diff --git a/prospector/config/__init__.py b/prospector/config/__init__.py
index 603c56e2..d275720a 100644
--- a/prospector/config/__init__.py
+++ b/prospector/config/__init__.py
@@ -53,16 +53,19 @@ def make_exclusion_filter(self) -> Callable[[Path], bool]:
         ignores, workdir = self.ignores, self.workdir
 
         def _filter(path: Path) -> bool:
-            for ignore in ignores:
-                # first figure out where the path is, relative to the workdir
-                # ignore-paths/patterns will usually be relative to a repository
-                # root or the CWD, but the path passed to prospector may not be
-                path = path.resolve().absolute()
-                if is_relative_to(path, workdir):
-                    path = path.relative_to(workdir)
-                if ignore.match(str(path)):
-                    return True
-            return False
+            # first figure out where the path is, relative to the workdir
+            # ignore-paths/patterns will usually be relative to a repository
+            # root or the CWD, but the path passed to prospector may not be.
+            # A symlink is matched under its own name as well as its target,
+            # since users expect to be able to ignore the link they can see.
+            candidates = []
+            for candidate in (path.absolute(), path.resolve().absolute()):
+                if is_relative_to(candidate, workdir):
+                    candidate = candidate.relative_to(workdir)
+                if candidate not in candidates:
+                    candidates.append(candidate)
+
+            return any(ignore.match(str(candidate)) for ignore in ignores for candidate in candidates)
 
         return _filter
 
diff --git a/tests/config/test_config.py b/tests/config/test_config.py
index e1ae7359..d0fec44d 100644
--- a/tests/config/test_config.py
+++ b/tests/config/test_config.py
@@ -19,6 +19,25 @@ def test_relative_ignores() -> None:
         assert len(files.python_modules) == 2
 
 
+def test_symlinked_ignore_path(tmp_path: Path) -> None:
+    """
+    Tests that 'ignore-paths: <symlink name>' ignores the symlink itself,
+    not only the path its target resolves to.
+    """
+    target = tmp_path / "realdir"
+    target.mkdir()
+    (target / "module.py").write_text("x = 1\n")
+    (tmp_path / "link").symlink_to(target, target_is_directory=True)
+    (tmp_path / "profile_symlink_ignores.yml").write_text("ignore-paths:\n  - link\n")
+
+    with patch_execution("-P", "profile_symlink_ignores.yml", set_cwd=tmp_path):
+        config = ProspectorConfig()
+        exclusion_filter = config.make_exclusion_filter()
+
+    assert exclusion_filter(tmp_path / "link")
+    assert exclusion_filter(tmp_path / "link" / "module.py")
+
+
 def test_determine_ignores_all_str() -> None:
     with patch_execution("-P", "prospector-str-ignores", set_cwd=Path(__file__).parent):
         config = ProspectorConfig()