diff --git a/rust/lancedb/src/database/listing.rs b/rust/lancedb/src/database/listing.rs
index a4624112e..0ab3614e7 100644
--- a/rust/lancedb/src/database/listing.rs
+++ b/rust/lancedb/src/database/listing.rs
@@ -1294,9 +1294,11 @@ mod tests {
     use crate::connection::ConnectRequest;
     use crate::data::scannable::Scannable;
     use crate::database::{CreateTableMode, CreateTableRequest};
-    use crate::table::WriteOptions;
+    use crate::query::QueryRequest;
+    use crate::table::{AnyQuery, WriteOptions};
     use arrow_array::{Int32Array, RecordBatch, StringArray};
     use arrow_schema::{DataType, Field, Schema};
+    use futures::TryStreamExt;
     use std::path::PathBuf;
     use tempfile::tempdir;
 
@@ -1438,6 +1440,94 @@ mod tests {
         assert!(after_open.hits >= before_open.hits + 3);
     }
 
+    /// Regression test for https://github.com/lancedb/lancedb/issues/3197.
+    #[cfg(unix)]
+    #[tokio::test]
+    async fn test_open_table_follows_hugging_face_symlinks() {
+        let (tempdir, db) = setup_database().await;
+        let schema = Arc::new(Schema::new(vec![Field::new("id", DataType::Int32, false)]));
+        db.create_table(CreateTableRequest {
+            name: "test".to_string(),
+            namespace_path: vec![],
+            data: Box::new(
+                RecordBatch::try_new(schema, vec![Arc::new(Int32Array::from(vec![1, 2, 3]))])
+                    .unwrap(),
+            ) as Box<dyn Scannable>,
+            mode: CreateTableMode::Create,
+            write_options: Default::default(),
+            location: None,
+            namespace_client: None,
+        })
+        .await
+        .unwrap();
+
+        let table_dir = tempdir.path().join("test.lance");
+        let versions_dir = table_dir.join("_versions");
+        let manifest_path = std::fs::read_dir(&versions_dir)
+            .unwrap()
+            .map(|entry| entry.unwrap().path())
+            .find(|path| path.extension().is_some_and(|ext| ext == "manifest"))
+            .unwrap();
+        let data_path = std::fs::read_dir(table_dir.join("data"))
+            .unwrap()
+            .map(|entry| entry.unwrap().path())
+            .find(|path| path.extension().is_some_and(|ext| ext == "lance"))
+            .unwrap();
+
+        // Hugging Face snapshots keep dataset objects in a separate blob directory and
+        // expose them through relative symlinks.
+        let blobs_dir = tempdir.path().join("blobs");
+        std::fs::create_dir(&blobs_dir).unwrap();
+        let manifest_blob = "9b603c63d0e692e05d58be25605f2f2064cc781e5ff94fe983a405059547b816";
+        let data_blob = "be64f20e5723bd0a27cfdbdb41cf7d6fad94cd572a71973b717fb8340f4310c5";
+        std::fs::rename(&manifest_path, blobs_dir.join(manifest_blob)).unwrap();
+        std::fs::rename(&data_path, blobs_dir.join(data_blob)).unwrap();
+        std::os::unix::fs::symlink(Path::new("../../blobs").join(manifest_blob), &manifest_path)
+            .unwrap();
+        std::os::unix::fs::symlink(Path::new("../../blobs").join(data_blob), &data_path).unwrap();
+        let symlink_len = std::fs::symlink_metadata(&manifest_path).unwrap().len();
+        let target_len = std::fs::metadata(&manifest_path).unwrap().len();
+        assert_ne!(symlink_len, target_len);
+
+        drop(db);
+        let db = ListingDatabase::connect_with_options(&ConnectRequest {
+            uri: tempdir.path().to_str().unwrap().to_string(),
+            #[cfg(feature = "remote")]
+            client_config: Default::default(),
+            options: Default::default(),
+            namespace_client_properties: Default::default(),
+            manifest_enabled: false,
+            read_consistency_interval: None,
+            session: None,
+        })
+        .await
+        .unwrap();
+
+        let table = db
+            .open_table(OpenTableRequest {
+                name: "test".to_string(),
+                namespace_path: vec![],
+                index_cache_size: None,
+                lance_read_params: None,
+                location: None,
+                namespace_client: None,
+                managed_versioning: None,
+            })
+            .await
+            .unwrap();
+        let batches = table
+            .query(
+                &AnyQuery::Query(QueryRequest::default()),
+                Default::default(),
+            )
+            .await
+            .unwrap()
+            .try_collect::<Vec<_>>()
+            .await
+            .unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(batches.iter().map(RecordBatch::num_rows).sum::<usize>(), 3);
+    }
+
     #[tokio::test]
     async fn test_clone_table_basic() {
         let (_tempdir, db) = setup_database().await;