diff --git a/src/cmd/dist/test.go b/src/cmd/dist/test.go
index eadca9c08feb5..316a9b9dddfbb 100644
--- a/src/cmd/dist/test.go
+++ b/src/cmd/dist/test.go
@@ -1602,14 +1602,18 @@ func (t *tester) registerRaceTests() {
 		// t.registerTest("race:misc/cgo/test", hdr, &goTest{dir: "../misc/cgo/test", race: true, env: []string{"GOTRACEBACK=2"}})
 	}
 	if t.extLink() {
-		// Test with external linking; see issue 9133.
-		t.registerTest("race:external", hdr,
-			&goTest{
-				race:     true,
-				ldflags:  "-linkmode=external",
-				runTests: "TestParse|TestEcho|TestStdinCloseRace",
-				pkgs:     []string{"flag", "os/exec"},
-			})
+		if strings.HasPrefix(os.Getenv("GO_BUILDER_NAME"), "windows-amd64-2008") {
+			log.Printf("skipping -race with external linkage on older windows builder, see https://github.com/golang/go/issues/56904 for details")
+		} else {
+			// Test with external linking; see issue 9133.
+			t.registerTest("race:external", hdr,
+				&goTest{
+					race:     true,
+					ldflags:  "-linkmode=external",
+					runTests: "TestParse|TestEcho|TestStdinCloseRace",
+					pkgs:     []string{"flag", "os/exec"},
+				})
+		}
 	}
 }