diff --git a/tools/in-build-gimp.py b/tools/in-build-gimp.py
index 89817f8b57..9029ad5256 100644
--- a/tools/in-build-gimp.py
+++ b/tools/in-build-gimp.py
@@ -44,20 +44,21 @@ try:
   #Ensure the same python from meson.build (GIMP_PYTHON_WITH_GI) is used by plugins
   #This is needed because GIMP_PYTHON_WITH_GI can not coincide with python3 from shebang
   #(on MacPorts, there is no python3 symlink, so we would misuse Xcode python3 without GI)
-  python_symlink = shutil.which("python3")
-  pygobject_found=False
-  different_python=False
-  if python_symlink and not os.path.samefile(python_symlink, os.environ.get("GIMP_PYTHON_WITH_GI")):
-    result = subprocess.run([python_symlink,"-c","import sys, gi; version='3.0'; sys.exit(gi.check_version(version))"], check=False)
-    pygobject_found = (result.returncode == 0)
-  if not python_symlink or (python_symlink and not pygobject_found):
-    different_python=True
-    tmp_path = os.path.join(GIMP3_DIRECTORY, "tmp_python")
-    os.makedirs(tmp_path, exist_ok=True)
-    tmp_symlink = os.path.join(tmp_path, "python3")
-    if not os.path.exists(tmp_symlink):
-      os.symlink(os.environ.get("GIMP_PYTHON_WITH_GI"), tmp_symlink)
-    os.environ["PATH"] = tmp_path + os.pathsep + os.environ.get("PATH", "")
+  if sys.platform not in ['win32', 'cygwin']:
+    python_symlink = shutil.which("python3")
+    pygobject_found=False
+    different_python=False
+    if python_symlink and not os.path.samefile(python_symlink, os.environ.get("GIMP_PYTHON_WITH_GI")):
+      result = subprocess.run([python_symlink,"-c","import sys, gi; version='3.0'; sys.exit(gi.check_version(version))"], check=False)
+      pygobject_found = (result.returncode == 0)
+    if not python_symlink or (python_symlink and not pygobject_found):
+      different_python=True
+      tmp_path = os.path.join(GIMP3_DIRECTORY, "tmp_python")
+      os.makedirs(tmp_path, exist_ok=True)
+      tmp_symlink = os.path.join(tmp_path, "python3")
+      if not os.path.exists(tmp_symlink):
+        os.symlink(os.environ.get("GIMP_PYTHON_WITH_GI"), tmp_symlink)
+      os.environ["PATH"] = tmp_path + os.pathsep + os.environ.get("PATH", "")
 
   if "GIMP_DEBUG_SELF" in os.environ and shutil.which("gdb"):
     print(f"RUNNING: gdb --batch -x {os.environ['GIMP_GLOBAL_SOURCE_ROOT']}/tools/debug-in-build-gimp.py --args {os.environ['GIMP_SELF_IN_BUILD']} {' '.join(sys.argv[1:])}")