diff --git a/doc/godebug.md b/doc/godebug.md
index 650a8e20bf..f3ad820d3c 100644
--- a/doc/godebug.md
+++ b/doc/godebug.md
@@ -164,6 +164,11 @@ reverts to the pre-Go 1.25 behavior. This setting is fixed at program startup
 time, and can't be modified by changing the `GODEBUG` environment variable
 after the program starts.
 
+Go 1.25 added a new `embedfollowsymlinks` setting that controls whether the
+Go command will follow symlinks to regular files embedding files.
+The default value `embedfollowsymlinks=0` does not allow following
+symlinks. `embedfollowsymlinks=1` will allow following symlinks.
+
 ### Go 1.24
 
 Go 1.24 added a new `fips140` setting that controls whether the Go
diff --git a/src/cmd/go/internal/load/pkg.go b/src/cmd/go/internal/load/pkg.go
index 0c4639ce82..8f62abe663 100644
--- a/src/cmd/go/internal/load/pkg.go
+++ b/src/cmd/go/internal/load/pkg.go
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ import (
 	"go/build"
 	"go/scanner"
 	"go/token"
+	"internal/godebug"
 	"internal/platform"
 	"io/fs"
 	"os"
@@ -2110,6 +2111,8 @@ func ResolveEmbed(dir string, patterns []string) ([]string, error) {
 	return files, err
 }
 
+var embedfollowsymlinks = godebug.New("embedfollowsymlinks")
+
 // resolveEmbed resolves //go:embed patterns to precise file lists.
 // It sets files to the list of unique files matched (for go list),
 // and it sets pmap to the more precise mapping from
@@ -2194,6 +2197,24 @@ func resolveEmbed(pkgdir string, patterns []string) (files []string, pmap map[st
 					list = append(list, rel)
 				}
 
+			// If the embedfollowsymlinks GODEBUG is set to 1, allow the leaf file to be a
+			// symlink (#59924). We don't allow directories to be symlinks and have already
+			// checked that none of the parent directories of the file are symlinks in the
+			// loop above. The file pointed to by the symlink must be a regular file.
+			case embedfollowsymlinks.Value() == "1" && info.Mode()&fs.ModeType == fs.ModeSymlink:
+				info, err := fsys.Stat(file)
+				if err != nil {
+					return nil, nil, err
+				}
+				if !info.Mode().IsRegular() {
+					return nil, nil, fmt.Errorf("cannot embed irregular file %s", rel)
+				}
+				if have[rel] != pid {
+					embedfollowsymlinks.IncNonDefault()
+					have[rel] = pid
+					list = append(list, rel)
+				}
+
 			case info.IsDir():
 				// Gather all files in the named directory, stopping at module boundaries
 				// and ignoring files that wouldn't be packaged into a module.
diff --git a/src/cmd/go/testdata/script/embed.txt b/src/cmd/go/testdata/script/embed.txt
index 5f7f6edd77..0e6bb63737 100644
--- a/src/cmd/go/testdata/script/embed.txt
+++ b/src/cmd/go/testdata/script/embed.txt
@@ -31,11 +31,16 @@ cp x.txt .git
 stderr '^x.go:5:12: pattern [*]t: cannot embed file [.]git: invalid name [.]git$'
 rm .git
 
-# build rejects symlinks
+# build rejects symlinks by default
 [symlink] symlink x.tzt -> x.txt
 [symlink] ! go build -x
 [symlink] stderr 'pattern [*]t: cannot embed irregular file x.tzt'
+# with GODEBUG embedfollowsymlinks=1, build allows symlinks of leaf files
+[symlink] env 'GODEBUG=embedfollowsymlinks=1'
+[symlink] go build -x
+[symlink] stderr 'x.tzt'
 [symlink] rm x.tzt
+[symlink] env 'GODEBUG='
 
 # build rejects empty directories
 mkdir t
@@ -72,6 +77,24 @@ rm t/.x.txt
 cp x.txt t/_x.txt
 go build -x
 
+# build disallows symlinks of directories
+[symlink] symlink symdir -> symdirdst
+[symlink] cp x.go4 x.go
+[symlink] ! go build -x
+[symlink] stderr 'x.go:5:12: pattern symdir/[*]: cannot embed file symdir[\\/]x.txt: in non-directory symdir'
+[symlink] cp x.go5 x.go
+[symlink] ! go build -x
+[symlink] stderr 'x.go:5:12: pattern symdir/x.txt: cannot embed file symdir[\\/]x.txt: in non-directory symdir'
+# even with GODEBUG=embedfollowsymlinks=1
+[symlink] env 'GODEBUG=embedfollowsymlinks=1'
+[symlink] cp x.go4 x.go
+[symlink] ! go build -x
+[symlink] stderr 'x.go:5:12: pattern symdir/[*]: cannot embed file symdir[\\/]x.txt: in non-directory symdir'
+[symlink] cp x.go5 x.go
+[symlink] ! go build -x
+[symlink] stderr 'x.go:5:12: pattern symdir/x.txt: cannot embed file symdir[\\/]x.txt: in non-directory symdir'
+[symlink] env 'GODEBUG='
+
 -- x.go --
 package p
 
@@ -112,6 +135,20 @@ import "embed"
 //go:embed all:t
 var X embed.FS
 
+-- x.go4 --
+package p
+
+import "embed"
+
+//go:embed symdir/*
+var X embed.FS
+-- x.go5 --
+package p
+
+import "embed"
+
+//go:embed symdir/x.txt
+var Z string
 -- x.txt --
 hello
 
@@ -124,6 +161,7 @@ not hello
 package use
 
 import _ "m"
+-- symdirdst/x.txt --
 -- go.mod --
 module m
 
diff --git a/src/internal/godebugs/table.go b/src/internal/godebugs/table.go
index 214de6bdbe..26d079ca1f 100644
--- a/src/internal/godebugs/table.go
+++ b/src/internal/godebugs/table.go
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ var All = []Info{
 	{Name: "asynctimerchan", Package: "time", Changed: 23, Old: "1"},
 	{Name: "dataindependenttiming", Package: "crypto/subtle", Opaque: true},
 	{Name: "decoratemappings", Package: "runtime", Opaque: true, Changed: 25, Old: "0"},
+	{Name: "embedfollowsymlinks", Package: "cmd/go"},
 	{Name: "execerrdot", Package: "os/exec"},
 	{Name: "fips140", Package: "crypto/fips140", Opaque: true},
 	{Name: "gocachehash", Package: "cmd/go"},
diff --git a/src/runtime/metrics/doc.go b/src/runtime/metrics/doc.go
index 563ddf4c95..0d35314e06 100644
--- a/src/runtime/metrics/doc.go
+++ b/src/runtime/metrics/doc.go
@@ -234,6 +234,11 @@ Below is the full list of supported metrics, ordered lexicographically.
 		The number of non-default behaviors executed by the time package
 		due to a non-default GODEBUG=asynctimerchan=... setting.
 
+	/godebug/non-default-behavior/embedfollowsymlinks:events
+		The number of non-default behaviors executed by the cmd/go
+		package due to a non-default GODEBUG=embedfollowsymlinks=...
+		setting.
+
 	/godebug/non-default-behavior/execerrdot:events
 		The number of non-default behaviors executed by the os/exec
 		package due to a non-default GODEBUG=execerrdot=... setting.