diff --git a/compat/mingw.c b/compat/mingw.c
index f1cf1ca8f06923..131407a4b74b9e 100644
--- a/compat/mingw.c
+++ b/compat/mingw.c
@@ -368,6 +368,8 @@ static const wchar_t *make_relative_to(const wchar_t *path,
 	return out;
 }
 
+static DWORD symlink_file_flags = 0, symlink_directory_flags = 1;
+
 enum phantom_symlink_result {
 	PHANTOM_SYMLINK_RETRY,
 	PHANTOM_SYMLINK_DONE,
@@ -418,7 +420,8 @@ process_phantom_symlink(const wchar_t *wtarget, const wchar_t *wlink)
 		return PHANTOM_SYMLINK_DONE;
 
 	/* otherwise recreate the symlink with directory flag */
-	if (DeleteFileW(wlink) && CreateSymbolicLinkW(wlink, wtarget, 1))
+	if (DeleteFileW(wlink) &&
+	    CreateSymbolicLinkW(wlink, wtarget, symlink_directory_flags))
 		return PHANTOM_SYMLINK_DIRECTORY;
 
 	errno = err_win_to_posix(GetLastError());
@@ -3050,7 +3053,7 @@ int symlink(const char *target, const char *link)
 			wtarget[len] = '\\';
 
 	/* create file symlink */
-	if (!CreateSymbolicLinkW(wlink, wtarget, 0)) {
+	if (!CreateSymbolicLinkW(wlink, wtarget, symlink_file_flags)) {
 		errno = err_win_to_posix(GetLastError());
 		return -1;
 	}
@@ -3986,6 +3989,24 @@ static void maybe_redirect_std_handles(void)
 				  GENERIC_WRITE, FILE_FLAG_NO_BUFFERING);
 }
 
+static void adjust_symlink_flags(void)
+{
+	/*
+	 * Starting with Windows 10 Build 14972, symbolic links can be created
+	 * using CreateSymbolicLink() without elevation by passing the flag
+	 * SYMBOLIC_LINK_FLAG_ALLOW_UNPRIVILEGED_CREATE (0x02) as last
+	 * parameter, provided the Developer Mode has been enabled. Some
+	 * earlier Windows versions complain about this flag with an
+	 * ERROR_INVALID_PARAMETER, hence we have to test the build number
+	 * specifically.
+	 */
+	if (GetVersion() >= 14972 << 16) {
+		symlink_file_flags |= 2;
+		symlink_directory_flags |= 2;
+	}
+
+}
+
 #ifdef _MSC_VER
 #ifdef _DEBUG
 #include <crtdbg.h>
@@ -4021,6 +4042,7 @@ int wmain(int argc, const wchar_t **wargv)
 #endif
 
 	maybe_redirect_std_handles();
+	adjust_symlink_flags();
 	fsync_object_files = 1;
 
 	/* determine size of argv and environ conversion buffer */