diff --git a/crates/nu-command/src/filesystem/ls.rs b/crates/nu-command/src/filesystem/ls.rs
index 287b595d00a5..6012866278bc 100644
--- a/crates/nu-command/src/filesystem/ls.rs
+++ b/crates/nu-command/src/filesystem/ls.rs
@@ -82,9 +82,11 @@ impl Command for Ls {
         let cwd = current_dir(engine_state, stack)?;
 
         let pattern_arg: Option<Spanned<String>> = call.opt(engine_state, stack, 0)?;
+        let mut should_skip_dir_specified = false;
 
         let pattern_arg = {
             if let Some(path) = pattern_arg {
+                should_skip_dir_specified = true;
                 Some(Spanned {
                     item: match strip_ansi_escapes::strip(&path.item) {
                         Ok(item) => String::from_utf8(item).unwrap_or(path.item),
@@ -148,8 +150,6 @@ impl Command for Ls {
             }
         };
 
-        let hidden_dir_specified = is_hidden_dir(&path);
-
         let glob_path = Spanned {
             item: path.display().to_string(),
             span: p_tag,
@@ -175,7 +175,7 @@ impl Command for Ls {
             ));
         }
 
-        let mut hidden_dirs = vec![];
+        let mut should_skip_dirs = vec![];
 
         Ok(paths_peek
             .into_iter()
@@ -185,14 +185,11 @@ impl Command for Ls {
                         Ok(metadata) => Some(metadata),
                         Err(_) => None,
                     };
-                    if path_contains_hidden_folder(&path, &hidden_dirs) {
+                    if path_contains_skipped_dir(&path, &should_skip_dirs) {
                         return None;
                     }
-
-                    if !all && !hidden_dir_specified && is_hidden_dir(&path) {
-                        if path.is_dir() {
-                            hidden_dirs.push(path);
-                        }
+                    if !(all || should_skip_dir_specified) && should_skip_dir(&path) {
+                        should_skip_dirs.push(path);
                         return None;
                     }
 
@@ -332,17 +329,17 @@ fn is_empty_dir(dir: impl AsRef<Path>) -> bool {
     }
 }
 
-fn is_hidden_dir(dir: impl AsRef<Path>) -> bool {
+fn should_skip_dir(dir: impl AsRef<Path>) -> bool {
     #[cfg(windows)]
     {
         use std::os::windows::fs::MetadataExt;
 
-        if let Ok(metadata) = dir.as_ref().metadata() {
-            let attributes = metadata.file_attributes();
-            // https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/fileio/file-attribute-constants
-            (attributes & 0x2) != 0
-        } else {
-            false
+        let dir_ref = dir.as_ref();
+        let metadata = dir_ref.metadata();
+
+        match metadata {
+            Ok(metadata) => is_hidden_dir(metadata.file_attributes()) || dir_ref.is_symlink(),
+            Err(_err) => true,
         }
     }
 
@@ -354,8 +351,15 @@ fn is_hidden_dir(dir: impl AsRef<Path>) -> bool {
             .unwrap_or(false)
     }
 }
+#[cfg(windows)]
+fn is_hidden_dir(metadata_attributes: u32) -> bool {
+    {
+        // https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/fileio/file-attribute-constants
+        (metadata_attributes & 0x2) != 0 || (metadata_attributes & 0x4) != 0
+    }
+}
 
-fn path_contains_hidden_folder(path: &Path, folders: &[PathBuf]) -> bool {
+fn path_contains_skipped_dir(path: &Path, folders: &[PathBuf]) -> bool {
     if folders.iter().any(|p| path.starts_with(p.as_path())) {
         return true;
     }