diff --git a/platform_utils.py b/platform_utils.py
index e0fa9dc..2ad5649 100644
--- a/platform_utils.py
+++ b/platform_utils.py
@@ -242,3 +242,57 @@
         raise
   else:
     os.rename(src, dst)
+
+
+def islink(path):
+  """Test whether a path is a symbolic link.
+
+  Availability: Windows, Unix.
+  """
+  if isWindows():
+    import platform_utils_win32
+    return platform_utils_win32.islink(path)
+  else:
+    return os.path.islink(path)
+
+
+def readlink(path):
+  """Return a string representing the path to which the symbolic link
+  points. The result may be either an absolute or relative pathname;
+  if it is relative, it may be converted to an absolute pathname using
+  os.path.join(os.path.dirname(path), result).
+
+  Availability: Windows, Unix.
+  """
+  if isWindows():
+    import platform_utils_win32
+    return platform_utils_win32.readlink(path)
+  else:
+    return os.readlink(path)
+
+
+def realpath(path):
+  """Return the canonical path of the specified filename, eliminating
+  any symbolic links encountered in the path.
+
+  Availability: Windows, Unix.
+  """
+  if isWindows():
+    current_path = os.path.abspath(path)
+    path_tail = []
+    for c in range(0, 100):  # Avoid cycles
+      if islink(current_path):
+        target = readlink(current_path)
+        current_path = os.path.join(os.path.dirname(current_path), target)
+      else:
+        basename = os.path.basename(current_path)
+        if basename == '':
+          path_tail.append(current_path)
+          break
+        path_tail.append(basename)
+        current_path = os.path.dirname(current_path)
+    path_tail.reverse()
+    result = os.path.normpath(os.path.join(*path_tail))
+    return result
+  else:
+    return os.path.realpath(path)
diff --git a/platform_utils_win32.py b/platform_utils_win32.py
index 02fb013..fe76b3d 100644
--- a/platform_utils_win32.py
+++ b/platform_utils_win32.py
@@ -15,13 +15,20 @@
 
 import errno
 
-from ctypes import WinDLL, get_last_error, FormatError, WinError
-from ctypes.wintypes import BOOL, LPCWSTR, DWORD
+from ctypes import WinDLL, get_last_error, FormatError, WinError, addressof
+from ctypes import c_buffer
+from ctypes.wintypes import BOOL, LPCWSTR, DWORD, HANDLE, POINTER, c_ubyte
+from ctypes.wintypes import WCHAR, USHORT, LPVOID, Structure, Union, ULONG
+from ctypes.wintypes import byref
 
 kernel32 = WinDLL('kernel32', use_last_error=True)
 
+LPDWORD = POINTER(DWORD)
+UCHAR = c_ubyte
+
 # Win32 error codes
 ERROR_SUCCESS = 0
+ERROR_NOT_SUPPORTED = 50
 ERROR_PRIVILEGE_NOT_HELD = 1314
 
 # Win32 API entry points
@@ -35,6 +42,94 @@
 SYMBOLIC_LINK_FLAG_FILE = 0x00
 SYMBOLIC_LINK_FLAG_DIRECTORY = 0x01
 
+GetFileAttributesW = kernel32.GetFileAttributesW
+GetFileAttributesW.restype = DWORD
+GetFileAttributesW.argtypes = (LPCWSTR,)  # lpFileName In
+
+INVALID_FILE_ATTRIBUTES = 0xFFFFFFFF
+FILE_ATTRIBUTE_REPARSE_POINT = 0x00400
+
+CreateFileW = kernel32.CreateFileW
+CreateFileW.restype = HANDLE
+CreateFileW.argtypes = (LPCWSTR,  # lpFileName In
+                        DWORD,    # dwDesiredAccess In
+                        DWORD,    # dwShareMode In
+                        LPVOID,   # lpSecurityAttributes In_opt
+                        DWORD,    # dwCreationDisposition In
+                        DWORD,    # dwFlagsAndAttributes In
+                        HANDLE)   # hTemplateFile In_opt
+
+CloseHandle = kernel32.CloseHandle
+CloseHandle.restype = BOOL
+CloseHandle.argtypes = (HANDLE,)  # hObject In
+
+INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE = HANDLE(-1).value
+OPEN_EXISTING = 3
+FILE_FLAG_BACKUP_SEMANTICS = 0x02000000
+FILE_FLAG_OPEN_REPARSE_POINT = 0x00200000
+
+DeviceIoControl = kernel32.DeviceIoControl
+DeviceIoControl.restype = BOOL
+DeviceIoControl.argtypes = (HANDLE,   # hDevice In
+                            DWORD,    # dwIoControlCode In
+                            LPVOID,   # lpInBuffer In_opt
+                            DWORD,    # nInBufferSize In
+                            LPVOID,   # lpOutBuffer Out_opt
+                            DWORD,    # nOutBufferSize In
+                            LPDWORD,  # lpBytesReturned Out_opt
+                            LPVOID)   # lpOverlapped Inout_opt
+
+# Device I/O control flags and options
+FSCTL_GET_REPARSE_POINT = 0x000900A8
+IO_REPARSE_TAG_MOUNT_POINT = 0xA0000003
+IO_REPARSE_TAG_SYMLINK = 0xA000000C
+MAXIMUM_REPARSE_DATA_BUFFER_SIZE = 0x4000
+
+
+class GENERIC_REPARSE_BUFFER(Structure):
+  _fields_ = (('DataBuffer', UCHAR * 1),)
+
+
+class SYMBOLIC_LINK_REPARSE_BUFFER(Structure):
+  _fields_ = (('SubstituteNameOffset', USHORT),
+              ('SubstituteNameLength', USHORT),
+              ('PrintNameOffset', USHORT),
+              ('PrintNameLength', USHORT),
+              ('Flags', ULONG),
+              ('PathBuffer', WCHAR * 1))
+
+  @property
+  def PrintName(self):
+    arrayt = WCHAR * (self.PrintNameLength // 2)
+    offset = type(self).PathBuffer.offset + self.PrintNameOffset
+    return arrayt.from_address(addressof(self) + offset).value
+
+
+class MOUNT_POINT_REPARSE_BUFFER(Structure):
+  _fields_ = (('SubstituteNameOffset', USHORT),
+              ('SubstituteNameLength', USHORT),
+              ('PrintNameOffset', USHORT),
+              ('PrintNameLength', USHORT),
+              ('PathBuffer', WCHAR * 1))
+
+  @property
+  def PrintName(self):
+    arrayt = WCHAR * (self.PrintNameLength // 2)
+    offset = type(self).PathBuffer.offset + self.PrintNameOffset
+    return arrayt.from_address(addressof(self) + offset).value
+
+
+class REPARSE_DATA_BUFFER(Structure):
+  class REPARSE_BUFFER(Union):
+    _fields_ = (('SymbolicLinkReparseBuffer', SYMBOLIC_LINK_REPARSE_BUFFER),
+                ('MountPointReparseBuffer', MOUNT_POINT_REPARSE_BUFFER),
+                ('GenericReparseBuffer', GENERIC_REPARSE_BUFFER))
+  _fields_ = (('ReparseTag', ULONG),
+              ('ReparseDataLength', USHORT),
+              ('Reserved', USHORT),
+              ('ReparseBuffer', REPARSE_BUFFER))
+  _anonymous_ = ('ReparseBuffer',)
+
 
 def create_filesymlink(source, link_name):
   """Creates a Windows file symbolic link source pointing to link_name."""
@@ -58,6 +153,65 @@
     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)
+    _raise_winerror(
+        code,
+        'Error creating symbolic link \"%s\"'.format(link_name))
+
+
+def islink(path):
+  result = GetFileAttributesW(path)
+  if result == INVALID_FILE_ATTRIBUTES:
+    return False
+  return bool(result & FILE_ATTRIBUTE_REPARSE_POINT)
+
+
+def readlink(path):
+  reparse_point_handle = CreateFileW(path,
+                                     0,
+                                     0,
+                                     None,
+                                     OPEN_EXISTING,
+                                     FILE_FLAG_OPEN_REPARSE_POINT |
+                                     FILE_FLAG_BACKUP_SEMANTICS,
+                                     None)
+  if reparse_point_handle == INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE:
+    _raise_winerror(
+        get_last_error(),
+        'Error opening symblic link \"%s\"'.format(path))
+  target_buffer = c_buffer(MAXIMUM_REPARSE_DATA_BUFFER_SIZE)
+  n_bytes_returned = DWORD()
+  io_result = DeviceIoControl(reparse_point_handle,
+                              FSCTL_GET_REPARSE_POINT,
+                              None,
+                              0,
+                              target_buffer,
+                              len(target_buffer),
+                              byref(n_bytes_returned),
+                              None)
+  CloseHandle(reparse_point_handle)
+  if not io_result:
+    _raise_winerror(
+        get_last_error(),
+        'Error reading symblic link \"%s\"'.format(path))
+  rdb = REPARSE_DATA_BUFFER.from_buffer(target_buffer)
+  if rdb.ReparseTag == IO_REPARSE_TAG_SYMLINK:
+    return _preserve_encoding(path, rdb.SymbolicLinkReparseBuffer.PrintName)
+  elif rdb.ReparseTag == IO_REPARSE_TAG_MOUNT_POINT:
+    return _preserve_encoding(path, rdb.MountPointReparseBuffer.PrintName)
+  # Unsupported reparse point type
+  _raise_winerror(
+      ERROR_NOT_SUPPORTED,
+      'Error reading symblic link \"%s\"'.format(path))
+
+
+def _preserve_encoding(source, target):
+  """Ensures target is the same string type (i.e. unicode or str) as source."""
+  if isinstance(source, unicode):
+    return unicode(target)
+  return str(target)
+
+
+def _raise_winerror(code, error_desc):
+  win_error_desc = FormatError(code).strip()
+  error_desc = "%s: %s".format(error_desc, win_error_desc)
+  raise WinError(code, error_desc)
diff --git a/project.py b/project.py
index d4c5afd..655b202 100644
--- a/project.py
+++ b/project.py
@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@
   """
   global _project_hook_list
   if _project_hook_list is None:
-    d = os.path.realpath(os.path.abspath(os.path.dirname(__file__)))
+    d = platform_utils.realpath(os.path.abspath(os.path.dirname(__file__)))
     d = os.path.join(d, 'hooks')
     _project_hook_list = [os.path.join(d, x) for x in os.listdir(d)]
   return _project_hook_list
@@ -275,7 +275,7 @@
 
   def __linkIt(self, relSrc, absDest):
     # link file if it does not exist or is out of date
-    if not os.path.islink(absDest) or (os.readlink(absDest) != relSrc):
+    if not platform_utils.islink(absDest) or (platform_utils.readlink(absDest) != relSrc):
       try:
         # remove existing file first, since it might be read-only
         if os.path.lexists(absDest):
@@ -2315,10 +2315,10 @@
             print("Retrying clone after deleting %s" %
                   self.gitdir, file=sys.stderr)
             try:
-              platform_utils.rmtree(os.path.realpath(self.gitdir))
-              if self.worktree and os.path.exists(os.path.realpath
+              platform_utils.rmtree(platform_utils.realpath(self.gitdir))
+              if self.worktree and os.path.exists(platform_utils.realpath
                                                   (self.worktree)):
-                platform_utils.rmtree(os.path.realpath(self.worktree))
+                platform_utils.rmtree(platform_utils.realpath(self.worktree))
               return self._InitGitDir(mirror_git=mirror_git, force_sync=False)
             except:
               raise e
@@ -2370,7 +2370,7 @@
       self._InitHooks()
 
   def _InitHooks(self):
-    hooks = os.path.realpath(self._gitdir_path('hooks'))
+    hooks = platform_utils.realpath(self._gitdir_path('hooks'))
     if not os.path.exists(hooks):
       os.makedirs(hooks)
     for stock_hook in _ProjectHooks():
@@ -2386,7 +2386,7 @@
         continue
 
       dst = os.path.join(hooks, name)
-      if os.path.islink(dst):
+      if platform_utils.islink(dst):
         continue
       if os.path.exists(dst):
         if filecmp.cmp(stock_hook, dst, shallow=False):
@@ -2448,9 +2448,9 @@
       symlink_dirs += self.working_tree_dirs
     to_symlink = symlink_files + symlink_dirs
     for name in set(to_symlink):
-      dst = os.path.realpath(os.path.join(destdir, name))
+      dst = platform_utils.realpath(os.path.join(destdir, name))
       if os.path.lexists(dst):
-        src = os.path.realpath(os.path.join(srcdir, name))
+        src = platform_utils.realpath(os.path.join(srcdir, name))
         # Fail if the links are pointing to the wrong place
         if src != dst:
           _error('%s is different in %s vs %s', name, destdir, srcdir)
@@ -2482,10 +2482,10 @@
     if copy_all:
       to_copy = os.listdir(gitdir)
 
-    dotgit = os.path.realpath(dotgit)
+    dotgit = platform_utils.realpath(dotgit)
     for name in set(to_copy).union(to_symlink):
       try:
-        src = os.path.realpath(os.path.join(gitdir, name))
+        src = platform_utils.realpath(os.path.join(gitdir, name))
         dst = os.path.join(dotgit, name)
 
         if os.path.lexists(dst):
@@ -2498,7 +2498,7 @@
         if name in to_symlink:
           platform_utils.symlink(
               os.path.relpath(src, os.path.dirname(dst)), dst)
-        elif copy_all and not os.path.islink(dst):
+        elif copy_all and not platform_utils.islink(dst):
           if os.path.isdir(src):
             shutil.copytree(src, dst)
           elif os.path.isfile(src):
@@ -2556,7 +2556,7 @@
       raise
 
   def _gitdir_path(self, path):
-    return os.path.realpath(os.path.join(self.gitdir, path))
+    return platform_utils.realpath(os.path.join(self.gitdir, path))
 
   def _revlist(self, *args, **kw):
     a = []
diff --git a/subcmds/sync.py b/subcmds/sync.py
index b88c596..93fea23 100644
--- a/subcmds/sync.py
+++ b/subcmds/sync.py
@@ -498,7 +498,7 @@
       dirs_to_remove += [os.path.join(root, d) for d in dirs
                          if os.path.join(root, d) not in dirs_to_remove]
     for d in reversed(dirs_to_remove):
-      if os.path.islink(d):
+      if platform_utils.islink(d):
         try:
           os.remove(d)
         except OSError: