diff --git a/lib/ansible/plugins/action/copy.py b/lib/ansible/plugins/action/copy.py
index de9d512f46..3745933b08 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/plugins/action/copy.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/plugins/action/copy.py
@@ -113,7 +113,7 @@ class ActionModule(ActionBase):
                 sz = len(source.rsplit('/', 1)[0]) + 1
 
             # Walk the directory and append the file tuples to source_files.
-            for base_path, sub_folders, files in os.walk(to_bytes(source)):
+            for base_path, sub_folders, files in os.walk(to_bytes(source), followlinks=True):
                 for file in files:
                     full_path = to_text(os.path.join(base_path, file), errors='surrogate_or_strict')
                     rel_path = full_path[sz:]
@@ -121,10 +121,6 @@ class ActionModule(ActionBase):
                         rel_path = rel_path[1:]
                     source_files.append((full_path, rel_path))
 
-                # recurse into subdirs
-                for sf in sub_folders:
-                    source_files += self._get_recursive_files(os.path.join(source, to_text(sf)), sz=sz)
-
             # If it's recursive copy, destination is always a dir,
             # explicitly mark it so (note - copy module relies on this).
             if not self._connection._shell.path_has_trailing_slash(dest):
@@ -326,22 +322,6 @@ class ActionModule(ActionBase):
 
         return result
 
-    def _get_recursive_files(self, topdir, sz=0):
-        ''' Recursively create file tuples for sub folders '''
-        r_files = []
-        for base_path, sub_folders, files in os.walk(to_bytes(topdir)):
-            for fname in files:
-                full_path = to_text(os.path.join(base_path, fname), errors='surrogate_or_strict')
-                rel_path = full_path[sz:]
-                if rel_path.startswith('/'):
-                    rel_path = rel_path[1:]
-                r_files.append((full_path, rel_path))
-
-                for sf in sub_folders:
-                    r_files += self._get_recursive_files(os.path.join(topdir, to_text(sf)), sz=sz)
-
-        return r_files
-
     def _create_content_tempfile(self, content):
         ''' Create a tempfile containing defined content '''
         fd, content_tempfile = tempfile.mkstemp()
diff --git a/test/integration/targets/copy/tasks/main.yml b/test/integration/targets/copy/tasks/main.yml
index 128c0a793e..7e799e2d95 100644
--- a/test/integration/targets/copy/tasks/main.yml
+++ b/test/integration/targets/copy/tasks/main.yml
@@ -258,3 +258,48 @@
   assert:
     that:
     - replace_follow_result.checksum == target_file_result.stdout
+
+- name: create a test dir to copy
+  file:
+    path: '{{ output_dir }}/top_dir'
+    state: directory
+
+- name: create a test dir to symlink to
+  file:
+    path: '{{ output_dir }}/linked_dir'
+    state: directory
+
+- name: create a file in the test dir
+  copy:
+    dest: '{{ output_dir }}/linked_dir/file1'
+    content: 'hello world'
+
+- name: create a link to the test dir
+  file:
+    path: '{{ output_dir }}/top_dir/follow_link_dir'
+    src: '{{ output_dir }}/linked_dir'
+    state: link
+
+- name: copy the directory's link
+  copy:
+    src: '{{ output_dir }}/top_dir'
+    dest: '{{ output_dir }}/new_dir'
+    follow: True
+
+- name: stat the copied path
+  stat:
+    path: '{{ output_dir }}/new_dir/top_dir/follow_link_dir'
+  register: stat_dir_result
+
+- name: stat the copied path
+  stat:
+    path: '{{ output_dir }}/new_dir/top_dir/follow_link_dir/file1'
+  register: stat_file_in_dir_result
+
+- name: assert that the directory exists
+  assert:
+    that:
+    - stat_dir_result.stat.exists
+    - stat_dir_result.stat.isdir
+    - stat_file_in_dir_result.stat.exists
+    - stat_file_in_dir_result.stat.isreg