diff --git a/packages/backend-common/src/paths.test.ts b/packages/backend-common/src/paths.test.ts
index a9a557c8fe..94b96580e9 100644
--- a/packages/backend-common/src/paths.test.ts
+++ b/packages/backend-common/src/paths.test.ts
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
 
 import { createMockDirectory } from '@backstage/backend-test-utils';
 import { resolveSafeChildPath } from './paths';
+import fs from 'fs/promises';
 
 describe('paths', () => {
   describe('resolveSafeChildPath', () => {
@@ -41,9 +42,9 @@ describe('paths', () => {
       );
     });
 
-    it('should resolve to the full path if the target is inside the directory', () => {
+    it('should resolve to the full path if the target is inside the directory', async () => {
       expect(resolveSafeChildPath(workspacePath, './README.md')).toEqual(
-        `${workspacePath}/README.md`,
+        `${await fs.realpath(workspacePath)}/README.md`,
       );
     });
 
diff --git a/packages/backend-common/src/paths.ts b/packages/backend-common/src/paths.ts
index 0e784a60db..b5d4b331fd 100644
--- a/packages/backend-common/src/paths.ts
+++ b/packages/backend-common/src/paths.ts
@@ -63,9 +63,10 @@ export function resolvePackagePath(name: string, ...paths: string[]) {
  * @returns A path that is guaranteed to point to or within the base path.
  */
 export function resolveSafeChildPath(base: string, path: string): string {
-  const targetPath = resolvePath(base, path);
+  const resolvedBasePath = resolveRealPath(base);
+  const targetPath = resolvePath(resolvedBasePath, path);
 
-  if (!isChildPath(resolveRealPath(base), resolveRealPath(targetPath))) {
+  if (!isChildPath(resolvedBasePath, resolveRealPath(targetPath))) {
     throw new NotAllowedError(
       'Relative path is not allowed to refer to a directory outside its parent',
     );