)
+
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatal(err)
+		}
+		assert.Contains(t, result, "/bar")
+	})
+
+	t.Run("non-recursive symlinks", func(t *testing.T) {
+		result, err := Dirs("testdata/linked", false, true)
+
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatal(err)
+		}
+
+		assert.Contains(t, result, "/photoprism")
+		assert.Contains(t, result, "/self")
+	})
+
+	t.Run("no-result", func(t *testing.T) {
+		result, err := Dirs("testdata/linked", false, false)
+
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatal(err)
+		}
+
+		assert.Empty(t, result)
 	})
 }
 
diff --git a/pkg/fs/ignore_test.go b/pkg/fs/ignore_test.go
index 1320c8808..b1605e3ae 100644
--- a/pkg/fs/ignore_test.go
+++ b/pkg/fs/ignore_test.go
@@ -94,6 +94,7 @@ func TestIgnoreList_Ignored(t *testing.T) {
 		expectIgnored := []string{
 			"testdata/directory/bar.txt",
 			"testdata/directory/baz.xml",
+			"testdata/directory/subdirectory/bar",
 			"testdata/directory/subdirectory/example.txt",
 			"testdata/directory/subdirectory/foo.txt",
 		}
diff --git a/pkg/fs/testdata/directory/subdirectory/bar/helloworld.md b/pkg/fs/testdata/directory/subdirectory/bar/helloworld.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..cc0be1e56
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/fs/testdata/directory/subdirectory/bar/helloworld.md
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+# Hello World!
diff --git a/pkg/fs/testdata/linked/photoprism b/pkg/fs/testdata/linked/photoprism
new file mode 120000
index 000000000..b9fb6acee
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/fs/testdata/linked/photoprism
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+../.photoprism
\ No newline at end of file