diff --git a/manifest_xml.py b/manifest_xml.py
index 55d25a79..05651c6c 100644
--- a/manifest_xml.py
+++ b/manifest_xml.py
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ else:
 import gitc_utils
 from git_config import GitConfig
 from git_refs import R_HEADS, HEAD
+import platform_utils
 from project import RemoteSpec, Project, MetaProject
 from error import ManifestParseError, ManifestInvalidRevisionError
 
@@ -166,7 +167,7 @@ class XmlManifest(object):
     try:
       if os.path.lexists(self.manifestFile):
         os.remove(self.manifestFile)
-      os.symlink(os.path.join('manifests', name), self.manifestFile)
+      platform_utils.symlink(os.path.join('manifests', name), self.manifestFile)
     except OSError as e:
       raise ManifestParseError('cannot link manifest %s: %s' % (name, str(e)))
 
diff --git a/platform_utils.py b/platform_utils.py
index 1c719b1d..f4dfa0b1 100644
--- a/platform_utils.py
+++ b/platform_utils.py
@@ -167,3 +167,46 @@ class _FileDescriptorStreamsThreads(FileDescriptorStreams):
         self.queue.put(_FileDescriptorStreamsThreads.QueueItem(self, line))
       self.fd.close()
       self.queue.put(_FileDescriptorStreamsThreads.QueueItem(self, None))
+
+
+def symlink(source, link_name):
+  """Creates a symbolic link pointing to source named link_name.
+  Note: On Windows, source must exist on disk, as the implementation needs
+  to know whether to create a "File" or a "Directory" symbolic link.
+  """
+  if isWindows():
+    import platform_utils_win32
+    source = _validate_winpath(source)
+    link_name = _validate_winpath(link_name)
+    target = os.path.join(os.path.dirname(link_name), source)
+    if os.path.isdir(target):
+      platform_utils_win32.create_dirsymlink(source, link_name)
+    else:
+      platform_utils_win32.create_filesymlink(source, link_name)
+  else:
+    return os.symlink(source, link_name)
+
+
+def _validate_winpath(path):
+  path = os.path.normpath(path)
+  if _winpath_is_valid(path):
+    return path
+  raise ValueError("Path \"%s\" must be a relative path or an absolute "
+                   "path starting with a drive letter".format(path))
+
+
+def _winpath_is_valid(path):
+  """Windows only: returns True if path is relative (e.g. ".\\foo") or is
+  absolute including a drive letter (e.g. "c:\\foo"). Returns False if path
+  is ambiguous (e.g. "x:foo" or "\\foo").
+  """
+  assert isWindows()
+  path = os.path.normpath(path)
+  drive, tail = os.path.splitdrive(path)
+  if tail:
+    if not drive:
+      return tail[0] != os.sep  # "\\foo" is invalid
+    else:
+      return tail[0] == os.sep  # "x:foo" is invalid
+  else:
+    return not drive  # "x:" is invalid
diff --git a/platform_utils_win32.py b/platform_utils_win32.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..02fb013a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/platform_utils_win32.py
@@ -0,0 +1,63 @@
+#
+# Copyright (C) 2016 The Android Open Source Project
+#
+# Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+# you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+# You may obtain a copy of the License at
+#
+#      http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+#
+# Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+# distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+# WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+# See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+# limitations under the License.
+
+import errno
+
+from ctypes import WinDLL, get_last_error, FormatError, WinError
+from ctypes.wintypes import BOOL, LPCWSTR, DWORD
+
+kernel32 = WinDLL('kernel32', use_last_error=True)
+
+# Win32 error codes
+ERROR_SUCCESS = 0
+ERROR_PRIVILEGE_NOT_HELD = 1314
+
+# Win32 API entry points
+CreateSymbolicLinkW = kernel32.CreateSymbolicLinkW
+CreateSymbolicLinkW.restype = BOOL
+CreateSymbolicLinkW.argtypes = (LPCWSTR,  # lpSymlinkFileName In
+                                LPCWSTR,  # lpTargetFileName In
+                                DWORD)    # dwFlags In
+
+# Symbolic link creation flags
+SYMBOLIC_LINK_FLAG_FILE = 0x00
+SYMBOLIC_LINK_FLAG_DIRECTORY = 0x01
+
+
+def create_filesymlink(source, link_name):
+  """Creates a Windows file symbolic link source pointing to link_name."""
+  _create_symlink(source, link_name, SYMBOLIC_LINK_FLAG_FILE)
+
+
+def create_dirsymlink(source, link_name):
+  """Creates a Windows directory symbolic link source pointing to link_name.
+  """
+  _create_symlink(source, link_name, SYMBOLIC_LINK_FLAG_DIRECTORY)
+
+
+def _create_symlink(source, link_name, dwFlags):
+  # Note: Win32 documentation for CreateSymbolicLink is incorrect.
+  # On success, the function returns "1".
+  # On error, the function returns some random value (e.g. 1280).
+  # The best bet seems to use "GetLastError" and check for error/success.
+  CreateSymbolicLinkW(link_name, source, dwFlags)
+  code = get_last_error()
+  if code != ERROR_SUCCESS:
+    error_desc = FormatError(code).strip()
+    if code == ERROR_PRIVILEGE_NOT_HELD:
+      raise OSError(errno.EPERM, error_desc, link_name)
+    error_desc = 'Error creating symbolic link %s: %s'.format(
+        link_name, error_desc)
+    raise WinError(code, error_desc)
diff --git a/project.py b/project.py
index 269fd7e5..de5c7915 100644
--- a/project.py
+++ b/project.py
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ from git_config import GitConfig, IsId, GetSchemeFromUrl, GetUrlCookieFile, \
 from error import GitError, HookError, UploadError, DownloadError
 from error import ManifestInvalidRevisionError
 from error import NoManifestException
+import platform_utils
 from trace import IsTrace, Trace
 
 from git_refs import GitRefs, HEAD, R_HEADS, R_TAGS, R_PUB, R_M
@@ -277,7 +278,7 @@ class _LinkFile(object):
           dest_dir = os.path.dirname(absDest)
           if not os.path.isdir(dest_dir):
             os.makedirs(dest_dir)
-        os.symlink(relSrc, absDest)
+        platform_utils.symlink(relSrc, absDest)
       except IOError:
         _error('Cannot link file %s to %s', relSrc, absDest)
 
@@ -2379,7 +2380,8 @@ class Project(object):
                 self.relpath, name)
           continue
       try:
-        os.symlink(os.path.relpath(stock_hook, os.path.dirname(dst)), dst)
+        platform_utils.symlink(
+            os.path.relpath(stock_hook, os.path.dirname(dst)), dst)
       except OSError as e:
         if e.errno == errno.EPERM:
           raise GitError('filesystem must support symlinks')
@@ -2478,7 +2480,8 @@ class Project(object):
           os.makedirs(src)
 
         if name in to_symlink:
-          os.symlink(os.path.relpath(src, os.path.dirname(dst)), dst)
+          platform_utils.symlink(
+              os.path.relpath(src, os.path.dirname(dst)), dst)
         elif copy_all and not os.path.islink(dst):
           if os.path.isdir(src):
             shutil.copytree(src, dst)