diff --git a/RELEASE-NOTES.txt b/RELEASE-NOTES.txt
index 22a3a940a6..ed1e29a2f9 100644
--- a/RELEASE-NOTES.txt
+++ b/RELEASE-NOTES.txt
@@ -1,7 +1,8 @@
 Unreleased
 ==========
 * Miscellaneous security improvements #1411
-* Follow symlinks when creating preview sites #1447
+* Included symlinked directories and files when creating preview sites #1447
+* Included symlinked directories and files when exporting and pushing sites #1448
 
 1.5.2
 =====
diff --git a/src/constants.ts b/src/constants.ts
index bcb32686d0..2d8871a59a 100644
--- a/src/constants.ts
+++ b/src/constants.ts
@@ -37,10 +37,12 @@ export const ACCEPTED_IMPORT_FILE_TYPES = [ '.zip', '.gz', '.gzip', '.tar', '.ta
 export const ARCHIVER_OPTIONS = {
 	zip: {
 		zlib: { level: 9 },
+		followSymlinks: true,
 	},
 	tar: {
 		gzip: true,
 		gzipOptions: { level: 9 },
+		followSymlinks: true,
 	},
 };
 
diff --git a/src/lib/import-export/export/exporters/default-exporter.ts b/src/lib/import-export/export/exporters/default-exporter.ts
index c248f1dcc0..4b3cef4151 100644
--- a/src/lib/import-export/export/exporters/default-exporter.ts
+++ b/src/lib/import-export/export/exporters/default-exporter.ts
@@ -162,11 +162,24 @@ export class DefaultExporter extends EventEmitter implements Exporter {
 		 ).filter( ( category ) => this.options.includes[ category ] );
 		this.emit( ExportEvents.WP_CONTENT_EXPORT_START );
 		for ( const category of categories ) {
-			for ( const file of this.backup.wpContent[ category ] ) {
-				const relativePath = path.relative( this.options.site.path, file );
-				this.archive.file( file, { name: relativePath } );
-				this.emit( ExportEvents.WP_CONTENT_EXPORT_PROGRESS, { file: relativePath } );
-			}
+			const folderName = category === 'muPlugins' ? 'mu-plugins' : category;
+			const absolutePath = path.join( this.options.site.path, 'wp-content', folderName );
+			const archivePath = path.relative( this.options.site.path, absolutePath );
+			this.archive.directory( absolutePath, archivePath, ( entry ) => {
+				const fullArchivePath = path.join( archivePath, entry.name );
+				const isExcluded = this.pathsToExclude.some( ( pathToExclude ) =>
+					fullArchivePath.startsWith( path.normalize( pathToExclude ) )
+				);
+				if (
+					isExcluded ||
+					entry.name.includes( '.git' ) ||
+					entry.name.includes( 'node_modules' )
+				) {
+					return false;
+				}
+				return entry;
+			} );
+			this.emit( ExportEvents.WP_CONTENT_EXPORT_PROGRESS, { directory: absolutePath } );
 		}
 		this.emit( ExportEvents.WP_CONTENT_EXPORT_COMPLETE, {
 			uploads: this.backup.wpContent.uploads.length,
diff --git a/src/lib/import-export/tests/export/exporters/default-exporter.test.ts b/src/lib/import-export/tests/export/exporters/default-exporter.test.ts
index 8227061d93..b75d382d4a 100644
--- a/src/lib/import-export/tests/export/exporters/default-exporter.test.ts
+++ b/src/lib/import-export/tests/export/exporters/default-exporter.test.ts
@@ -217,14 +217,18 @@ platformTestSuite( 'DefaultExporter', ( { normalize } ) => {
 	it( 'should create a tar.gz archive', async () => {
 		await exporter.export();
 
-		expect( archiver ).toHaveBeenCalledWith( 'tar', { gzip: true, gzipOptions: { level: 9 } } );
+		expect( archiver ).toHaveBeenCalledWith( 'tar', {
+			followSymlinks: true,
+			gzip: true,
+			gzipOptions: { level: 9 },
+		} );
 	} );
 
 	it( 'should create a zip archive when the backup file ends with .zip', async () => {
 		mockOptions.backupFile = '/path/to/backup.zip';
 		await exporter.export();
 
-		expect( archiver ).toHaveBeenCalledWith( 'zip', { zlib: { level: 9 } } );
+		expect( archiver ).toHaveBeenCalledWith( 'zip', { followSymlinks: true, zlib: { level: 9 } } );
 	} );
 
 	it( 'should add wp-config.php to the archive', async () => {
@@ -262,7 +266,7 @@ platformTestSuite( 'DefaultExporter', ( { normalize } ) => {
 		);
 	} );
 
-	it( 'should add wp-content files to the archive', async () => {
+	it( 'should add wp-content directories to the archive', async () => {
 		const options = {
 			...mockOptions,
 			includes: {
@@ -283,25 +287,29 @@ platformTestSuite( 'DefaultExporter', ( { normalize } ) => {
 			normalize( '/path/to/site/wp-config.php' ),
 			{ name: 'wp-config.php' }
 		);
-		expect( mockArchiver.file ).toHaveBeenNthCalledWith(
+		expect( mockArchiver.directory ).toHaveBeenNthCalledWith(
+			1,
+			normalize( '/path/to/site/wp-content/uploads' ),
+			normalize( 'wp-content/uploads' ),
+			expect.any( Function )
+		);
+		expect( mockArchiver.directory ).toHaveBeenNthCalledWith(
 			2,
-			normalize( '/path/to/site/wp-content/uploads/file1.jpg' ),
-			{ name: normalize( 'wp-content/uploads/file1.jpg' ) }
+			normalize( '/path/to/site/wp-content/plugins' ),
+			normalize( 'wp-content/plugins' ),
+			expect.any( Function )
 		);
-		expect( mockArchiver.file ).toHaveBeenNthCalledWith(
+		expect( mockArchiver.directory ).toHaveBeenNthCalledWith(
 			3,
-			normalize( '/path/to/site/wp-content/plugins/plugin1/plugin1.php' ),
-			{ name: normalize( 'wp-content/plugins/plugin1/plugin1.php' ) }
+			normalize( '/path/to/site/wp-content/themes' ),
+			normalize( 'wp-content/themes' ),
+			expect.any( Function )
 		);
-		expect( mockArchiver.file ).toHaveBeenNthCalledWith(
+		expect( mockArchiver.directory ).toHaveBeenNthCalledWith(
 			4,
-			normalize( '/path/to/site/wp-content/themes/theme1/index.php' ),
-			{ name: normalize( 'wp-content/themes/theme1/index.php' ) }
-		);
-		expect( mockArchiver.file ).toHaveBeenNthCalledWith(
-			5,
-			normalize( '/path/to/site/wp-content/fonts/custom-font.woff2' ),
-			{ name: normalize( 'wp-content/fonts/custom-font.woff2' ) }
+			normalize( '/path/to/site/wp-content/fonts' ),
+			normalize( 'wp-content/fonts' ),
+			expect.any( Function )
 		);
 	} );
 
@@ -326,19 +334,11 @@ platformTestSuite( 'DefaultExporter', ( { normalize } ) => {
 			normalize( '/path/to/site/wp-config.php' ),
 			{ name: 'wp-config.php' }
 		);
-		expect( mockArchiver.file ).toHaveBeenNthCalledWith(
-			2,
-			normalize( '/path/to/site/wp-content/mu-plugins/custom-mu-plugin.php' ),
-			{ name: normalize( 'wp-content/mu-plugins/custom-mu-plugin.php' ) }
-		);
-
-		expect( mockArchiver.file ).not.toHaveBeenCalledWith(
-			normalize( '/path/to/site/wp-content/mu-plugins/sqlite-database-integration/load.php' ),
-			{ name: normalize( 'wp-content/mu-plugins/sqlite-database-integration/load.php' ) }
-		);
-		expect( mockArchiver.file ).not.toHaveBeenCalledWith(
-			normalize( '/path/to/site/wp-content/mu-plugins/0-allowed-redirect-hosts.php' ),
-			{ name: normalize( 'wp-content/mu-plugins/0-allowed-redirect-hosts.php' ) }
+		expect( mockArchiver.directory ).toHaveBeenNthCalledWith(
+			1,
+			normalize( '/path/to/site/wp-content/mu-plugins' ),
+			normalize( 'wp-content/mu-plugins' ),
+			expect.any( Function )
 		);
 	} );
 
@@ -486,10 +486,11 @@ platformTestSuite( 'DefaultExporter', ( { normalize } ) => {
 			normalize( '/path/to/site/wp-config.php' ),
 			{ name: 'wp-config.php' }
 		);
-		expect( mockArchiver.file ).toHaveBeenNthCalledWith(
-			2,
-			normalize( '/path/to/site/wp-content/fonts/custom-font.woff2' ),
-			{ name: normalize( 'wp-content/fonts/custom-font.woff2' ) }
+		expect( mockArchiver.directory ).toHaveBeenNthCalledWith(
+			1,
+			normalize( '/path/to/site/wp-content/fonts' ),
+			normalize( 'wp-content/fonts' ),
+			expect.any( Function )
 		);
 	} );
 } );