diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 5d732f6..db27b6b 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 
 ## 0.8.2 - Unreleased
 
+- Fixed non-Git patch audits to retain symlink edits and literal backslashes in Unix filenames without reading linked targets.
 - Fixed diff-scoped review, CI, and revalidation to include both paths of committed renames, preventing features mapped to the old path from being silently skipped.
 
 ## 0.8.1 - 2026-09-13
diff --git a/docs/patching.md b/docs/patching.md
index 706c1cf..ee2e85a 100644
--- a/docs/patching.md
+++ b/docs/patching.md
@@ -28,6 +28,10 @@ When `--root` selects a subdirectory of a Git repository, dirty checks and patch
 file records are scoped to that project. Its state directory and sibling-project
 changes are excluded; renames record both the old and new project-relative paths.
 
+For non-Git roots explicitly enabled with `--skip-git-repo-check`, patch audits
+record changes to regular files and symlinks without following linked targets.
+Unix filenames retain literal backslashes in the recorded paths.
+
 Status updates:
 
 - validation success marks the finding `uncertain`
diff --git a/src/change-audit.test.ts b/src/change-audit.test.ts
index b9f7a0a..fa0308d 100644
--- a/src/change-audit.test.ts
+++ b/src/change-audit.test.ts
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+import { symlink, unlink } from "node:fs/promises";
 import { join } from "node:path";
 import { describe, expect, it } from "vitest";
 import {
@@ -59,3 +60,46 @@ describe("project-scoped change audit", () => {
     expect(changedPathsBetweenSnapshots(before, after)).toEqual(["src/index.ts", "src/renamed.ts"]);
   });
 });
+
+describe("non-Git change audit", () => {
+  it.skipIf(process.platform === "win32")(
+    "preserves literal backslashes in source paths",
+    async () => {
+      const root = await fixtureRoot("clawpatch-audit-path-");
+      const state = join(root, ".clawpatch");
+      await writeFixture(root, "literal\\name.txt", "before\n");
+      const before = await sourceChangedSnapshots(root, state);
+      await writeFixture(root, "literal\\name.txt", "after\n");
+      const after = await sourceChangedSnapshots(root, state);
+      expect(changedPathsBetweenSnapshots(before, after)).toEqual(["literal\\name.txt"]);
+    },
+  );
+
+  it.skipIf(process.platform === "win32")(
+    "records symlink additions, retargeting, and deletions without following targets",
+    async () => {
+      const root = await fixtureRoot("clawpatch-audit-links-");
+      const external = await fixtureRoot("clawpatch-audit-external-");
+      const state = join(root, ".clawpatch");
+      await writeFixture(external, "outside.txt", "before\n");
+      const empty = await sourceChangedSnapshots(root, state);
+      const link = join(root, "link");
+      await symlink(external, link);
+      const added = await sourceChangedSnapshots(root, state);
+      expect(changedPathsBetweenSnapshots(empty, added)).toEqual(["link"]);
+      expect([...added.keys()]).toEqual(["link"]);
+      await writeFixture(external, "outside.txt", "after\n");
+      expect(
+        changedPathsBetweenSnapshots(added, await sourceChangedSnapshots(root, state)),
+      ).toEqual([]);
+      await unlink(link);
+      await symlink("missing-target", link);
+      const retargeted = await sourceChangedSnapshots(root, state);
+      expect(changedPathsBetweenSnapshots(added, retargeted)).toEqual(["link"]);
+      await unlink(link);
+      expect(
+        changedPathsBetweenSnapshots(retargeted, await sourceChangedSnapshots(root, state)),
+      ).toEqual(["link"]);
+    },
+  );
+});
diff --git a/src/change-audit.ts b/src/change-audit.ts
index c36ce1d..7a3aff2 100644
--- a/src/change-audit.ts
+++ b/src/change-audit.ts
@@ -97,12 +97,12 @@ async function collectSnapshotPaths(
       continue;
     }
     const info = await lstat(full).catch(() => null);
-    if (info === null || info.isSymbolicLink()) {
+    if (info === null) {
       continue;
     }
     if (info.isDirectory()) {
       await collectSnapshotPaths(root, full, relativeStateDir, paths);
-    } else if (info.isFile()) {
+    } else if (info.isFile() || info.isSymbolicLink()) {
       paths.add(path);
     }
   }
@@ -120,5 +120,5 @@ function shouldSkipSnapshotPath(path: string, relativeStateDir: string): boolean
 }
 
 function normalizePath(path: string): string {
-  return path.replace(/\\/gu, "/").replace(/\/$/u, "");
+  return process.platform === "win32" ? path.replace(/\\/gu, "/") : path;
 }