diff --git a/packages/cli/src/load-nodes-and-credentials.ts b/packages/cli/src/load-nodes-and-credentials.ts
index 244d9af04ba..e9550fcdd6f 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/load-nodes-and-credentials.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/src/load-nodes-and-credentials.ts
@@ -523,22 +523,15 @@ export class LoadNodesAndCredentials {
 		const push = Container.get(Push);
 
 		Object.values(this.loaders).forEach(async (loader) => {
+			const { directory } = loader;
 			try {
-				await fsPromises.access(loader.directory);
+				await fsPromises.access(directory);
 			} catch {
 				// If directory doesn't exist, there is nothing to watch
 				return;
 			}
 
-			const realModulePath = path.join(await fsPromises.realpath(loader.directory), path.sep);
 			const reloader = debounce(async () => {
-				const modulesToUnload = Object.keys(require.cache).filter((filePath) =>
-					filePath.startsWith(realModulePath),
-				);
-				modulesToUnload.forEach((filePath) => {
-					delete require.cache[filePath];
-				});
-
 				loader.reset();
 				await loader.loadAll();
 				await this.postProcessLoaders();
@@ -549,11 +542,11 @@ export class LoadNodesAndCredentials {
 				? ['**/nodes.json', '**/credentials.json']
 				: ['**/*.js', '**/*.json'];
 			const files = await glob(toWatch, {
-				cwd: realModulePath,
+				cwd: directory,
 				ignore: ['node_modules/**'],
 			});
 			const watcher = watch(files, {
-				cwd: realModulePath,
+				cwd: directory,
 				ignoreInitial: true,
 			});
 			watcher.on('add', reloader).on('change', reloader).on('unlink', reloader);
diff --git a/packages/core/src/nodes-loader/__tests__/directory-loader.test.ts b/packages/core/src/nodes-loader/__tests__/directory-loader.test.ts
index c577e9d398e..5d80b28ab57 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/nodes-loader/__tests__/directory-loader.test.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/nodes-loader/__tests__/directory-loader.test.ts
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ jest.mock('node:fs');
 jest.mock('node:fs/promises');
 const mockFs = mock<typeof fs>();
 const mockFsPromises = mock<typeof fsPromises>();
+fs.realpathSync = mockFs.realpathSync;
 fs.readFileSync = mockFs.readFileSync;
 fsPromises.readFile = mockFsPromises.readFile;
 
@@ -64,6 +65,7 @@ describe('DirectoryLoader', () => {
 	let mockCredential1: ICredentialType, mockNode1: INodeType, mockNode2: INodeType;
 
 	beforeEach(() => {
+		mockFs.realpathSync.mockImplementation((path) => String(path));
 		mockCredential1 = createCredential('credential1');
 		mockNode1 = createNode('node1', 'credential1');
 		mockNode2 = createNode('node2');
@@ -330,6 +332,19 @@ describe('DirectoryLoader', () => {
 		});
 	});
 
+	describe('constructor', () => {
+		it('should resolve symlinks to real paths when directory is a symlink', () => {
+			const symlinkPath = '/symlink/path';
+			const realPath = '/real/path';
+			mockFs.realpathSync.mockReturnValueOnce(realPath);
+
+			const loader = new CustomDirectoryLoader(symlinkPath);
+
+			expect(mockFs.realpathSync).toHaveBeenCalledWith(symlinkPath);
+			expect(loader.directory).toBe(realPath);
+		});
+	});
+
 	describe('reset()', () => {
 		it('should reset all properties to their initial state', async () => {
 			mockFs.readFileSync.calledWith(`${directory}/package.json`).mockReturnValue(packageJson);
diff --git a/packages/core/src/nodes-loader/directory-loader.ts b/packages/core/src/nodes-loader/directory-loader.ts
index 3e5353d4434..677844936f1 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/nodes-loader/directory-loader.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/nodes-loader/directory-loader.ts
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ import type {
 	KnownNodesAndCredentials,
 } from 'n8n-workflow';
 import { ApplicationError, isSubNodeType } from 'n8n-workflow';
+import { realpathSync } from 'node:fs';
 import * as path from 'path';
 
 import { UnrecognizedCredentialTypeError } from '@/errors/unrecognized-credential-type.error';
@@ -83,13 +84,22 @@ export abstract class DirectoryLoader {
 		readonly directory: string,
 		protected excludeNodes: string[] = [],
 		protected includeNodes: string[] = [],
-	) {}
+	) {
+		// If `directory` is a symlink, we try to resolve it to its real path
+		try {
+			this.directory = realpathSync(directory);
+		} catch (error) {
+			// eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-unsafe-member-access
+			if (error.code !== 'ENOENT') throw error;
+		}
+	}
 
 	abstract packageName: string;
 
 	abstract loadAll(): Promise<void>;
 
 	reset() {
+		this.unloadAll();
 		this.loadedNodes = [];
 		this.nodeTypes = {};
 		this.credentialTypes = {};
@@ -450,4 +460,13 @@ export abstract class DirectoryLoader {
 
 		return;
 	}
+
+	private unloadAll() {
+		const filesToUnload = Object.keys(require.cache).filter((filePath) =>
+			filePath.startsWith(this.directory),
+		);
+		filesToUnload.forEach((filePath) => {
+			delete require.cache[filePath];
+		});
+	}
 }