diff --git a/lib/build.js b/lib/build.js
index 00a0abe691..e6ec08def8 100644
--- a/lib/build.js
+++ b/lib/build.js
@@ -195,17 +195,29 @@ async function build (gyp, argv) {
 
     if (!win) {
       // Add build-time dependency symlinks (such as Python) to PATH
-      buildBinsDir = path.resolve('build', 'node_gyp_bins')
-      process.env.PATH = `${buildBinsDir}:${process.env.PATH}`
-      await fs.mkdir(buildBinsDir, { recursive: true })
-      const symlinkDestination = path.join(buildBinsDir, 'python3')
+      const candidateBuildBinsDir = path.resolve('build', 'node_gyp_bins')
+      await fs.mkdir(candidateBuildBinsDir, { recursive: true })
+      const symlinkDestination = path.join(candidateBuildBinsDir, 'python3')
       try {
         await fs.unlink(symlinkDestination)
       } catch (err) {
         if (err.code !== 'ENOENT') throw err
       }
-      await fs.symlink(python, symlinkDestination)
-      log.verbose('bin symlinks', `created symlink to "${python}" in "${buildBinsDir}" and added to PATH`)
+      try {
+        await fs.symlink(python, symlinkDestination)
+        process.env.PATH = `${candidateBuildBinsDir}:${process.env.PATH}`
+        buildBinsDir = candidateBuildBinsDir
+        log.verbose('bin symlinks', `created symlink to "${python}" in "${candidateBuildBinsDir}" and added to PATH`)
+      } catch (err) {
+        if (!['EPERM', 'EACCES', 'ENOSYS', 'ENOTSUP'].includes(err.code)) {
+          throw err
+        }
+        log.warn('bin symlinks',
+          `failed to create symlink to "${python}" in "${candidateBuildBinsDir}" ` +
+          `(${err.message}); continuing without it. ` +
+          'The build may fail if it relies on the "python3" command being on PATH.')
+        await fs.rm(candidateBuildBinsDir, { recursive: true, force: true, maxRetries: 3 })
+      }
     }
 
     const proc = gyp.spawn(command, argv)
diff --git a/test/test-build-symlink.js b/test/test-build-symlink.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..aa840cf5a9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/test-build-symlink.js
@@ -0,0 +1,97 @@
+'use strict'
+
+const { describe, it, beforeEach, afterEach } = require('mocha')
+const assert = require('assert')
+const os = require('os')
+const path = require('path')
+const { EventEmitter } = require('events')
+const gracefulFs = require('graceful-fs')
+const fs = gracefulFs.promises
+const build = require('../lib/build')
+
+const fakeGyp = {
+  opts: { make: process.execPath },
+  spawn () {
+    const proc = new EventEmitter()
+    setImmediate(() => proc.emit('exit', 0, null))
+    return proc
+  }
+}
+
+function stubSymlink (code) {
+  gracefulFs.promises.symlink = async () => {
+    const err = new Error(`${code}: simulated symlink failure`)
+    err.code = code
+    throw err
+  }
+}
+
+describe('build symlink fallback', function () {
+  let projectDir, buildDir
+  const orig = {}
+  beforeEach(async function () {
+    if (process.platform === 'win32') {
+      return this.skip('symlink logic only runs on non-Windows')
+    }
+    projectDir = await fs.mkdtemp(path.join(os.tmpdir(), 'node-gyp-build-'))
+    buildDir = path.join(projectDir, 'build')
+    await fs.mkdir(buildDir, { recursive: true })
+    await fs.writeFile(path.join(buildDir, 'Makefile'), '')
+    const config = {
+      target_defaults: { default_configuration: 'Release' },
+      variables: { target_arch: 'x64', nodedir: projectDir, python: 'python3' }
+    }
+    await fs.writeFile(path.join(buildDir, 'config.gypi'), JSON.stringify(config))
+
+    orig.symlink = gracefulFs.promises.symlink
+    orig.cwd = process.cwd()
+    orig.path = process.env.PATH
+
+    process.chdir(projectDir)
+  })
+  afterEach(async function () {
+    if (process.platform === 'win32') {
+      return
+    }
+    gracefulFs.promises.symlink = orig.symlink
+    process.chdir(orig.cwd)
+    process.env.PATH = orig.path
+    await fs.rm(projectDir, { recursive: true, force: true })
+  })
+  it('continues and warns when symlink creation fails', async function () {
+    stubSymlink('EPERM')
+    const warnings = []
+    const onLog = (level, prefix) => {
+      if (level === 'warn') {
+        warnings.push(prefix)
+      }
+    }
+    process.on('log', onLog)
+    try {
+      await build(fakeGyp, [])
+      assert.ok(
+        !gracefulFs.existsSync(path.join(buildDir, 'node_gyp_bins')),
+        'node_gyp_bins should be removed after symlink failure'
+      )
+      assert.ok(
+        !process.env.PATH.includes('node_gyp_bins'),
+        'PATH should not contain node_gyp_bins when symlink fails'
+      )
+      assert.ok(warnings.includes('bin symlinks'), 'should warn about the failed symlink')
+    } finally {
+      process.removeListener('log', onLog)
+    }
+  })
+  it('fails if symlink creation failed for unknown reason', async function () {
+    stubSymlink('UNKNOWN')
+    await assert.rejects(
+      build(fakeGyp, []),
+      /UNKNOWN/,
+      'build should rethrow errors that are not symlink-support failures'
+    )
+    assert.ok(
+      !process.env.PATH.includes('node_gyp_bins'),
+      'PATH should not contain node_gyp_bins when symlink fails'
+    )
+  })
+})