diff --git a/packages/metro-config/src/__tests__/__snapshots__/loadConfig-test.js.snap b/packages/metro-config/src/__tests__/__snapshots__/loadConfig-test.js.snap
index b765ecc1a0..21877b113d 100644
--- a/packages/metro-config/src/__tests__/__snapshots__/loadConfig-test.js.snap
+++ b/packages/metro-config/src/__tests__/__snapshots__/loadConfig-test.js.snap
@@ -83,6 +83,7 @@ Object {
       ],
     },
     "unstable_enablePackageExports": false,
+    "unstable_enableSymlinks": false,
     "useWatchman": true,
   },
   "serializer": Object {
@@ -259,6 +260,7 @@ Object {
       ],
     },
     "unstable_enablePackageExports": false,
+    "unstable_enableSymlinks": false,
     "useWatchman": true,
   },
   "serializer": Object {
@@ -435,6 +437,7 @@ Object {
       ],
     },
     "unstable_enablePackageExports": false,
+    "unstable_enableSymlinks": false,
     "useWatchman": true,
   },
   "serializer": Object {
@@ -611,6 +614,7 @@ Object {
       ],
     },
     "unstable_enablePackageExports": false,
+    "unstable_enableSymlinks": false,
     "useWatchman": true,
   },
   "serializer": Object {
diff --git a/packages/metro-config/src/configTypes.flow.js b/packages/metro-config/src/configTypes.flow.js
index c4b15e1925..a6cfbda6f1 100644
--- a/packages/metro-config/src/configTypes.flow.js
+++ b/packages/metro-config/src/configTypes.flow.js
@@ -102,6 +102,7 @@ type ResolverConfigT = {
   disableHierarchicalLookup: boolean,
   dependencyExtractor: ?string,
   emptyModulePath: string,
+  unstable_enableSymlinks: boolean,
   extraNodeModules: {[name: string]: string, ...},
   hasteImplModulePath: ?string,
   nodeModulesPaths: $ReadOnlyArray<string>,
diff --git a/packages/metro-config/src/defaults/index.js b/packages/metro-config/src/defaults/index.js
index 26d75330a0..96085cc308 100644
--- a/packages/metro-config/src/defaults/index.js
+++ b/packages/metro-config/src/defaults/index.js
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@ const getDefaultValues = (projectRoot: ?string): ConfigT => ({
     blockList: exclusionList(),
     dependencyExtractor: undefined,
     disableHierarchicalLookup: false,
+    unstable_enableSymlinks: false,
     emptyModulePath: require.resolve(
       'metro-runtime/src/modules/empty-module.js',
     ),
diff --git a/packages/metro-file-map/src/__tests__/index-test.js b/packages/metro-file-map/src/__tests__/index-test.js
index 68532057b4..8a461881cb 100644
--- a/packages/metro-file-map/src/__tests__/index-test.js
+++ b/packages/metro-file-map/src/__tests__/index-test.js
@@ -510,48 +510,12 @@ describe('HasteMap', () => {
     expect(deepNormalize(await hasteMap.read())).toEqual(cacheContent);
   });
 
-  it('throws if both symlinks and watchman is enabled', () => {
-    expect(
-      () => new HasteMap({...defaultConfig, enableSymlinks: true}),
-    ).toThrow(
-      'Set either `enableSymlinks` to false or `useWatchman` to false.',
-    );
-    expect(
-      () =>
-        new HasteMap({
-          ...defaultConfig,
-          enableSymlinks: true,
-          useWatchman: true,
-        }),
-    ).toThrow(
-      'Set either `enableSymlinks` to false or `useWatchman` to false.',
-    );
-
-    expect(
-      () =>
-        new HasteMap({
-          ...defaultConfig,
-          enableSymlinks: false,
-          useWatchman: true,
-        }),
-    ).not.toThrow();
-
-    expect(
-      () =>
-        new HasteMap({
-          ...defaultConfig,
-          enableSymlinks: true,
-          useWatchman: false,
-        }),
-    ).not.toThrow();
-  });
-
   describe('builds a haste map on a fresh cache with SHA-1s', () => {
     it.each([
-      // `enableSymlinks` is currently not permitted with `useWatchman`
       [false, false],
       [false, true],
       [true, false],
+      [true, true],
     ])(
       'uses watchman: %s, symlinks enabled: %s',
       async (useWatchman, enableSymlinks) => {
diff --git a/packages/metro-file-map/src/index.js b/packages/metro-file-map/src/index.js
index 2f8ae55515..82af415190 100644
--- a/packages/metro-file-map/src/index.js
+++ b/packages/metro-file-map/src/index.js
@@ -324,14 +324,6 @@ export default class HasteMap extends EventEmitter {
           buildParameters,
         });
 
-    if (this._options.enableSymlinks && this._options.useWatchman) {
-      throw new Error(
-        'metro-file-map: enableSymlinks config option was set, but ' +
-          'is incompatible with watchman.\n' +
-          'Set either `enableSymlinks` to false or `useWatchman` to false.',
-      );
-    }
-
     this._buildPromise = null;
     this._worker = null;
     this._startupPerfLogger?.point('constructor_end');
diff --git a/packages/metro/src/node-haste/DependencyGraph/createHasteMap.js b/packages/metro/src/node-haste/DependencyGraph/createHasteMap.js
index 42d6d46f27..45cf96fb4f 100644
--- a/packages/metro/src/node-haste/DependencyGraph/createHasteMap.js
+++ b/packages/metro/src/node-haste/DependencyGraph/createHasteMap.js
@@ -70,6 +70,7 @@ function createHasteMap(
     computeDependencies,
     computeSha1: true,
     dependencyExtractor: config.resolver.dependencyExtractor,
+    enableSymlinks: config.resolver.unstable_enableSymlinks,
     extensions: Array.from(
       new Set([
         ...config.resolver.sourceExts,