diff --git a/lib/private/Files/Storage/Local.php b/lib/private/Files/Storage/Local.php
index a4f0d1cc9bf91..8b69d650ba827 100644
--- a/lib/private/Files/Storage/Local.php
+++ b/lib/private/Files/Storage/Local.php
@@ -99,36 +99,51 @@ public function rmdir(string $path): bool {
 		if (!$this->isDeletable($path)) {
 			return false;
 		}
+
+		$sourcePath = $this->getSourcePath($path);
+		clearstatcache(true, $sourcePath);
+
+		if (is_link($sourcePath)) {
+			return unlink($sourcePath);
+		}
+
 		try {
 			$it = new \RecursiveIteratorIterator(
-				new \RecursiveDirectoryIterator($this->getSourcePath($path)),
+				new \RecursiveDirectoryIterator($sourcePath),
 				\RecursiveIteratorIterator::CHILD_FIRST
 			);
+
 			/**
-			 * RecursiveDirectoryIterator on an NFS path isn't iterable with foreach
-			 * This bug is fixed in PHP 5.5.9 or before
-			 * See #8376
+			 * RecursiveDirectoryIterator on an NFS path isn't iterable with foreach.
+			 * This bug is fixed in PHP 5.5.9 or before.
+			 * See #8376.
 			 */
 			$it->rewind();
 			while ($it->valid()) {
-				/**
-				 * @var \SplFileInfo $file
-				 */
+				/** @var \SplFileInfo $file */
 				$file = $it->current();
 				clearstatcache(true, $file->getRealPath());
-				if (in_array($file->getBasename(), ['.', '..'])) {
+
+				if (in_array($file->getBasename(), ['.', '..'], true)) {
 					$it->next();
 					continue;
-				} elseif ($file->isFile() || $file->isLink()) {
+				}
+
+				if ($file->isFile() || $file->isLink()) {
 					unlink($file->getPathname());
 				} elseif ($file->isDir()) {
 					rmdir($file->getPathname());
 				}
+
 				$it->next();
 			}
-			unset($it);  // Release iterator and thereby its potential directory lock (e.g. in case of VirtualBox shared folders)
-			clearstatcache(true, $this->getSourcePath($path));
-			return rmdir($this->getSourcePath($path));
+
+			// Release the iterator and its potential directory lock,
+			// for example on VirtualBox shared folders.
+			unset($it);
+
+			clearstatcache(true, $sourcePath);
+			return rmdir($sourcePath);
 		} catch (\UnexpectedValueException $e) {
 			return false;
 		}
diff --git a/tests/lib/Files/Storage/LocalTest.php b/tests/lib/Files/Storage/LocalTest.php
index e676e6718ac31..6aa44e894b2c1 100644
--- a/tests/lib/Files/Storage/LocalTest.php
+++ b/tests/lib/Files/Storage/LocalTest.php
@@ -102,6 +102,50 @@ public function testDisallowSymlinksInsideDatadir(): void {
 		$this->addToAssertionCount(1);
 	}
 
+	public static function directorySymlinkRemovalProvider(): array {
+		return [
+			'rmdir' => ['rmdir'],
+			'unlink' => ['unlink'],
+		];
+	}
+
+	#[\PHPUnit\Framework\Attributes\DataProvider('directorySymlinkRemovalProvider')]
+	public function testRemovingDirectorySymlinkPreservesTarget(string $operation): void {
+		$targetPath = $this->tmpDir . 'target';
+		$linkPath = $this->tmpDir . 'link';
+
+		$this->assertTrue($this->instance->mkdir('target'));
+		$this->assertSame(
+			strlen('target contents'),
+			$this->instance->file_put_contents('target/file.txt', 'target contents'),
+		);
+
+		if (!@symlink($targetPath, $linkPath)) {
+			$this->markTestSkipped('Failed to create directory symlink');
+		}
+
+		$this->assertTrue(is_link($linkPath));
+		$this->assertTrue($this->instance->$operation('link'));
+
+		$this->assertFalse(
+			is_link($linkPath),
+			'The symbolic link should be removed',
+		);
+		$this->assertDirectoryExists(
+			$targetPath,
+			'The target directory should be preserved',
+		);
+		$this->assertFileExists(
+			$targetPath . '/file.txt',
+			'Files inside the target directory should be preserved',
+		);
+		$this->assertSame(
+			'target contents',
+			file_get_contents($targetPath . '/file.txt'),
+			'The target file contents should remain unchanged',
+		);
+	}
+
 	public function testWriteUmaskFilePutContents(): void {
 		$oldMask = umask(0333);
 		$this->instance->file_put_contents('test.txt', 'sad');