diff --git a/node/postinstall.js b/node/postinstall.js
index 87100aeb..242bec0e 100644
--- a/node/postinstall.js
+++ b/node/postinstall.js
@@ -7,29 +7,31 @@ var jsdocPath = path.resolve( path.join(__dirname, '..') );
 var symlinkSrc = path.join( jsdocPath, 'lib', 'jsdoc' );
 var symlinkDest = path.join( jsdocPath, 'node_modules', 'jsdoc' );
 
-fs.lstat(symlinkDest, function(err, stats) {
-    // if the path exists, make sure it looks okay
-    if (!err) {
-        if ( stats.isSymbolicLink() ) {
-            // this is what we want
+fs.symlink(symlinkSrc, symlinkDest, 'dir', function(err) {
+    if (err) {
+        // On Windows, try to create a junction instead
+        if (process.platform.indexOf('win') === 0) {
+            fs.symlink(symlinkSrc, symlinkDest, 'junction', function(junctionErr) {
+                if (junctionErr) {
+                    console.error('Unable to create a symbolic link or junction from %s to %s.\n' +
+                        'Symbolic link result: %s\nJunction result: %s\n' +
+                        'Make sure you have write privileges in the target directory. ' +
+                        'You may need to run the Windows shell as an administrator.',
+                        symlinkSrc, symlinkDest, err, junctionErr);
+                    process.exit(1);
+                }
+                else {
+                    process.exit(0);
+                }
+            });
         }
-        else if ( stats.isDirectory() ) {
-            console.warn('The path %s should be a symbolic link to %s rather than a standalone ' +
-                'directory. You may need to resolve this issue so that JSDoc can work correctly.',
-                symlinkDest, symlinkSrc);
+        else {
+            console.error('Unable to create a symbolic link from %s to %s. %s\n',
+                symlinkSrc, symlinkDest, err);
+            process.exit(1);
         }
-
-        process.exit(0);
     }
     else {
-        fs.symlink(symlinkSrc, symlinkDest, function(err) {
-            if (err) {
-                console.error('Unable to create a symbolic link from %s to %s: %s', symlinkSrc,
-                    symlinkDest, err);
-                process.exit(1);
-            }
-
-            process.exit(0);
-        });
+        process.exit(0);
     }
 });