diff --git a/lib/puppet/feature/base.rb b/lib/puppet/feature/base.rb
index e30aed313..6538ef379 100644
--- a/lib/puppet/feature/base.rb
+++ b/lib/puppet/feature/base.rb
@@ -1,88 +1,98 @@
 require 'puppet/util/feature'
 
 # Add the simple features, all in one file.
 
 # Order is important as some features depend on others
 
 # We have a syslog implementation
 Puppet.features.add(:syslog, :libs => ["syslog"])
 
 # We can use POSIX user functions
 Puppet.features.add(:posix) do
   require 'etc'
   !Etc.getpwuid(0).nil? && Puppet.features.syslog?
 end
 
 # We can use Microsoft Windows functions
 Puppet.features.add(:microsoft_windows) do
   begin
     # ruby
     require 'Win32API'          # case matters in this require!
     require 'win32ole'
     require 'win32/registry'
     # gems
     require 'sys/admin'
     require 'win32/process'
     require 'win32/dir'
     require 'win32/service'
     require 'win32/api'
     require 'win32/taskscheduler'
     true
   rescue LoadError => err
     warn "Cannot run on Microsoft Windows without the sys-admin, win32-process, win32-dir, win32-service and win32-taskscheduler gems: #{err}" unless Puppet.features.posix?
   end
 end
 
 raise Puppet::Error,"Cannot determine basic system flavour" unless Puppet.features.posix? or Puppet.features.microsoft_windows?
 
 # We've got LDAP available.
 Puppet.features.add(:ldap, :libs => ["ldap"])
 
 # We have the Rdoc::Usage library.
 Puppet.features.add(:usage, :libs => %w{rdoc/ri/ri_paths rdoc/usage})
 
 # We have libshadow, useful for managing passwords.
 Puppet.features.add(:libshadow, :libs => ["shadow"])
 
 # We're running as root.
 Puppet.features.add(:root) { require 'puppet/util/suidmanager'; Puppet::Util::SUIDManager.root? }
 
 # We have lcs diff
 Puppet.features.add :diff, :libs => %w{diff/lcs diff/lcs/hunk}
 
 # We have augeas
 Puppet.features.add(:augeas, :libs => ["augeas"])
 
 # We have RRD available
 Puppet.features.add(:rrd_legacy, :libs => ["RRDtool"])
 Puppet.features.add(:rrd, :libs => ["RRD"])
 
 # We have OpenSSL
 Puppet.features.add(:openssl, :libs => ["openssl"])
 
 # We have CouchDB
 Puppet.features.add(:couchdb, :libs => ["couchrest"])
 
 # We have sqlite
 Puppet.features.add(:sqlite, :libs => ["sqlite3"])
 
 # We have Hiera
 Puppet.features.add(:hiera, :libs => ["hiera"])
 
 Puppet.features.add(:minitar, :libs => ["archive/tar/minitar"])
 
 # We can manage symlinks
 Puppet.features.add(:manages_symlinks) do
   if ! Puppet::Util::Platform.windows?
     true
   else
-    begin
-      require 'Win32API'
-      Win32API.new('kernel32', 'CreateSymbolicLink', 'SSL', 'B')
-      true
-    rescue LoadError => err
-      Puppet.debug("CreateSymbolicLink is not available")
-      false
+    module WindowsSymlink
+      require 'ffi'
+      extend FFI::Library
+
+      def self.is_implemented
+        begin
+          ffi_lib :kernel32
+          attach_function :CreateSymbolicLinkW, [:lpwstr, :lpwstr, :dword], :bool
+
+          true
+        rescue LoadError => err
+          Puppet.debug("CreateSymbolicLink is not available")
+          false
+        end
+      end
     end
+
+    WindowsSymlink.is_implemented
   end
 end