diff --git a/internal/chart/v3/loader/directory.go b/internal/chart/v3/loader/directory.go
index dfe3af3b2..ff3926935 100644
--- a/internal/chart/v3/loader/directory.go
+++ b/internal/chart/v3/loader/directory.go
@@ -77,6 +77,10 @@ func LoadDir(dir string) (*chart.Chart, error) {
 		n = filepath.ToSlash(n)
 
 		if err != nil {
+			// For broken symlinks, respect .helmignore before erroring.
+			if os.IsNotExist(err) && fi != nil && rules.Ignore(n, fi) {
+				return nil
+			}
 			return err
 		}
 		if fi.IsDir() {
diff --git a/internal/chart/v3/loader/load_test.go b/internal/chart/v3/loader/load_test.go
index 9b8762e51..8f14d56f1 100644
--- a/internal/chart/v3/loader/load_test.go
+++ b/internal/chart/v3/loader/load_test.go
@@ -90,6 +90,46 @@ func TestLoadDirWithSymlink(t *testing.T) {
 	verifyDependenciesLock(t, c)
 }
 
+func TestLoadDirWithBrokenSymlinkNotInHelmignore(t *testing.T) {
+	if runtime.GOOS == "windows" {
+		t.Skip("symlink tests require unix")
+	}
+
+	tmpDir := t.TempDir()
+
+	chartYAML := `apiVersion: v2
+name: test
+version: 0.1.0
+`
+	valuesYAML := `{}
+`
+	if err := os.WriteFile(filepath.Join(tmpDir, "Chart.yaml"), []byte(chartYAML), 0644); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if err := os.WriteFile(filepath.Join(tmpDir, "values.yaml"), []byte(valuesYAML), 0644); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	// Create a broken symlink NOT listed in .helmignore
+	brokenLink := filepath.Join(tmpDir, "broken")
+	if err := os.Symlink("nonexistent", brokenLink); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	// Empty .helmignore — broken symlink is not ignored
+	if err := os.WriteFile(filepath.Join(tmpDir, ".helmignore"), []byte(""), 0644); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	l, err := Loader(tmpDir)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if _, err := l.Load(); err == nil {
+		t.Fatal("loading chart with broken symlink not in .helmignore should fail")
+	}
+}
+
 func TestLoadDirWithBrokenSymlinkInHelmignore(t *testing.T) {
 	if runtime.GOOS == "windows" {
 		t.Skip("symlink tests require unix")
diff --git a/internal/sympath/walk.go b/internal/sympath/walk.go
index 4aca38693..8eca7da47 100644
--- a/internal/sympath/walk.go
+++ b/internal/sympath/walk.go
@@ -68,11 +68,10 @@ func symwalk(path string, info os.FileInfo, walkFn filepath.WalkFunc) error {
 		resolved, err := filepath.EvalSymlinks(path)
 		if err != nil {
 			if os.IsNotExist(err) {
-				// If a symlink's target does not exist (broken symlink),
-				// silently skip it. Broken symlinks do not contribute
-				// content and should not cause errors, especially when
-				// they match .helmignore patterns.
-				return nil
+				// Pass the broken symlink error to walkFn so callers
+				// (e.g. chart loaders) can decide whether to skip it
+				// based on .helmignore rules.
+				return walkFn(path, info, err)
 			}
 			return err
 		}
diff --git a/pkg/chart/v2/loader/directory.go b/pkg/chart/v2/loader/directory.go
index 82578d924..8fd0b516b 100644
--- a/pkg/chart/v2/loader/directory.go
+++ b/pkg/chart/v2/loader/directory.go
@@ -77,6 +77,10 @@ func LoadDir(dir string) (*chart.Chart, error) {
 		n = filepath.ToSlash(n)
 
 		if err != nil {
+			// For broken symlinks, respect .helmignore before erroring.
+			if os.IsNotExist(err) && fi != nil && rules.Ignore(n, fi) {
+				return nil
+			}
 			return err
 		}
 		if fi.IsDir() {
diff --git a/pkg/chart/v2/loader/load_test.go b/pkg/chart/v2/loader/load_test.go
index 56954b16a..8f61b3632 100644
--- a/pkg/chart/v2/loader/load_test.go
+++ b/pkg/chart/v2/loader/load_test.go
@@ -90,6 +90,46 @@ func TestLoadDirWithSymlink(t *testing.T) {
 	verifyDependenciesLock(t, c)
 }
 
+func TestLoadDirWithBrokenSymlinkNotInHelmignore(t *testing.T) {
+	if runtime.GOOS == "windows" {
+		t.Skip("symlink tests require unix")
+	}
+
+	tmpDir := t.TempDir()
+
+	chartYAML := `apiVersion: v2
+name: test
+version: 0.1.0
+`
+	valuesYAML := `{}
+`
+	if err := os.WriteFile(filepath.Join(tmpDir, "Chart.yaml"), []byte(chartYAML), 0644); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if err := os.WriteFile(filepath.Join(tmpDir, "values.yaml"), []byte(valuesYAML), 0644); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	// Create a broken symlink NOT listed in .helmignore
+	brokenLink := filepath.Join(tmpDir, "broken")
+	if err := os.Symlink("nonexistent", brokenLink); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	// Empty .helmignore — broken symlink is not ignored
+	if err := os.WriteFile(filepath.Join(tmpDir, ".helmignore"), []byte(""), 0644); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	l, err := Loader(tmpDir)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if _, err := l.Load(); err == nil {
+		t.Fatal("loading chart with broken symlink not in .helmignore should fail")
+	}
+}
+
 func TestLoadDirWithBrokenSymlinkInHelmignore(t *testing.T) {
 	if runtime.GOOS == "windows" {
 		t.Skip("symlink tests require unix")