diff --git a/internal/gps/strip_vendor.go b/internal/gps/strip_vendor.go
index 1b224d0e6a..aaaf9bcd22 100644
--- a/internal/gps/strip_vendor.go
+++ b/internal/gps/strip_vendor.go
@@ -23,11 +23,7 @@ func stripVendor(path string, info os.FileInfo, err error) error {
 
 	// If the file is a symlink to a directory, delete the symlink.
 	if (info.Mode() & os.ModeSymlink) != 0 {
-		realInfo, err := os.Stat(path)
-		if err != nil {
-			return err
-		}
-		if realInfo.IsDir() {
+		if realInfo, err := os.Stat(path); err == nil && realInfo.IsDir() {
 			return os.Remove(path)
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/internal/gps/strip_vendor_nonwindows_test.go b/internal/gps/strip_vendor_nonwindows_test.go
index a8eb9ae928..8ff55155b0 100644
--- a/internal/gps/strip_vendor_nonwindows_test.go
+++ b/internal/gps/strip_vendor_nonwindows_test.go
@@ -82,6 +82,31 @@ func TestStripVendorSymlinks(t *testing.T) {
 		},
 	}))
 
+	t.Run("broken vendor symlink", stripVendorTestCase(fsTestCase{
+		before: filesystemState{
+			dirs: []fsPath{
+				{"package"},
+			},
+			links: []fsLink{
+				{
+					path: fsPath{"package", "vendor"},
+					to:   "nonexistence",
+				},
+			},
+		},
+		after: filesystemState{
+			dirs: []fsPath{
+				{"package"},
+			},
+			links: []fsLink{
+				{
+					path: fsPath{"package", "vendor"},
+					to:   "nonexistence",
+				},
+			},
+		},
+	}))
+
 	t.Run("chained symlinks", stripVendorTestCase(fsTestCase{
 		before: filesystemState{
 			dirs: []fsPath{
diff --git a/internal/gps/strip_vendor_windows.go b/internal/gps/strip_vendor_windows.go
index 5e51513590..c6b0a13346 100644
--- a/internal/gps/strip_vendor_windows.go
+++ b/internal/gps/strip_vendor_windows.go
@@ -37,11 +37,7 @@ func stripVendor(path string, info os.FileInfo, err error) error {
 		return filepath.SkipDir
 
 	case symlink:
-		realInfo, err := os.Stat(path)
-		if err != nil {
-			return err
-		}
-		if realInfo.IsDir() {
+		if realInfo, err := os.Stat(path); err == nil && realInfo.IsDir() {
 			return os.Remove(path)
 		}
 
diff --git a/internal/gps/strip_vendor_windows_test.go b/internal/gps/strip_vendor_windows_test.go
index 7569a48741..67ff900299 100644
--- a/internal/gps/strip_vendor_windows_test.go
+++ b/internal/gps/strip_vendor_windows_test.go
@@ -90,6 +90,31 @@ func TestStripVendorSymlinks(t *testing.T) {
 		},
 	}))
 
+	t.Run("broken vendor symlink", stripVendorTestCase(fsTestCase{
+		before: filesystemState{
+			dirs: []fsPath{
+				{"package"},
+			},
+			links: []fsLink{
+				{
+					path: fsPath{"package", "vendor"},
+					to:   "nonexistence",
+				},
+			},
+		},
+		after: filesystemState{
+			dirs: []fsPath{
+				{"package"},
+			},
+			links: []fsLink{
+				{
+					path: fsPath{"package", "vendor"},
+					to:   "nonexistence",
+				},
+			},
+		},
+	}))
+
 	t.Run("chained symlinks", stripVendorTestCase(fsTestCase{
 		// Curiously, if a symlink on windows points to *another* symlink which
 		// eventually points at a directory, we'll correctly remove that first