diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index b0ed53456d..e7d6ef28bd 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@
     "lint:fix": "prettier --write .",
     "test": "xvfb-maybe cross-env TS_NODE_PROJECT='./tsconfig.test.json' TS_NODE_FILES=1 mocha './tools/test-globber.ts'",
     "test:fast": "xvfb-maybe cross-env TS_NODE_PROJECT='./tsconfig.test.json' TEST_FAST_ONLY=1 TS_NODE_FILES=1 mocha './tools/test-globber.ts'",
-    "preinstall": "npx mkdirp packages/api/cli/dist && npx mkdirp packages/external/create-electron-app/dist && touch packages/api/cli/dist/electron-forge.js && touch packages/external/create-electron-app/dist/index.js",
+    "preinstall": "node ./tools/maybe-shim-windows.js",
     "postinstall": "rimraf node_modules/.bin/*.ps1 && ts-node ./tools/gen-tsconfigs.ts && ts-node ./tools/gen-ts-glue.ts",
     "prepare": "husky install"
   },
diff --git a/tools/maybe-shim-windows.js b/tools/maybe-shim-windows.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..b09256f222
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/maybe-shim-windows.js
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+const cp = require('child_process');
+
+/*
+ * Adds a shim to fix Windows symlinking with create-electron-app.
+ * Should run on Windows only.
+ * More details: https://github.com/boltpkg/bolt/issues/207
+ */
+async function spawnProcess(cmd, shimPath) {
+  const child = cp.spawn('npx', [cmd, shimPath], {
+    stdio: 'inherit',
+  });
+  child.on('exit', (code) => process.exit(code));
+}
+
+async function main() {
+  spawnProcess('mkdirp', '../packages/api/cli/dist');
+  spawnProcess('mkdirp', '../packages/external/create-electron-app');
+  spawnProcess('touch', '../packages/api/cli/dist/electron-forge.js');
+  spawnProcess('touch', '../packages/external/create-electron-app/dist/index.js');
+}
+
+if (process.platform === 'win32') {
+  main().catch((err) => {
+    console.error(err);
+    process.exit(1);
+  });
+}