diff --git a/internal/task/executor.go b/internal/task/executor.go
index 0d8754b9d..70727cf17 100644
--- a/internal/task/executor.go
+++ b/internal/task/executor.go
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import (
 	"context"
 	"fmt"
 	"runtime/debug"
+	"slices"
 	"sync"
 	"time"
 
@@ -57,14 +58,14 @@ func (p *Executor) Execute(ctx context.Context, resolver file.Resolver, s sbomsy
 				}
 
 				err := runTaskSafely(ctx, tsk, resolver, s)
-				unknowns, err := unknown.ExtractCoordinateErrors(err)
+				unknowns, remainingErrors := unknown.ExtractCoordinateErrors(err)
 				if len(unknowns) > 0 {
 					appendUnknowns(s, tsk.Name(), unknowns)
 				}
-				if err != nil {
+				if remainingErrors != nil {
 					withLock(func() {
-						errs = multierror.Append(errs, fmt.Errorf("failed to run task: %w", err))
-						prog.SetError(err)
+						errs = multierror.Append(errs, fmt.Errorf("failed to run task: %w", remainingErrors))
+						prog.SetError(remainingErrors)
 					})
 				}
 				prog.Increment()
@@ -84,7 +85,13 @@ func appendUnknowns(builder sbomsync.Builder, taskName string, unknowns []unknow
 				if sb.Artifacts.Unknowns == nil {
 					sb.Artifacts.Unknowns = map[file.Coordinates][]string{}
 				}
-				sb.Artifacts.Unknowns[u.Coordinates] = append(sb.Artifacts.Unknowns[u.Coordinates], formatUnknown(u.Reason.Error(), taskName))
+				unknownText := formatUnknown(u.Reason.Error(), taskName)
+				existing := sb.Artifacts.Unknowns[u.Coordinates]
+				// don't include duplicate unknowns
+				if slices.Contains(existing, unknownText) {
+					continue
+				}
+				sb.Artifacts.Unknowns[u.Coordinates] = append(existing, unknownText)
 			}
 		})
 	}
diff --git a/internal/unknown/path_error.go b/internal/unknown/path_error.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..5a7a9ad59
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/unknown/path_error.go
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+package unknown
+
+import (
+	"regexp"
+
+	"github.com/anchore/syft/internal/log"
+	"github.com/anchore/syft/syft/file"
+)
+
+var pathErrorRegex = regexp.MustCompile(`.*path="([^"]+)".*`)
+
+// ProcessPathErrors replaces "path" errors returned from the file.Resolver into unknowns,
+// and warn logs non-unknown errors, returning only the unknown errors
+func ProcessPathErrors(err error) error {
+	if err == nil {
+		return nil
+	}
+	errText := err.Error()
+	if pathErrorRegex.MatchString(errText) {
+		foundPath := pathErrorRegex.ReplaceAllString(err.Error(), "$1")
+		if foundPath != "" {
+			return New(file.NewLocation(foundPath), err)
+		}
+	}
+	unknowns, remainingErrors := ExtractCoordinateErrors(err)
+	log.Warn(remainingErrors)
+
+	var out []error
+	for _, u := range unknowns {
+		out = append(out, &u)
+	}
+	return Join(out...)
+}
diff --git a/internal/unknown/path_error_test.go b/internal/unknown/path_error_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..d25133a7f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/unknown/path_error_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,56 @@
+package unknown
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+
+	"github.com/anchore/syft/syft/file"
+)
+
+func Test_ProcessPathErrors(t *testing.T) {
+	tests := []struct {
+		errorText string
+		expected  error
+	}{
+		{
+			errorText: `prefix path="/var/lib/thing" suffix`,
+			expected: &CoordinateError{
+				Coordinates: file.Coordinates{
+					RealPath: "/var/lib/thing",
+				},
+				Reason: fmt.Errorf(`prefix path="/var/lib/thing" suffix`),
+			},
+		},
+		{
+			errorText: `prefix path="/var/lib/thing"`,
+			expected: &CoordinateError{
+				Coordinates: file.Coordinates{
+					RealPath: "/var/lib/thing",
+				},
+				Reason: fmt.Errorf(`prefix path="/var/lib/thing"`),
+			},
+		},
+		{
+			errorText: `path="/var/lib/thing" suffix`,
+			expected: &CoordinateError{
+				Coordinates: file.Coordinates{
+					RealPath: "/var/lib/thing",
+				},
+				Reason: fmt.Errorf(`path="/var/lib/thing" suffix`),
+			},
+		},
+		{
+			errorText: "all your base are belong to us",
+			expected:  nil,
+		},
+	}
+
+	for _, test := range tests {
+		t.Run(test.errorText, func(t *testing.T) {
+			got := ProcessPathErrors(fmt.Errorf("%s", test.errorText))
+			require.Equal(t, test.expected, got)
+		})
+	}
+}
diff --git a/syft/pkg/cataloger/binary/classifier_cataloger.go b/syft/pkg/cataloger/binary/classifier_cataloger.go
index 05e1c622a..162ccefb0 100644
--- a/syft/pkg/cataloger/binary/classifier_cataloger.go
+++ b/syft/pkg/cataloger/binary/classifier_cataloger.go
@@ -105,6 +105,7 @@ func catalog(resolver file.Resolver, cls Classifier) (packages []pkg.Package, er
 	var errs error
 	locations, err := resolver.FilesByGlob(cls.FileGlob)
 	if err != nil {
+		err = unknown.ProcessPathErrors(err) // convert any file.Resolver path errors to unknowns with locations
 		return nil, err
 	}
 	for _, location := range locations {
diff --git a/syft/pkg/cataloger/binary/classifier_cataloger_test.go b/syft/pkg/cataloger/binary/classifier_cataloger_test.go
index f093b97ca..d477d6e7f 100644
--- a/syft/pkg/cataloger/binary/classifier_cataloger_test.go
+++ b/syft/pkg/cataloger/binary/classifier_cataloger_test.go
@@ -1668,7 +1668,7 @@ func Test_Cataloger_ResilientToErrors(t *testing.T) {
 
 	resolver := &panicyResolver{}
 	_, _, err := c.Catalog(context.Background(), resolver)
-	assert.Error(t, err)
+	assert.Nil(t, err) // non-coordinate-based FindBy* errors are now logged and not returned
 	assert.True(t, resolver.searchCalled)
 }
 
diff --git a/test/cli/test-fixtures/image-unknowns/Dockerfile b/test/cli/test-fixtures/image-unknowns/Dockerfile
index 503f6808d..8b3ebf776 100644
--- a/test/cli/test-fixtures/image-unknowns/Dockerfile
+++ b/test/cli/test-fixtures/image-unknowns/Dockerfile
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
 FROM alpine@sha256:c5c5fda71656f28e49ac9c5416b3643eaa6a108a8093151d6d1afc9463be8e33
 RUN rm -rf /lib/apk/db/installed
 COPY . /home/files
+# add a circular reference that will result in a failure while executing FindByGlob:
+RUN mkdir -p /etc/alternatives && ln -s /etc/alternatives/java2 /etc/alternatives/java && ln -s /etc/alternatives/java /etc/alternatives/java2
diff --git a/test/cli/unknowns_test.go b/test/cli/unknowns_test.go
index 00eac1d24..02e1f9ecc 100644
--- a/test/cli/unknowns_test.go
+++ b/test/cli/unknowns_test.go
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ func Test_Unknowns(t *testing.T) {
 				assertInOutput(`no package identified in executable file`),
 				assertInOutput(`unable to read files from java archive`),
 				assertInOutput(`no package identified in archive`),
+				assertInOutput(`cycle during symlink resolution`),
 				assertSuccessfulReturnCode,
 			},
 		},