diff --git a/pkg/services/provisioning/dashboards/file_reader.go b/pkg/services/provisioning/dashboards/file_reader.go
index a1ba4dbf8e2..8af23980531 100644
--- a/pkg/services/provisioning/dashboards/file_reader.go
+++ b/pkg/services/provisioning/dashboards/file_reader.go
@@ -51,7 +51,6 @@ func NewDashboardFileReader(cfg *DashboardsAsConfig, log log.Logger) (*fileReade
 	path, err := filepath.Abs(path)
 	if err != nil {
 		log.Error("Could not create absolute path ", "path", path)
-		path = copy //if .Abs return an error we fallback to path
 	}
 
 	path, err = filepath.EvalSymlinks(path)
@@ -59,6 +58,11 @@ func NewDashboardFileReader(cfg *DashboardsAsConfig, log log.Logger) (*fileReade
 		log.Error("Failed to read content of symlinked path: %s", path)
 	}
 
+	if path == "" {
+		path = copy
+		log.Info("falling back to original path due to EvalSymlink/Abs failure")
+	}
+
 	return &fileReader{
 		Cfg:              cfg,
 		Path:             path,