diff --git a/django/contrib/staticfiles/management/commands/collectstatic.py b/django/contrib/staticfiles/management/commands/collectstatic.py
index d16dab540c..02e95d56b9 100644
--- a/django/contrib/staticfiles/management/commands/collectstatic.py
+++ b/django/contrib/staticfiles/management/commands/collectstatic.py
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 from __future__ import unicode_literals
 
 import os
-import sys
 from collections import OrderedDict
 from optparse import make_option
 
@@ -82,12 +81,8 @@ class Command(NoArgsCommand):
 
         Split off from handle_noargs() to facilitate testing.
         """
-        if self.symlink:
-            if sys.platform == 'win32':
-                raise CommandError("Symlinking is not supported by this "
-                                   "platform (%s)." % sys.platform)
-            if not self.local:
-                raise CommandError("Can't symlink to a remote destination.")
+        if self.symlink and not self.local:
+            raise CommandError("Can't symlink to a remote destination.")
 
         if self.clear:
             self.clear_dir('')
@@ -279,7 +274,18 @@ class Command(NoArgsCommand):
                 os.makedirs(os.path.dirname(full_path))
             except OSError:
                 pass
-            os.symlink(source_path, full_path)
+            try:
+                os.symlink(source_path, full_path)
+            except AttributeError:
+                import platform
+                raise CommandError("Symlinking is not supported by Python %s." %
+                                   platform.python_version())
+            except NotImplementedError:
+                import platform
+                raise CommandError("Symlinking is not supported in this "
+                                   "platform (%s)." % platform.platform())
+            except OSError as e:
+                raise CommandError(e)
         if prefixed_path not in self.symlinked_files:
             self.symlinked_files.append(prefixed_path)
 
diff --git a/django/utils/_os.py b/django/utils/_os.py
index 1cf250e09e..93b965c7c6 100644
--- a/django/utils/_os.py
+++ b/django/utils/_os.py
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import os
 import stat
 import sys
+import tempfile
 from os.path import join, normcase, normpath, abspath, isabs, sep, dirname
 
 from django.utils.encoding import force_text
@@ -99,3 +100,24 @@ def rmtree_errorhandler(func, path, exc_info):
     os.chmod(path, stat.S_IWRITE)
     # use the original function to repeat the operation
     func(path)
+
+
+def symlinks_supported():
+    """
+    A function to check if creating symlinks are supported in the
+    host platform and/or if they are allowed to be created (e.g.
+    on Windows it requires admin permissions).
+    """
+    tmpdir = tempfile.mkdtemp()
+    original_path = os.path.join(tmpdir, 'original')
+    symlink_path = os.path.join(tmpdir, 'symlink')
+    os.makedirs(original_path)
+    try:
+        os.symlink(original_path, symlink_path)
+        supported = True
+    except (OSError, NotImplementedError, AttributeError):
+        supported = False
+    else:
+        os.remove(symlink_path)
+    finally:
+        return supported
diff --git a/docs/releases/1.7.txt b/docs/releases/1.7.txt
index 5abc06da7e..905d0a3bf5 100644
--- a/docs/releases/1.7.txt
+++ b/docs/releases/1.7.txt
@@ -565,6 +565,9 @@ Management Commands
 * Management commands can now produce syntax colored output under Windows if
   the ANSICON third-party tool is installed and active.
 
+* :djadmin:`collectstatic` command with symlink option is now supported on
+  Windows NT 6 (Windows Vista and newer).
+
 Models
 ^^^^^^
 
diff --git a/tests/staticfiles_tests/tests.py b/tests/staticfiles_tests/tests.py
index 1d3daff11e..c67a4672b4 100644
--- a/tests/staticfiles_tests/tests.py
+++ b/tests/staticfiles_tests/tests.py
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ from django.core.management import call_command
 from django.test import TestCase, override_settings
 from django.utils.encoding import force_text
 from django.utils.functional import empty
-from django.utils._os import rmtree_errorhandler, upath
+from django.utils._os import rmtree_errorhandler, upath, symlinks_supported
 from django.utils import six
 
 from django.contrib.staticfiles import finders, storage
@@ -645,24 +645,25 @@ class TestCollectionSimpleCachedStorage(BaseCollectionTestCase,
             self.assertNotIn(b"cached/other.css", content)
             self.assertIn(b"other.deploy12345.css", content)
 
-if sys.platform != 'win32':
 
-    class TestCollectionLinks(CollectionTestCase, TestDefaults):
+@unittest.skipUnless(symlinks_supported(),
+                     "Must be able to symlink to run this test.")
+class TestCollectionLinks(CollectionTestCase, TestDefaults):
+    """
+    Test ``--link`` option for ``collectstatic`` management command.
+
+    Note that by inheriting ``TestDefaults`` we repeat all
+    the standard file resolving tests here, to make sure using
+    ``--link`` does not change the file-selection semantics.
+    """
+    def run_collectstatic(self):
+        super(TestCollectionLinks, self).run_collectstatic(link=True)
+
+    def test_links_created(self):
         """
-        Test ``--link`` option for ``collectstatic`` management command.
-
-        Note that by inheriting ``TestDefaults`` we repeat all
-        the standard file resolving tests here, to make sure using
-        ``--link`` does not change the file-selection semantics.
+        With ``--link``, symbolic links are created.
         """
-        def run_collectstatic(self):
-            super(TestCollectionLinks, self).run_collectstatic(link=True)
-
-        def test_links_created(self):
-            """
-            With ``--link``, symbolic links are created.
-            """
-            self.assertTrue(os.path.islink(os.path.join(settings.STATIC_ROOT, 'test.txt')))
+        self.assertTrue(os.path.islink(os.path.join(settings.STATIC_ROOT, 'test.txt')))
 
 
 class TestServeStatic(StaticFilesTestCase):