diff --git a/src/reuse/_util.py b/src/reuse/_util.py
index 4b29ff0ae..3d4d83b16 100644
--- a/src/reuse/_util.py
+++ b/src/reuse/_util.py
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 # SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2022 Pietro Albini <pietro.albini@ferrous-systems.com>
 # SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2023 DB Systel GmbH
 # SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2023 Johannes Zarl-Zierl <johannes@zarl-zierl.at>
+# SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2023 Matthias Riße
 #
 # SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-3.0-or-later
 
@@ -476,6 +477,10 @@ def _check_read(self, path: Path) -> None:
                     _("'{}' is not a directory").format(path)
                 )
             return
+        if not path.exists() and path.is_symlink():
+            # If the path is a broken symlink we can continue, allowing usage of
+            # --force-dot-license even if the link target is not readable.
+            return
         raise ArgumentTypeError(_("can't open '{}'").format(path))
 
     def _check_write(self, path: Path) -> None:
diff --git a/src/reuse/header.py b/src/reuse/header.py
index 8725c94f6..07382c802 100644
--- a/src/reuse/header.py
+++ b/src/reuse/header.py
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
 # SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2022 Florian Snow <florian@familysnow.net>
 # SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2022 Yaman Qalieh
 # SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2022 Carmen Bianca Bakker <carmenbianca@fsfe.org>
+# SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2023 Matthias Riße
 #
 # SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-3.0-or-later
 
@@ -392,7 +393,7 @@ def _is_uncommentable(path: Path) -> bool:
     registered as an UncommentableCommentStyle.
     """
     is_uncommentable = _get_comment_style(path) == UncommentableCommentStyle
-    return is_uncommentable or is_binary(str(path))
+    return is_uncommentable or path.is_symlink() or is_binary(str(path))
 
 
 def _verify_paths_line_handling(