diff --git a/packages/cli/internal/modules/dependencies/service.go b/packages/cli/internal/modules/dependencies/service.go
index 6fa8b6f..d132d63 100644
--- a/packages/cli/internal/modules/dependencies/service.go
+++ b/packages/cli/internal/modules/dependencies/service.go
@@ -120,7 +120,13 @@ func (s Service) prepareGo(ctx context.Context, in Input, p workspace.ManifestPr
 	if active != "" && active != "off" {
 		want := filepath.Join(in.Root, "go.work")
 		if filepath.Clean(active) != filepath.Clean(want) {
-			return fmt.Errorf("%s uses external GOWORK=%s; use %s or GOWORK=off explicitly", p.Name, active, want)
+			// Go may return the physical path while the workspace root uses
+			// a symlink (for example /var and /private/var on macOS).
+			activeInfo, activeErr := os.Stat(active)
+			wantInfo, wantErr := os.Stat(want)
+			if activeErr != nil || wantErr != nil || !os.SameFile(activeInfo, wantInfo) {
+				return fmt.Errorf("%s uses external GOWORK=%s; use %s or GOWORK=off explicitly", p.Name, active, want)
+			}
 		}
 		lockRoot = in.Root
 	}
diff --git a/packages/cli/internal/modules/dependencies/service_test.go b/packages/cli/internal/modules/dependencies/service_test.go
index d4a48c5..bdc1ed2 100644
--- a/packages/cli/internal/modules/dependencies/service_test.go
+++ b/packages/cli/internal/modules/dependencies/service_test.go
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ import (
 	"os"
 	"os/exec"
 	"path/filepath"
+	"runtime"
 	"strings"
 	"sync"
 	"testing"
@@ -136,6 +137,57 @@ func TestGoUnresolvedImportFailsWithoutTidy(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestGoWorkspaceAcceptsSymlinkPaths(t *testing.T) {
+	for _, mode := range []string{"workspace-root", "gowork"} {
+		t.Run(mode, func(t *testing.T) {
+			root := setupGo(t)
+			write(t, root, "go.work", "go 1.25.0\nuse ./api\n")
+			write(t, root, "api/go.mod", "module example.com/api\ngo 1.25.0\n")
+			write(t, root, "api/main.go", "package main\nfunc main(){}\n")
+			physicalRoot, err := filepath.EvalSymlinks(root)
+			if err != nil {
+				t.Fatal(err)
+			}
+			linkTarget := filepath.Join(physicalRoot, "go.work")
+			alias := filepath.Join(physicalRoot, "alias.work")
+			if mode == "workspace-root" {
+				linkTarget = physicalRoot
+				alias = filepath.Join(t.TempDir(), "workspace-link")
+			}
+			if err := os.Symlink(linkTarget, alias); err != nil {
+				if runtime.GOOS == "windows" {
+					t.Skipf("symlinks unavailable: %v", err)
+				}
+				t.Fatal(err)
+			}
+			active := alias
+			if mode == "workspace-root" {
+				root, active = alias, filepath.Join(physicalRoot, "go.work")
+			}
+			t.Setenv("GOWORK", active)
+			in := Input{Root: root, Manifest: &workspace.Manifest{Projects: []workspace.ManifestProject{project("api", "api", "go")}}}
+			if err := (Service{}).Prepare(context.Background(), in); err != nil {
+				t.Fatal(err)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+func TestGoWorkspaceRejectsExternalFileWithSameContents(t *testing.T) {
+	root := setupGo(t)
+	work := "go 1.25.0\n"
+	write(t, root, "go.work", work)
+	write(t, root, "api/go.mod", "module example.com/api\ngo 1.25.0\n")
+	external := t.TempDir()
+	write(t, external, "go.work", work)
+	active := filepath.Join(external, "go.work")
+	t.Setenv("GOWORK", active)
+	in := Input{Root: root, Manifest: &workspace.Manifest{Projects: []workspace.ManifestProject{project("api", "api", "go")}}}
+	if err := (Service{}).Prepare(context.Background(), in); err == nil || !strings.Contains(err.Error(), "uses external GOWORK="+active) {
+		t.Fatalf("expected external workspace rejection, got %v", err)
+	}
+}
+
 type fakeProvider struct{ dir string }
 
 func (p fakeProvider) Prepare(_ context.Context, c runtimeport.Command) (runtimeport.Command, error) {
diff --git a/packages/cli/internal/transport/cobra/create/result.go b/packages/cli/internal/transport/cobra/create/result.go
index caee511..aad58fa 100644
--- a/packages/cli/internal/transport/cobra/create/result.go
+++ b/packages/cli/internal/transport/cobra/create/result.go
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package createcmd
 import (
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
+	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
 	"strings"
 
@@ -76,7 +77,7 @@ func compactHomePath(path string) string {
 }
 
 func relativeOrAbs(cwd, targetDir string, useCurrentDir bool) string {
-	rel, err := filepath.Rel(cwd, targetDir)
+	rel, err := filepath.Rel(resolveDisplayPath(cwd), resolveDisplayPath(targetDir))
 	if err == nil && rel != "" {
 		return rel
 	}
@@ -86,6 +87,21 @@ func relativeOrAbs(cwd, targetDir string, useCurrentDir bool) string {
 	return targetDir
 }
 
+// resolveDisplayPath resolves symlinks in existing ancestors, even when the
+// workspace directory (and some of its parents) has not been created yet.
+// Other filesystem errors leave the original path available for display.
+func resolveDisplayPath(path string) string {
+	resolved, err := filepath.EvalSymlinks(path)
+	if err == nil {
+		return resolved
+	}
+	parent := filepath.Dir(path)
+	if !os.IsNotExist(err) || parent == path {
+		return path
+	}
+	return filepath.Join(resolveDisplayPath(parent), filepath.Base(path))
+}
+
 func parsePresetProjectNames(raw string, want int) ([]string, error) {
 	raw = strings.TrimSpace(raw)
 	if raw == "" {
diff --git a/packages/cli/internal/transport/cobra/create/result_test.go b/packages/cli/internal/transport/cobra/create/result_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..66319be
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/cli/internal/transport/cobra/create/result_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,44 @@
+package createcmd
+
+import (
+	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
+	"runtime"
+	"testing"
+)
+
+func TestRelativeOrAbsWithSymlinkPaths(t *testing.T) {
+	root, err := filepath.EvalSymlinks(t.TempDir())
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	alias := filepath.Join(t.TempDir(), "parent-link")
+	if err := os.Symlink(root, alias); err != nil {
+		if runtime.GOOS == "windows" {
+			t.Skipf("directory symlinks unavailable: %v", err)
+		}
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if err := os.Mkdir(filepath.Join(root, "existing"), 0o755); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	for _, tc := range []struct {
+		name, cwd, target, want string
+		inPlace                 bool
+	}{
+		{name: "plain", cwd: root, target: filepath.Join(root, "demo"), want: "demo"},
+		{name: "target-alias", cwd: root, target: filepath.Join(alias, "demo"), want: "demo"},
+		{name: "cwd-alias", cwd: alias, target: filepath.Join(root, "demo"), want: "demo"},
+		{name: "both-aliases", cwd: alias, target: filepath.Join(alias, "demo"), want: "demo"},
+		{name: "missing-parents", cwd: root, target: filepath.Join(alias, "new", "nested", "demo"), want: filepath.Join("new", "nested", "demo")},
+		{name: "existing-target", cwd: root, target: filepath.Join(alias, "existing"), want: "existing"},
+		{name: "in-place", cwd: root, target: alias, inPlace: true, want: "."},
+		{name: "sibling", cwd: filepath.Join(root, "existing"), target: filepath.Join(alias, "demo"), want: filepath.Join("..", "demo")},
+	} {
+		t.Run(tc.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			if got := relativeOrAbs(tc.cwd, tc.target, tc.inPlace); got != tc.want {
+				t.Errorf("relativeOrAbs(%q, %q, %v) = %q; want %q", tc.cwd, tc.target, tc.inPlace, got, tc.want)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}