diff --git a/crates/nu-std/CONTRIBUTING.md b/crates/nu-std/CONTRIBUTING.md
index 1677a31de1..e866cc9206 100644
--- a/crates/nu-std/CONTRIBUTING.md
+++ b/crates/nu-std/CONTRIBUTING.md
@@ -204,7 +204,7 @@ More design guidelines:
 ### Useful Commands
 - Run all unit tests for the standard library:
   ```nushell
-  cargo run -- -c 'use std testing; testing run-tests --path crates/nu-std'
+  cargo run -- -c 'use crates/nu-std/testing.nu; testing run-tests --path crates/nu-std'
   ```
   > **Note**  
   > this uses the debug version of NU interpreter from the same repo, which is
@@ -216,7 +216,7 @@ More design guidelines:
 - Run all tests for a specific test module, e.g,
   `crates/nu-std/tests/test_foo.nu`
   ```nushell
-  cargo run -- -c 'use std testing; testing run-tests --path crates/nu-std --module test_foo'
+  cargo run -- -c 'use crates/nu-std/testing.nu; testing run-tests --path crates/nu-std --module test_foo'
   ```
 - Run a custom command with additional logging (assuming you have instrumented
   the command with `log <level>`, as we recommend.)
diff --git a/crates/nu-std/std/mod.nu b/crates/nu-std/std/mod.nu
index 15bad0e8e5..4d4f2bb0f1 100644
--- a/crates/nu-std/std/mod.nu
+++ b/crates/nu-std/std/mod.nu
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ export def --env "path add" [
             "record" => { $p | get --ignore-errors $nu.os-info.name },
         }
 
-        $p | path expand
+        $p | path expand --no-symlink
     }
 
     if null in $paths or ($paths | is-empty) {
@@ -80,7 +80,6 @@ export def --env "path add" [
         $env
             | get $path_name
             | split row (char esep)
-            | path expand
             | if $append { append $paths } else { prepend $paths }
     )}
 
diff --git a/crates/nu-std/tests/test_std.nu b/crates/nu-std/tests/test_std.nu
index 45633719a0..6ac7c6b9e0 100644
--- a/crates/nu-std/tests/test_std.nu
+++ b/crates/nu-std/tests/test_std.nu
@@ -38,12 +38,38 @@ def path_add [] {
         std path add $target_paths
         assert equal (get_path) ([($target_paths | get $nu.os-info.name)] | path expand)
 
-        load-env {$path_name: [$"/foo(char esep)/bar"]}
+        load-env {$path_name: [$"(["/foo", "/bar"] | path expand | str join (char esep))"]}
         std path add "~/foo"
         assert equal (get_path) (["~/foo", "/foo", "/bar"] | path expand)
     }
 }
 
+#[test]
+def path_add_expand [] {
+    use std assert
+
+    # random paths to avoid collision, especially if left dangling on failure
+    let real_dir = $nu.temp-path | path join $"real-dir-(random chars)"
+    let link_dir = $nu.temp-path | path join $"link-dir-(random chars)"
+    mkdir $real_dir
+    let path_name = if $nu.os-info.family == 'windows' {
+        mklink /D $link_dir $real_dir
+        "Path"
+    } else {
+        ln -s $real_dir $link_dir | ignore
+        "PATH"
+    }
+
+    with-env {$path_name: []} {
+        def get_path [] { $env | get $path_name }
+
+        std path add $link_dir
+        assert equal (get_path) ([$link_dir])
+    }
+
+    rm $real_dir $link_dir
+}
+
 #[test]
 def banner [] {
     std assert ((std banner | lines | length) == 15)