diff --git a/backend/packages/harness/deerflow/workspace_changes/scanner.py b/backend/packages/harness/deerflow/workspace_changes/scanner.py
index 50cb956f8..f4c28931a 100644
--- a/backend/packages/harness/deerflow/workspace_changes/scanner.py
+++ b/backend/packages/harness/deerflow/workspace_changes/scanner.py
@@ -259,6 +259,33 @@ def _snapshot_file(
     )
 
 
+def _normalize_symlink_target(target: str) -> str:
+    """Strip the Windows extended-length prefix from a symlink target.
+
+    ``os.readlink`` on Windows reports absolute targets in extended-length
+    form (``\\\\?\\C:\\...`` or ``\\\\?\\UNC\\server\\share``). Recorded targets
+    are surfaced in workspace-change events and compared against ordinary
+    paths, so keep the plain spelling.
+
+    On POSIX this is a provable identity: the strip only applies on Windows
+    hosts. ``readlink(2)`` returns the literal string the link was created
+    with, and backslash is a valid filename byte on Linux — a target string
+    that merely starts with ``\\\\?\\`` there must be recorded verbatim.
+
+    On Windows, only extended *drive-letter* paths are stripped. Other
+    ``\\\\?\\`` namespace forms (volume-GUID paths, device paths) are kept
+    verbatim: stripping them would leave a relative-looking remainder that
+    no longer names the target's namespace.
+    """
+    if os.name != "nt":
+        return target
+    if target.startswith("\\\\?\\UNC\\"):
+        return "\\\\" + target[len("\\\\?\\UNC\\") :]
+    if target.startswith("\\\\?\\") and len(target) >= 7 and target[4].isascii() and target[4].isalpha() and target[5] == ":" and target[6] in "\\/":
+        return target[4:]
+    return target
+
+
 def _snapshot_symlink(root: WorkspaceRoot, host_file: Path) -> FileSnapshot | None:
     # Deliberately never follows the link (no read_bytes()/open() on the target):
     # the target may point anywhere on the host, including outside the scanned
@@ -278,6 +305,8 @@ def _snapshot_symlink(root: WorkspaceRoot, host_file: Path) -> FileSnapshot | No
         target = os.readlink(host_file)
     except OSError:
         target = None
+    else:
+        target = _normalize_symlink_target(target)
 
     return FileSnapshot(
         path=virtual_path,
diff --git a/backend/tests/test_workspace_changes.py b/backend/tests/test_workspace_changes.py
index c46f20f87..a2932c45e 100644
--- a/backend/tests/test_workspace_changes.py
+++ b/backend/tests/test_workspace_changes.py
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 from __future__ import annotations
 
+import os
 from pathlib import Path
 
 import pytest
@@ -19,7 +20,11 @@ from deerflow.workspace_changes import (
     scan_workspace_roots,
 )
 from deerflow.workspace_changes.api import get_workspace_changes_response
-from deerflow.workspace_changes.scanner import SAMPLE_BYTES, is_sensitive_workspace_path
+from deerflow.workspace_changes.scanner import (
+    SAMPLE_BYTES,
+    _normalize_symlink_target,
+    is_sensitive_workspace_path,
+)
 
 
 def _roots(tmp_path):
@@ -741,3 +746,46 @@ async def test_workspace_changes_route_forwards_include_files_flag():
     assert response["available"] is True
     assert response["files"] == []
     assert calls["event_types"] == ["workspace_changes"]
+
+
+def test_normalize_symlink_target_strips_extended_length_drive_prefix(monkeypatch):
+    # The strip only applies on Windows hosts, so force the platform here;
+    # this test runs on the ubuntu-only CI too.
+    monkeypatch.setattr(os, "name", "nt")
+    assert _normalize_symlink_target(r"\\?\C:\Users\u1\target.txt") == r"C:\Users\u1\target.txt"
+
+
+def test_normalize_symlink_target_strips_extended_length_unc_prefix(monkeypatch):
+    monkeypatch.setattr(os, "name", "nt")
+    assert _normalize_symlink_target(r"\\?\UNC\server\share\a.txt") == r"\\server\share\a.txt"
+
+
+def test_normalize_symlink_target_preserves_volume_guid_and_degenerate_prefixes(monkeypatch):
+    monkeypatch.setattr(os, "name", "nt")
+    # Volume-GUID paths are absolute Windows targets in their own namespace;
+    # stripping the prefix would leave a relative-looking path.
+    target = r"\\?\Volume{01234567-89ab-cdef-0123-456789abcdef}\folder\target.txt"
+    assert _normalize_symlink_target(target) == target
+    # Only a drive letter followed by a colon and a separator is a drive path.
+    for degenerate in (r"\\?\C:", r"\\?\1:\x", r"\\?\:"):
+        assert _normalize_symlink_target(degenerate) == degenerate
+
+
+def test_normalize_symlink_target_leaves_relative_and_plain_posix_targets_verbatim():
+    assert _normalize_symlink_target("relative/target.txt") == "relative/target.txt"
+    assert _normalize_symlink_target("/tmp/target.txt") == "/tmp/target.txt"
+
+
+def test_normalize_symlink_target_leaves_mid_string_prefix_verbatim():
+    # Backslash is a legal filename byte on POSIX, so only a *leading*
+    # extended-length prefix may ever be stripped.
+    for target in (r"/data/\\?\weird-target.txt", r"C:\data\\?\nested.txt"):
+        assert _normalize_symlink_target(target) == target
+
+
+def test_normalize_symlink_target_is_identity_off_windows(monkeypatch):
+    # The strip is gated on Windows hosts: readlink(2) on POSIX returns the
+    # literal string the link was created with, so a target that starts with
+    # "\\?\" there must be recorded verbatim.
+    monkeypatch.setattr(os, "name", "posix")
+    assert _normalize_symlink_target(r"\\?\C:\Users\u1\target.txt") == r"\\?\C:\Users\u1\target.txt"