diff --git a/build.zig b/build.zig
index 5c5c7cc0ae..75560f6965 100644
--- a/build.zig
+++ b/build.zig
@@ -88,6 +88,7 @@ pub fn build(b: *Builder) !void {
         "Whether LLVM has the experimental target arc enabled",
     ) orelse false;
     const enable_macos_sdk = b.option(bool, "enable-macos-sdk", "Run tests requiring presence of macOS SDK and frameworks") orelse false;
+    const enable_symlinks_windows = b.option(bool, "enable-symlinks-windows", "Enable using symlinks on Windows. If this is not set, hardlinks are used.") orelse false;
     const config_h_path_option = b.option([]const u8, "config_h", "Path to the generated config.h");
 
     if (!skip_install_lib_files) {
@@ -519,9 +520,10 @@ pub fn build(b: *Builder) !void {
         b.enable_rosetta,
         b.enable_wasmtime,
         b.enable_wine,
+        enable_symlinks_windows,
     ));
     test_step.dependOn(tests.addCAbiTests(b, skip_non_native));
-    test_step.dependOn(tests.addLinkTests(b, test_filter, modes, enable_macos_sdk, skip_stage2_tests));
+    test_step.dependOn(tests.addLinkTests(b, test_filter, modes, enable_macos_sdk, skip_stage2_tests, enable_symlinks_windows));
     test_step.dependOn(tests.addStackTraceTests(b, test_filter, modes));
     test_step.dependOn(tests.addCliTests(b, test_filter, modes));
     test_step.dependOn(tests.addAssembleAndLinkTests(b, test_filter, modes));
diff --git a/ci/windows/build.ps1 b/ci/windows/build.ps1
index 9a63b2559b..2e49402750 100644
--- a/ci/windows/build.ps1
+++ b/ci/windows/build.ps1
@@ -49,7 +49,8 @@ Write-Output " zig build test docs..."
 & "$ZIGINSTALLDIR\bin\zig.exe" build test docs `
     --search-prefix "$ZIGPREFIXPATH" `
     -Dstatic-llvm `
-    -Dskip-non-native
+    -Dskip-non-native `
+    -Denable-symlinks-windows
 CheckLastExitCode
 
 # Produce the experimental std lib documentation.
diff --git a/test/link.zig b/test/link.zig
index 47e51859bc..74e575c526 100644
--- a/test/link.zig
+++ b/test/link.zig
@@ -82,83 +82,102 @@ fn addMachOCases(cases: *tests.StandaloneContext) void {
     cases.addBuildFile("test/link/macho/bugs/13056/build.zig", .{
         .build_modes = true,
         .requires_macos_sdk = true,
+        .requires_symlinks = true,
     });
 
     cases.addBuildFile("test/link/macho/bugs/13457/build.zig", .{
         .build_modes = true,
+        .requires_symlinks = true,
     });
 
     cases.addBuildFile("test/link/macho/dead_strip/build.zig", .{
         .build_modes = false,
+        .requires_symlinks = true,
     });
 
     cases.addBuildFile("test/link/macho/dead_strip_dylibs/build.zig", .{
         .build_modes = true,
         .requires_macos_sdk = true,
+        .requires_symlinks = true,
     });
 
     cases.addBuildFile("test/link/macho/dylib/build.zig", .{
         .build_modes = true,
+        .requires_symlinks = true,
     });
 
     cases.addBuildFile("test/link/macho/empty/build.zig", .{
         .build_modes = true,
+        .requires_symlinks = true,
     });
 
     cases.addBuildFile("test/link/macho/entry/build.zig", .{
         .build_modes = true,
+        .requires_symlinks = true,
     });
 
     cases.addBuildFile("test/link/macho/headerpad/build.zig", .{
         .build_modes = true,
         .requires_macos_sdk = true,
-    });
+        .requires_symlinks = true,
+   });
 
     cases.addBuildFile("test/link/macho/linksection/build.zig", .{
         .build_modes = true,
+        .requires_symlinks = true,
     });
 
     cases.addBuildFile("test/link/macho/needed_framework/build.zig", .{
         .build_modes = true,
         .requires_macos_sdk = true,
+        .requires_symlinks = true,
     });
 
     cases.addBuildFile("test/link/macho/needed_library/build.zig", .{
         .build_modes = true,
+        .requires_symlinks = true,
     });
 
     cases.addBuildFile("test/link/macho/objc/build.zig", .{
         .build_modes = true,
         .requires_macos_sdk = true,
+        .requires_symlinks = true,
     });
 
     cases.addBuildFile("test/link/macho/objcpp/build.zig", .{
         .build_modes = true,
         .requires_macos_sdk = true,
+        .requires_symlinks = true,
     });
 
     cases.addBuildFile("test/link/macho/pagezero/build.zig", .{
         .build_modes = false,
+        .requires_symlinks = true,
     });
 
     cases.addBuildFile("test/link/macho/search_strategy/build.zig", .{
         .build_modes = true,
+        .requires_symlinks = true,
     });
 
     cases.addBuildFile("test/link/macho/stack_size/build.zig", .{
         .build_modes = true,
+        .requires_symlinks = true,
     });
 
     cases.addBuildFile("test/link/macho/tls/build.zig", .{
         .build_modes = true,
+        .requires_symlinks = true,
     });
 
     cases.addBuildFile("test/link/macho/weak_library/build.zig", .{
         .build_modes = true,
+        .requires_symlinks = true,
     });
 
     cases.addBuildFile("test/link/macho/weak_framework/build.zig", .{
         .build_modes = true,
         .requires_macos_sdk = true,
+        .requires_symlinks = true,
     });
 }
diff --git a/test/tests.zig b/test/tests.zig
index 8ee2dd395d..61758f3aa3 100644
--- a/test/tests.zig
+++ b/test/tests.zig
@@ -505,6 +505,7 @@ pub fn addStandaloneTests(
     enable_rosetta: bool,
     enable_wasmtime: bool,
     enable_wine: bool,
+    enable_symlinks_windows: bool,
 ) *build.Step {
     const cases = b.allocator.create(StandaloneContext) catch unreachable;
     cases.* = StandaloneContext{
@@ -522,6 +523,7 @@ pub fn addStandaloneTests(
         .enable_rosetta = enable_rosetta,
         .enable_wasmtime = enable_wasmtime,
         .enable_wine = enable_wine,
+        .enable_symlinks_windows = enable_symlinks_windows,
     };
 
     standalone.addCases(cases);
@@ -535,6 +537,7 @@ pub fn addLinkTests(
     modes: []const Mode,
     enable_macos_sdk: bool,
     omit_stage2: bool,
+    enable_symlinks_windows: bool,
 ) *build.Step {
     const cases = b.allocator.create(StandaloneContext) catch unreachable;
     cases.* = StandaloneContext{
@@ -547,6 +550,7 @@ pub fn addLinkTests(
         .enable_macos_sdk = enable_macos_sdk,
         .target = .{},
         .omit_stage2 = omit_stage2,
+        .enable_symlinks_windows = enable_symlinks_windows,
     };
     link.addCases(cases);
     return cases.step;
@@ -1022,6 +1026,7 @@ pub const StandaloneContext = struct {
     enable_rosetta: bool = false,
     enable_wasmtime: bool = false,
     enable_wine: bool = false,
+    enable_symlinks_windows: bool,
 
     pub fn addC(self: *StandaloneContext, root_src: []const u8) void {
         self.addAllArgs(root_src, true);
@@ -1037,11 +1042,13 @@ pub const StandaloneContext = struct {
         requires_macos_sdk: bool = false,
         requires_stage2: bool = false,
         use_emulation: bool = false,
+        requires_symlinks: bool = false,
     }) void {
         const b = self.b;
 
         if (features.requires_macos_sdk and !self.enable_macos_sdk) return;
         if (features.requires_stage2 and self.omit_stage2) return;
+        if (features.requires_symlinks and !self.enable_symlinks_windows and builtin.os.tag == .windows) return;
 
         const annotated_case_name = b.fmt("build {s}", .{build_file});
         if (self.test_filter) |filter| {