diff --git a/cli-plugins/manager/manager.go b/cli-plugins/manager/manager.go
index 009ea1795e..48a0db3417 100644
--- a/cli-plugins/manager/manager.go
+++ b/cli-plugins/manager/manager.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package manager
 
 import (
 	"context"
+	"errors"
 	"os"
 	"os/exec"
 	"path/filepath"
@@ -13,6 +14,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/docker/cli/cli-plugins/metadata"
 	"github.com/docker/cli/cli/config"
 	"github.com/docker/cli/cli/config/configfile"
+	"github.com/docker/cli/cli/debug"
 	"github.com/fvbommel/sortorder"
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
 	"golang.org/x/sync/errgroup"
@@ -57,9 +59,17 @@ func addPluginCandidatesFromDir(res map[string][]string, d string) {
 		return
 	}
 	for _, dentry := range dentries {
-		switch dentry.Type() & os.ModeType { //nolint:exhaustive,nolintlint // no need to include all possible file-modes in this list
-		case 0, os.ModeSymlink:
-			// Regular file or symlink, keep going
+		switch mode := dentry.Type() & os.ModeType; mode { //nolint:exhaustive,nolintlint // no need to include all possible file-modes in this list
+		case os.ModeSymlink:
+			if !debug.IsEnabled() {
+				// Skip broken symlinks unless debug is enabled. With debug
+				// enabled, this will print a warning in "docker info".
+				if _, err := os.Stat(filepath.Join(d, dentry.Name())); errors.Is(err, os.ErrNotExist) {
+					continue
+				}
+			}
+		case 0:
+			// Regular file, keep going
 		default:
 			// Something else, ignore.
 			continue
diff --git a/cli-plugins/manager/manager_test.go b/cli-plugins/manager/manager_test.go
index d1223ed4ec..16c43b29d3 100644
--- a/cli-plugins/manager/manager_test.go
+++ b/cli-plugins/manager/manager_test.go
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ func TestListPluginCandidates(t *testing.T) {
 			"plugins3-target", // Will be referenced as a symlink from below
 			fs.WithFile("docker-plugin1", ""),
 			fs.WithDir("ignored3"),
-			fs.WithSymlink("docker-brokensymlink", "broken"),           // A broken symlink is still a candidate (but would fail tests later)
+			fs.WithSymlink("docker-brokensymlink", "broken"),           // A broken symlink is ignored
 			fs.WithFile("non-plugin-symlinked", ""),                    // This shouldn't appear, but ...
 			fs.WithSymlink("docker-symlinked", "non-plugin-symlinked"), // ... this link to it should.
 		),
@@ -72,9 +72,6 @@ func TestListPluginCandidates(t *testing.T) {
 		"hardlink2": {
 			dir.Join("plugins2", "docker-hardlink2"),
 		},
-		"brokensymlink": {
-			dir.Join("plugins3", "docker-brokensymlink"),
-		},
 		"symlinked": {
 			dir.Join("plugins3", "docker-symlinked"),
 		},