diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 8e47259f379..cdd3941dee0 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -64,6 +64,7 @@ credentials.yml
 results.xml
 coverage.xml
 /test/units/cover-html
+/test/integration/inventory
 /test/integration/targets/*/backup/
 /test/cache/*
 # Development
diff --git a/changelogs/fragments/fix_doc_symlinks.yml b/changelogs/fragments/fix_doc_symlinks.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..8164be04bd9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelogs/fragments/fix_doc_symlinks.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+bugfixes:
+    - fix issue in which symlinked collection cannot be listed, though the docs/plugins can be loaded if referenced directly.
diff --git a/lib/ansible/utils/collection_loader.py b/lib/ansible/utils/collection_loader.py
index 7d452cf2259..560a5c60b10 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/utils/collection_loader.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/utils/collection_loader.py
@@ -550,9 +550,9 @@ def get_collection_name_from_path(path):
     :param n_path: native-string path to evaluate for collection containment
     :return: collection name or None
     """
-    n_collection_paths = [to_native(os.path.realpath(to_bytes(p))) for p in AnsibleCollectionLoader().n_collection_paths]
+    n_collection_paths = [to_native(os.path.abspath(to_bytes(p))) for p in AnsibleCollectionLoader().n_collection_paths]
 
-    b_path = os.path.realpath(to_bytes(path))
+    b_path = os.path.abspath(to_bytes(path))
     n_path = to_native(b_path)
 
     for coll_path in n_collection_paths:
@@ -575,7 +575,7 @@ def get_collection_name_from_path(path):
                 return None
 
             # ensure we're using the canonical real path, with the bogus __synthetic__ stripped off
-            b_loaded_collection_path = os.path.dirname(os.path.realpath(to_bytes(loaded_collection_path)))
+            b_loaded_collection_path = os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(to_bytes(loaded_collection_path)))
 
             # if the collection path prefix matches the path prefix we were passed, it's the same collection that's loaded
             if os.path.commonprefix([b_path, b_loaded_collection_path]) == b_loaded_collection_path:
diff --git a/test/integration/targets/collections/runme.sh b/test/integration/targets/collections/runme.sh
index 5aea771bdaf..98471b2761e 100755
--- a/test/integration/targets/collections/runme.sh
+++ b/test/integration/targets/collections/runme.sh
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ export ANSIBLE_HOST_PATTERN_MISMATCH=error
 
 
 # FUTURE: just use INVENTORY_PATH as-is once ansible-test sets the right dir
-ipath=../../$(basename "${INVENTORY_PATH}")
+ipath=../../$(basename "${INVENTORY_PATH:-../../inventory}")
 export INVENTORY_PATH="$ipath"
 
 # test callback
@@ -17,6 +17,11 @@ ANSIBLE_CALLBACK_WHITELIST=testns.testcoll.usercallback ansible localhost -m pin
 
 # test documentation
 ansible-doc testns.testcoll.testmodule -vvv | grep -- "- normal_doc_frag"
+# same with symlink
+ln -s "${PWD}/testcoll2" ./collection_root_sys/ansible_collections/testns/testcoll2
+ansible-doc testns.testcoll2.testmodule2 -vvv | grep "Test module"
+# now test we can list with symlink
+ansible-doc -l -vvv| grep "testns.testcoll2.testmodule2"
 
 # test adhoc default collection resolution (use unqualified collection module with playbook dir under its collection)
 echo "testing adhoc default collection support with explicit playbook dir"
diff --git a/test/integration/targets/collections/testcoll2/MANIFEST.json b/test/integration/targets/collections/testcoll2/MANIFEST.json
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..e69de29bb2d
diff --git a/test/integration/targets/collections/testcoll2/plugins/modules/testmodule2.py b/test/integration/targets/collections/testcoll2/plugins/modules/testmodule2.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..7f6eb0247b1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/integration/targets/collections/testcoll2/plugins/modules/testmodule2.py
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+#!/usr/bin/python
+from __future__ import (absolute_import, division, print_function)
+__metaclass__ = type
+
+ANSIBLE_METADATA = {'metadata_version': '1.1',
+                    'status': ['stableinterface'],
+                    'supported_by': 'core'}
+
+DOCUMENTATION = '''
+---
+module: testmodule2
+short_description: Test module
+description:
+    - Test module
+author:
+    - Ansible Core Team
+'''
+
+EXAMPLES = '''
+'''
+
+RETURN = '''
+'''
+
+import json
+
+
+def main():
+    print(json.dumps(dict(changed=False, source='sys')))
+
+
+if __name__ == '__main__':
+    main()