diff --git a/spacy/compat.py b/spacy/compat.py
index 27fce2dcf..21ccfcfad 100644
--- a/spacy/compat.py
+++ b/spacy/compat.py
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import sys
 import ujson
 import itertools
 import locale
+import os
 
 from thinc.neural.util import copy_array
 
@@ -84,7 +85,7 @@ def getattr_(obj, name, *default):
 
 
 def symlink_to(orig, dest):
-    if is_python2 and is_windows:
+    if is_windows:
         import subprocess
 
         subprocess.call(["mklink", "/d", path2str(orig), path2str(dest)], shell=True)
@@ -92,6 +93,15 @@ def symlink_to(orig, dest):
         orig.symlink_to(dest)
 
 
+def symlink_remove(link):
+    # https://stackoverflow.com/q/26554135/6400719
+    if os.path.isdir(path2str(link)) and is_windows:
+        # this should only be on Py2.7 and windows
+        os.rmdir(path2str(link))
+    else:
+        os.unlink(path2str(link))
+
+
 def is_config(python2=None, python3=None, windows=None, linux=None, osx=None):
     return (
         python2 in (None, is_python2)
diff --git a/spacy/tests/test_cli.py b/spacy/tests/test_cli.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e0067c088
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spacy/tests/test_cli.py
@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+# coding: utf-8
+from __future__ import unicode_literals
+
+import pytest
+import os
+from pathlib import Path
+from spacy.compat import symlink_to, symlink_remove, path2str
+
+
+@pytest.fixture
+def target_local_path():
+    return Path("./foo-target")
+
+
+@pytest.fixture
+def link_local_path():
+    return Path("./foo-symlink")
+
+
+@pytest.fixture(scope="function")
+def setup_target(request, target_local_path, link_local_path):
+    if not target_local_path.exists():
+        os.mkdir(path2str(target_local_path))
+
+    # yield -- need to cleanup even if assertion fails
+    # https://github.com/pytest-dev/pytest/issues/2508#issuecomment-309934240
+    def cleanup():
+        symlink_remove(link_local_path)
+        os.rmdir(path2str(target_local_path))
+
+    request.addfinalizer(cleanup)
+
+
+def test_create_symlink_windows(setup_target, target_local_path, link_local_path):
+    assert target_local_path.exists()
+
+    symlink_to(link_local_path, target_local_path)
+    assert link_local_path.exists()