diff --git a/packages/rspack/src/config/defaults.ts b/packages/rspack/src/config/defaults.ts
index 5364e85e366f..dee439e40d35 100644
--- a/packages/rspack/src/config/defaults.ts
+++ b/packages/rspack/src/config/defaults.ts
@@ -48,7 +48,8 @@ import type {
 	ResolveOptions,
 	RspackFutureOptions,
 	RuleSetRules,
-	SnapshotOptions
+	SnapshotOptions,
+	WatchOptions
 } from "./types";
 
 export const applyRspackOptionsDefaults = (
@@ -184,6 +185,9 @@ export const applyRspackOptionsDefaults = (
 		getResolveLoaderDefaults(),
 		options.resolveLoader
 	);
+
+	D(options, "watchOptions", {});
+	applyWatchOptionsDefaults(options.watchOptions, options.resolve);
 };
 
 export const applyRspackOptionsBaseDefaults = (
@@ -1065,6 +1069,14 @@ const applyOptimizationDefaults = (
 	}
 };
 
+const applyWatchOptionsDefaults = (
+	watchOptions: WatchOptions,
+	resolve: ResolveOptions
+) => {
+	const followSymlinks = resolve.symlinks ?? true;
+	watchOptions.followSymlinks = watchOptions.followSymlinks ?? followSymlinks;
+};
+
 const getResolveLoaderDefaults = () => {
 	const resolveOptions: ResolveOptions = {
 		conditionNames: ["loader", "require", "node"],
diff --git a/tests/rspack-test/defaultsCases/default/base.js b/tests/rspack-test/defaultsCases/default/base.js
index d07765ad9f0b..efb3884ac5e8 100644
--- a/tests/rspack-test/defaultsCases/default/base.js
+++ b/tests/rspack-test/defaultsCases/default/base.js
@@ -575,7 +575,9 @@ module.exports = {
 		  stats: Object {},
 		  target: web,
 		  watch: false,
-		  watchOptions: Object {},
+		  watchOptions: Object {
+		    followSymlinks: true,
+		  },
 		}
 	`)
 };