diff --git a/lib/src/host/git-info.test.ts b/lib/src/host/git-info.test.ts
index 675fd7b2b..69705402b 100644
--- a/lib/src/host/git-info.test.ts
+++ b/lib/src/host/git-info.test.ts
@@ -88,7 +88,8 @@ describe('gitInfo', () => {
 
   it('hands git the canonical path, never the symlink it was given', async () => {
     const link = join(root, 'link-to-src');
-    symlinkSync(join(root, 'myrepo/src'), link);
+    // A directory junction exercises realpath without Windows symlink privileges.
+    symlinkSync(join(root, 'myrepo/src'), link, process.platform === 'win32' ? 'junction' : 'dir');
     spawned.length = 0;
     expect((await gitInfo([link]))[link]).toEqual({ repo: 'myrepo', branch: 'main' });
     const dirs = spawned.map((args) => args[args.indexOf('-C') + 1]);
diff --git a/lib/src/host/playwright-install.test.ts b/lib/src/host/playwright-install.test.ts
index 273474ed0..b4d697959 100644
--- a/lib/src/host/playwright-install.test.ts
+++ b/lib/src/host/playwright-install.test.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 // @vitest-environment node
 import { afterEach, beforeEach, expect, test } from 'vitest';
-import { mkdirSync, mkdtempSync, realpathSync, rmSync, symlinkSync, writeFileSync } from 'node:fs';
+import { mkdirSync, mkdtempSync, realpathSync, rmSync, statSync, symlinkSync, writeFileSync } from 'node:fs';
 import os from 'node:os';
 import path from 'node:path';
 import { resolvePlaywrightInstall } from './playwright-install';
@@ -25,7 +25,10 @@ function write(file: string, text: string): string {
 
 function link(target: string, at: string): void {
   mkdirSync(path.dirname(at), { recursive: true });
-  symlinkSync(target, at);
+  // Windows package managers use directory junctions without symlink privileges.
+  // File links stay real symlinks for the POSIX launcher layouts.
+  const directory = statSync(path.resolve(path.dirname(at), target)).isDirectory();
+  symlinkSync(target, at, process.platform === 'win32' && directory ? 'junction' : undefined);
 }
 
 function cliPackage(dir: string, bin = 'playwright-cli.js'): void {