diff --git a/fs/ensure_symlink.ts b/fs/ensure_symlink.ts
index f2dec2cd9ea7..443445f479e4 100644
--- a/fs/ensure_symlink.ts
+++ b/fs/ensure_symlink.ts
@@ -53,7 +53,17 @@ export async function ensureSymlink(
   linkName: string | URL,
 ) {
   const targetRealPath = resolveSymlinkTarget(target, linkName);
-  const srcStatInfo = await Deno.lstat(targetRealPath);
+  let srcStatInfo;
+  try {
+    srcStatInfo = await Deno.lstat(targetRealPath);
+  } catch (error) {
+    if (error instanceof Deno.errors.NotFound) {
+      throw new Deno.errors.NotFound(
+        `Cannot ensure symlink as the target path does not exist: ${targetRealPath}`,
+      );
+    }
+    throw error;
+  }
   const srcFilePathType = getFileInfoType(srcStatInfo);
 
   await ensureDir(dirname(toPathString(linkName)));
@@ -112,7 +122,17 @@ export function ensureSymlinkSync(
   linkName: string | URL,
 ) {
   const targetRealPath = resolveSymlinkTarget(target, linkName);
-  const srcStatInfo = Deno.lstatSync(targetRealPath);
+  let srcStatInfo;
+  try {
+    srcStatInfo = Deno.lstatSync(targetRealPath);
+  } catch (error) {
+    if (error instanceof Deno.errors.NotFound) {
+      throw new Deno.errors.NotFound(
+        `Cannot ensure symlink as the target path does not exist: ${targetRealPath}`,
+      );
+    }
+    throw error;
+  }
   const srcFilePathType = getFileInfoType(srcStatInfo);
 
   ensureDirSync(dirname(toPathString(linkName)));
diff --git a/fs/ensure_symlink_test.ts b/fs/ensure_symlink_test.ts
index 9bf4c4f2212c..4e2ebc27c9d9 100644
--- a/fs/ensure_symlink_test.ts
+++ b/fs/ensure_symlink_test.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,12 @@
 // Copyright 2018-2024 the Deno authors. All rights reserved. MIT license.
 // TODO(axetroy): Add test for Windows once symlink is implemented for Windows.
-import { assert, assertEquals, assertRejects, assertThrows } from "@std/assert";
+import {
+  assert,
+  assertEquals,
+  assertMatch,
+  assertRejects,
+  assertThrows,
+} from "@std/assert";
 import * as path from "@std/path";
 import { ensureSymlink, ensureSymlinkSync } from "./ensure_symlink.ts";
 import { IS_DENO_2 } from "../internal/_is_deno_2.ts";
@@ -239,6 +245,29 @@ Deno.test("ensureSymlinkSync() creates symlink with relative target", function (
   Deno.removeSync(testDir, { recursive: true });
 });
 
+Deno.test("ensureSymlink() rejects when the target path doesn't exist", async () => {
+  const e = await assertRejects(
+    async () => {
+      await ensureSymlink("non-existent-target", "non-existent-link");
+    },
+    Deno.errors.NotFound,
+  );
+  assertMatch(
+    e.message,
+    /^Cannot ensure symlink as the target path does not exist: .*non-existent-target$/,
+  );
+});
+
+Deno.test("ensureSymlinkSync() throws when the target path doesn't exist", async () => {
+  const e = assertThrows(() => {
+    ensureSymlinkSync("non-existent-target", "non-existent-link");
+  }, Deno.errors.NotFound);
+  assertMatch(
+    e.message,
+    /^Cannot ensure symlink as the target path does not exist: .*non-existent-target$/,
+  );
+});
+
 Deno.test("ensureSymlink() works with URLs", {
   // TODO(kt3k): The 2nd test case doesn't pass on Windows. Fix it.
   ignore: Deno.build.os === "windows",