diff --git a/index.js b/index.js
index 50f6cd6..1ed9fd6 100644
--- a/index.js
+++ b/index.js
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+const fs = require('fs');
 const util = require('util');
 const path = require('path');
 const EE = require('events').EventEmitter;
@@ -124,7 +125,7 @@ Liftoff.prototype.buildEnvironment = function (opts) {
     cwd: cwd,
     require: preload,
     configNameSearch: configNameSearch,
-    configPath: configPath,
+    configPath: configPath && fs.realpathSync(configPath), // resolve symlink
     configBase: configBase,
     modulePath: modulePath,
     modulePackage: modulePackage||{}
diff --git a/lib/find_config.js b/lib/find_config.js
index 3106495..71c3f07 100644
--- a/lib/find_config.js
+++ b/lib/find_config.js
@@ -19,8 +19,7 @@ module.exports = function (opts) {
   }
   // confirm the configPath exists and return an absolute path to it
   if (fs.existsSync(configPath)) {
-    // traverse symlinks if needed
-    return fs.realpathSync(path.resolve(configPath));
+    return path.resolve(configPath);
   }
   return null;
 };
diff --git a/test/index.js b/test/index.js
index 8b3fe90..1405448 100644
--- a/test/index.js
+++ b/test/index.js
@@ -87,6 +87,21 @@ describe('Liftoff', function () {
       expect(app.buildEnvironment().cwd).to.equal(path.resolve('test/fixtures/search_path'));
     });
 
+
+    it('should resolve symlinks if config is one', function () {
+      var env = app.buildEnvironment({
+        cwd: 'test/fixtures/symlink'
+      });
+      expect(env.configPath).to.equal(path.resolve('test/fixtures/mochafile.js'));
+    });
+
+    it('should set configBase to the folder of the symlink if configPath is a symlink', function () {
+      var env = app.buildEnvironment({
+        configPath: 'test/fixtures/symlink/mochafile.js'
+      });
+      expect(env.cwd).to.equal(path.resolve('test/fixtures/symlink'));
+    })
+
   });
 
   describe('launch', function () {
diff --git a/test/lib/find_config.js b/test/lib/find_config.js
index d171730..737d0be 100644
--- a/test/lib/find_config.js
+++ b/test/lib/find_config.js
@@ -27,11 +27,4 @@ describe('findConfig', function () {
     })).to.equal(path.resolve('test/fixtures/search_path/mochafile.js'));
   });
 
-  it('should traverse symlinks', function () {
-    expect(findConfig({
-      configNameSearch: ['mochafile.js'],
-      searchPaths: ['test/fixtures/symlink']
-    })).to.equal(path.resolve('test/fixtures/mochafile.js'));
-  });
-
 });