diff --git a/src/tools/run-make-support/src/lib.rs b/src/tools/run-make-support/src/lib.rs
index 487132683e920..aa5328e87d040 100644
--- a/src/tools/run-make-support/src/lib.rs
+++ b/src/tools/run-make-support/src/lib.rs
@@ -105,32 +105,37 @@ pub fn source_root() -> PathBuf {
     env_var("SOURCE_ROOT").into()
 }
 
-/// Creates a new symlink to a path on the filesystem, adjusting for Windows or Unix.
-#[cfg(target_family = "windows")]
+/// Creates a new symlink to a path on the filesystem (only available for Unix because symlink
+/// creation is a priviledged operation on Windows; see
+/// <https://doc.rust-lang.org/stable/std/os/windows/fs/fn.symlink_file.html#limitations>).
 pub fn create_symlink<P: AsRef<Path>, Q: AsRef<Path>>(original: P, link: Q) {
-    if link.as_ref().exists() {
-        std::fs::remove_dir(link.as_ref()).unwrap();
+    #[cfg(target_family = "windows")]
+    {
+        panic!(
+            "symlink is an priviledged operation on Windows that is not normally enabled on user machines"
+        );
     }
-    use std::os::windows::fs;
-    fs::symlink_file(original.as_ref(), link.as_ref()).expect(&format!(
-        "failed to create symlink {:?} for {:?}",
-        link.as_ref().display(),
-        original.as_ref().display(),
-    ));
-}
 
-/// Creates a new symlink to a path on the filesystem, adjusting for Windows or Unix.
-#[cfg(target_family = "unix")]
-pub fn create_symlink<P: AsRef<Path>, Q: AsRef<Path>>(original: P, link: Q) {
-    if link.as_ref().exists() {
-        std::fs::remove_dir(link.as_ref()).unwrap();
+    #[cfg(target_family = "unix")]
+    {
+        let link = link.as_ref();
+        if link.exists() {
+            std::fs::remove_dir(link)
+                .expect(&format!("failed to remove existing symlink: {}", link.display()));
+        }
+
+        use std::os::unix::fs;
+        fs::symlink(original.as_ref(), link).expect(&format!(
+            "failed to create symlink {} for {}",
+            link.display(),
+            original.as_ref().display(),
+        ));
+    }
+
+    #[cfg(not(any(target_family = "unix", target_family = "windows")))]
+    {
+        unimplemented!();
     }
-    use std::os::unix::fs;
-    fs::symlink(original.as_ref(), link.as_ref()).expect(&format!(
-        "failed to create symlink {:?} for {:?}",
-        link.as_ref().display(),
-        original.as_ref().display(),
-    ));
 }
 
 /// Construct the static library name based on the platform.
diff --git a/tests/run-make/symlinked-extern/rmake.rs b/tests/run-make/symlinked-extern/rmake.rs
index 98f69aefbe622..e8c3748d462aa 100644
--- a/tests/run-make/symlinked-extern/rmake.rs
+++ b/tests/run-make/symlinked-extern/rmake.rs
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
 // can result in successful compilation.
 
 //@ ignore-cross-compile
+//@ ignore-windows (symlink creation is priviledged on Windows)
 
 use run_make_support::{create_symlink, cwd, fs_wrapper, rustc};
 
diff --git a/tests/run-make/symlinked-libraries/rmake.rs b/tests/run-make/symlinked-libraries/rmake.rs
index 3f02f19ccd5b0..deb83bfddc4f3 100644
--- a/tests/run-make/symlinked-libraries/rmake.rs
+++ b/tests/run-make/symlinked-libraries/rmake.rs
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 // See https://github.com/rust-lang/rust/issues/12459
 
 //@ ignore-cross-compile
+//@ ignore-windows (symlink creation is priviledged on Windows)
 
 use run_make_support::{create_symlink, dynamic_lib_name, fs_wrapper, rustc};
 
diff --git a/tests/run-make/symlinked-rlib/rmake.rs b/tests/run-make/symlinked-rlib/rmake.rs
index 3759ca25928a1..59a916bf1aef3 100644
--- a/tests/run-make/symlinked-rlib/rmake.rs
+++ b/tests/run-make/symlinked-rlib/rmake.rs
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 // See https://github.com/rust-lang/rust/pull/32828
 
 //@ ignore-cross-compile
+//@ ignore-windows (symlink creation is priviledged on Windows)
 
 use run_make_support::{create_symlink, cwd, rustc};