diff --git a/lib/module.js b/lib/module.js
index fb233d6c4541fe..ee1a1fb10c0342 100644
--- a/lib/module.js
+++ b/lib/module.js
@@ -103,20 +103,30 @@ function tryPackage(requestPath, exts, isMain) {
   if (!pkg) return false;
 
   var filename = path.resolve(requestPath, pkg);
+  return readPackagePath(filename, exts, isMain);
+}
+
+function readPackagePath(filename, exts, isMain) {
   return tryFile(filename, isMain) ||
          tryExtensions(filename, exts, isMain) ||
          tryExtensions(path.resolve(filename, 'index'), exts, isMain);
 }
 
+function readFilePath(requestPath, isMain) {
+  if (isMain) {
+    return fs.realpathSync(requestPath);
+  }
+  return path.resolve(requestPath);
+}
+
 // check if the file exists and is not a directory
 // resolve to the absolute realpath if running main module,
 // otherwise resolve to absolute while keeping symlinks intact.
 function tryFile(requestPath, isMain) {
   const rc = stat(requestPath);
-  if (isMain) {
-    return rc === 0 && fs.realpathSync(requestPath);
+  if (rc === 0) {
+    return readFilePath(requestPath, isMain);
   }
-  return rc === 0 && path.resolve(requestPath);
 }
 
 // given a path check a the file exists with any of the set extensions
@@ -131,6 +141,34 @@ function tryExtensions(p, exts, isMain) {
   return false;
 }
 
+function tryFindPath(basePath, exts, isMain, isAbsolute) {
+  var filename;
+
+  if (isAbsolute) {
+    const rc = stat(basePath);
+    if (rc === 0) {  // File.
+      filename = readFilePath(basePath, isMain);
+    } else if (rc === 1) {  // Directory.
+      filename = tryPackage(basePath, exts, isMain);
+    }
+
+    if (!filename) {
+      filename = tryExtensions(basePath, exts, isMain);
+    }
+  }
+
+  if (!filename) {
+    filename = tryPackage(basePath, exts, isMain);
+  }
+
+  if (!filename) {
+    // try it with each of the extensions at "index"
+    filename = tryExtensions(path.resolve(basePath, 'index'), exts, isMain);
+  }
+
+  return filename;
+}
+
 var warned = false;
 Module._findPath = function(request, paths, isMain) {
   if (path.isAbsolute(request)) {
@@ -144,51 +182,25 @@ Module._findPath = function(request, paths, isMain) {
     return Module._pathCache[cacheKey];
   }
 
-  var exts;
+  const exts = Object.keys(Module._extensions);
   const trailingSlash = request.length > 0 &&
                         request.charCodeAt(request.length - 1) === 47/*/*/;
+  const isAbsolute = !trailingSlash;
 
   // For each path
   for (var i = 0; i < paths.length; i++) {
     // Don't search further if path doesn't exist
-    const curPath = paths[i];
+    var curPath = paths[i];
     if (curPath && stat(curPath) < 1) continue;
-    var basePath = path.resolve(curPath, request);
-    var filename;
-
-    if (!trailingSlash) {
-      const rc = stat(basePath);
-      if (rc === 0) {  // File.
-        if (!isMain) {
-          filename = path.resolve(basePath);
-        } else {
-          filename = fs.realpathSync(basePath);
-        }
-      } else if (rc === 1) {  // Directory.
-        if (exts === undefined)
-          exts = Object.keys(Module._extensions);
-        filename = tryPackage(basePath, exts, isMain);
-      }
 
-      if (!filename) {
-        // try it with each of the extensions
-        if (exts === undefined)
-          exts = Object.keys(Module._extensions);
-        filename = tryExtensions(basePath, exts, isMain);
-      }
-    }
-
-    if (!filename) {
-      if (exts === undefined)
-        exts = Object.keys(Module._extensions);
-      filename = tryPackage(basePath, exts, isMain);
-    }
+    var basePath = path.resolve(curPath, request);
+    var filename = tryFindPath(basePath, exts, isMain, isAbsolute);
 
     if (!filename) {
-      // try it with each of the extensions at "index"
-      if (exts === undefined)
-        exts = Object.keys(Module._extensions);
-      filename = tryExtensions(path.resolve(basePath, 'index'), exts, isMain);
+      // If _basePath is a symlink, use the real path rather than the path of
+      // the symlink as cache key.
+      basePath = path.resolve(curPath, '_' + request);
+      filename = tryFindPath(basePath, exts, true, isAbsolute);
     }
 
     if (filename) {
@@ -427,6 +439,7 @@ Module._resolveFilename = function(request, parent, isMain) {
   }
 
   var resolvedModule = Module._resolveLookupPaths(request, parent);
+
   var id = resolvedModule[0];
   var paths = resolvedModule[1];
 
diff --git a/test/fixtures/module-require-real-path/index.js b/test/fixtures/module-require-real-path/index.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..4cb8e20ddc6f42
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/fixtures/module-require-real-path/index.js
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+exports.internalRequire = require;
diff --git a/test/fixtures/module-require-real-path/node_modules/link-module/index.js b/test/fixtures/module-require-real-path/node_modules/link-module/index.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..c45ea24398672a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/fixtures/module-require-real-path/node_modules/link-module/index.js
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+exports.dirname = __dirname;
diff --git a/test/fixtures/module-require-real-path/real-module/index.js b/test/fixtures/module-require-real-path/real-module/index.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..c45ea24398672a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/fixtures/module-require-real-path/real-module/index.js
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+exports.dirname = __dirname;
diff --git a/test/fixtures/module-require-real-path/real-module/nested/index.js b/test/fixtures/module-require-real-path/real-module/nested/index.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..e69de29bb2d1d6
diff --git a/test/parallel/test-require-real-path.js b/test/parallel/test-require-real-path.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..e21759b1a0fdd5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/parallel/test-require-real-path.js
@@ -0,0 +1,49 @@
+'use strict';
+const common = require('../common');
+const assert = require('assert');
+const path = require('path');
+const fs = require('fs');
+
+const realModuleSymlinkPath = path.join(common.fixturesDir,
+  '/module-require-real-path/node_modules/_real-module');
+
+const linkModuleSymlinkPath = path.join(common.fixturesDir,
+  '/module-require-real-path/node_modules/_link-module');
+
+const localRealModulePath = path.join(common.fixturesDir,
+  '/module-require-real-path/real-module');
+
+// module-require-real-path exports its require function. That way we can test
+// how modules get resolved **from** its.
+const _require = require(
+  path.join(common.fixturesDir, '/module-require-real-path')
+).internalRequire;
+
+process.on('exit', function() {
+  fs.unlinkSync(realModuleSymlinkPath);
+  fs.unlinkSync(linkModuleSymlinkPath);
+});
+
+fs.symlinkSync('../real-module', realModuleSymlinkPath);
+fs.symlinkSync('../real-module', linkModuleSymlinkPath);
+
+assert.equal(_require('./real-module'), _require('real-module'));
+
+// Ensure that _-prefixed symlinks are being required properly when requesting a
+// nested file.
+assert.equal(_require('./real-module'), _require('real-module/index.js'));
+assert.equal(
+  _require('./real-module/nested/index.js'),
+  _require('real-module/nested/index.js')
+);
+assert.equal(
+  _require('./real-module/nested'),
+  _require('real-module/nested')
+);
+
+assert.equal(_require('./real-module/index.js'), _require('real-module'));
+assert.equal(_require('real-module').dirname, localRealModulePath);
+
+// When required directly with the _-prefix, resolve to path of symlink.
+assert.notEqual(_require('./real-module'), _require('_link-module'));
+assert.equal(_require('_link-module').dirname, linkModuleSymlinkPath);