diff --git a/packages/angular/build/src/builders/unit-test/builder.ts b/packages/angular/build/src/builders/unit-test/builder.ts
index 542f5f978b90..c01b7b69d75e 100644
--- a/packages/angular/build/src/builders/unit-test/builder.ts
+++ b/packages/angular/build/src/builders/unit-test/builder.ts
@@ -286,6 +286,10 @@ export async function* execute(
     return;
   }
 
+  // Resolve final preserveSymlinks option
+  normalizedOptions.preserveSymlinks =
+    buildTargetOptions.preserveSymlinks ?? process.execArgv.includes('--preserve-symlinks');
+
   // Get runner-specific build options
   let runnerBuildOptions;
   let virtualFiles;
@@ -327,6 +331,7 @@ export async function* execute(
       progress: normalizedOptions.buildProgress ?? buildTargetOptions.progress,
       quiet: normalizedOptions.quiet,
       ...(normalizedOptions.tsConfig ? { tsConfig: normalizedOptions.tsConfig } : {}),
+      preserveSymlinks: normalizedOptions.preserveSymlinks,
     } satisfies ApplicationBuilderInternalOptions;
 
     const dumpDirectory = normalizedOptions.dumpVirtualFiles
diff --git a/packages/angular/build/src/builders/unit-test/options.ts b/packages/angular/build/src/builders/unit-test/options.ts
index ef09958885a7..7ff4d3fa753f 100644
--- a/packages/angular/build/src/builders/unit-test/options.ts
+++ b/packages/angular/build/src/builders/unit-test/options.ts
@@ -134,6 +134,7 @@ export async function normalizeOptions(
       : [],
     dumpVirtualFiles: options.dumpVirtualFiles,
     listTests: options.listTests,
+    preserveSymlinks: undefined as boolean | undefined,
     runnerConfig:
       typeof runnerConfig === 'string'
         ? runnerConfig.length === 0
diff --git a/packages/angular/build/src/builders/unit-test/runners/karma/executor.ts b/packages/angular/build/src/builders/unit-test/runners/karma/executor.ts
index 66bf203c25c7..3ef83752889a 100644
--- a/packages/angular/build/src/builders/unit-test/runners/karma/executor.ts
+++ b/packages/angular/build/src/builders/unit-test/runners/karma/executor.ts
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ export class KarmaExecutor implements TestExecutor {
       progress: unitTestOptions.buildProgress ?? buildTargetOptions.progress,
       watch: unitTestOptions.watch,
       poll: buildTargetOptions.poll,
-      preserveSymlinks: buildTargetOptions.preserveSymlinks,
+      preserveSymlinks: unitTestOptions.preserveSymlinks,
       browsers: unitTestOptions.browsers?.join(','),
       codeCoverage: unitTestOptions.coverage.enabled,
       codeCoverageExclude: unitTestOptions.coverage.exclude,
diff --git a/packages/angular/build/src/builders/unit-test/runners/vitest/executor.ts b/packages/angular/build/src/builders/unit-test/runners/vitest/executor.ts
index 08a5a4dc55ff..7a9b56168d7b 100644
--- a/packages/angular/build/src/builders/unit-test/runners/vitest/executor.ts
+++ b/packages/angular/build/src/builders/unit-test/runners/vitest/executor.ts
@@ -382,6 +382,7 @@ export class VitestExecutor implements TestExecutor {
           include,
           watch,
           isolate: this.options.isolate,
+          preserveSymlinks: this.options.preserveSymlinks,
         }),
       ],
     };
diff --git a/packages/angular/build/src/builders/unit-test/runners/vitest/plugins.ts b/packages/angular/build/src/builders/unit-test/runners/vitest/plugins.ts
index c5e3764043bb..935518594295 100644
--- a/packages/angular/build/src/builders/unit-test/runners/vitest/plugins.ts
+++ b/packages/angular/build/src/builders/unit-test/runners/vitest/plugins.ts
@@ -55,6 +55,7 @@ interface VitestConfigPluginOptions {
   optimizeDepsInclude: string[];
   watch: boolean;
   isolate: boolean | undefined;
+  preserveSymlinks?: boolean;
 }
 
 async function findTestEnvironment(
@@ -258,6 +259,7 @@ export async function createVitestConfigPlugin(
         resolve: {
           mainFields: ['es2020', 'module', 'main'],
           conditions: ['es2015', 'es2020', 'module', ...(browser ? ['browser'] : [])],
+          preserveSymlinks: options.preserveSymlinks,
         },
       };