diff --git a/.changeset/late-laws-approve.md b/.changeset/late-laws-approve.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..bc0bb99dacb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/late-laws-approve.md
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+---
+"@pnpm/plugin-commands-env": patch
+"pnpm": patch
+---
+
+Use hard links to link the node executable on Windows machines [#4315](https://github.com/pnpm/pnpm/issues/4315).
diff --git a/env/plugin-commands-env/package.json b/env/plugin-commands-env/package.json
index e9880e7ce2d..c0f688e90d2 100644
--- a/env/plugin-commands-env/package.json
+++ b/env/plugin-commands-env/package.json
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@
     "@pnpm/store-path": "workspace:*",
     "@zkochan/cmd-shim": "^6.0.0",
     "@zkochan/rimraf": "^2.1.2",
+    "is-windows": "^1.0.2",
     "load-json-file": "^6.2.0",
     "render-help": "^1.0.3",
     "semver": "^7.4.0",
@@ -51,6 +52,7 @@
     "@pnpm/plugin-commands-env": "workspace:*",
     "@pnpm/prepare": "workspace:*",
     "@types/adm-zip": "^0.5.0",
+    "@types/is-windows": "^1.0.0",
     "@types/semver": "7.3.13",
     "adm-zip": "^0.5.10",
     "execa": "npm:safe-execa@0.1.2",
diff --git a/env/plugin-commands-env/src/envUse.ts b/env/plugin-commands-env/src/envUse.ts
index b5c147722b9..6f09a06b689 100644
--- a/env/plugin-commands-env/src/envUse.ts
+++ b/env/plugin-commands-env/src/envUse.ts
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import { PnpmError } from '@pnpm/error'
 import { createFetchFromRegistry } from '@pnpm/fetch'
 import { resolveNodeVersion } from '@pnpm/node.resolver'
 import cmdShim from '@zkochan/cmd-shim'
+import isWindows from 'is-windows'
 import { getNodeDir, type NvmNodeCommandOptions } from './node'
 import { getNodeMirror } from './getNodeMirror'
 import { parseNodeEditionSpecifier } from './parseNodeEditionSpecifier'
@@ -30,7 +31,7 @@ export async function envUse (opts: NvmNodeCommandOptions, params: string[]) {
   try {
     await fs.unlink(dest)
   } catch (err) {}
-  await fs.symlink(src, dest, 'file')
+  await symlinkOrHardLink(src, dest)
   try {
     let npmDir = nodeDir
     if (process.platform !== 'win32') {
@@ -52,3 +53,12 @@ export async function envUse (opts: NvmNodeCommandOptions, params: string[]) {
   return `Node.js ${nodeVersion as string} is activated
 ${dest} -> ${src}`
 }
+
+// On Windows, symlinks only work with developer mode enabled
+// or with admin permissions. So it is better to use hard links on Windows.
+async function symlinkOrHardLink (existingPath: string, newPath: string) {
+  if (isWindows()) {
+    return fs.link(existingPath, newPath)
+  }
+  return fs.symlink(existingPath, newPath, 'file')
+}
diff --git a/pnpm-lock.yaml b/pnpm-lock.yaml
index d2552aaa970..abe0b167d9a 100644
--- a/pnpm-lock.yaml
+++ b/pnpm-lock.yaml
@@ -855,6 +855,9 @@ importers:
       '@zkochan/rimraf':
         specifier: ^2.1.2
         version: 2.1.2
+      is-windows:
+        specifier: ^1.0.2
+        version: 1.0.2
       load-json-file:
         specifier: ^6.2.0
         version: 6.2.0
@@ -877,6 +880,9 @@ importers:
       '@types/adm-zip':
         specifier: ^0.5.0
         version: 0.5.0
+      '@types/is-windows':
+        specifier: ^1.0.0
+        version: 1.0.0
       '@types/semver':
         specifier: 7.3.13
         version: 7.3.13
@@ -8804,7 +8810,7 @@ packages:
   /@types/byline@4.2.33:
     resolution: {integrity: sha512-LJYez7wrWcJQQDknqZtrZuExMGP0IXmPl1rOOGDqLbu+H7UNNRfKNuSxCBcQMLH1EfjeWidLedC/hCc5dDfBog==}
     dependencies:
-      '@types/node': 18.15.11
+      '@types/node': 14.18.42
     dev: true
 
   /@types/cacheable-request@6.0.3:
@@ -8914,7 +8920,7 @@ packages:
   /@types/keyv@3.1.4:
     resolution: {integrity: sha512-BQ5aZNSCpj7D6K2ksrRCTmKRLEpnPvWDiLPfoGyhZ++8YtiK9d/3DBKPJgry359X/P1PfruyYwvnvwFjuEiEIg==}
     dependencies:
-      '@types/node': 18.15.11
+      '@types/node': 14.18.42
 
   /@types/lodash@4.14.181:
     resolution: {integrity: sha512-n3tyKthHJbkiWhDZs3DkhkCzt2MexYHXlX0td5iMplyfwketaOeKboEVBqzceH7juqvEg3q5oUoBFxSLu7zFag==}
@@ -8957,7 +8963,6 @@ packages:
 
   /@types/node@14.18.42:
     resolution: {integrity: sha512-xefu+RBie4xWlK8hwAzGh3npDz/4VhF6icY/shU+zv/1fNn+ZVG7T7CRwe9LId9sAYRPxI+59QBPuKL3WpyGRg==}
-    dev: true
 
   /@types/node@18.15.11:
     resolution: {integrity: sha512-E5Kwq2n4SbMzQOn6wnmBjuK9ouqlURrcZDVfbo9ftDDTFt3nk7ZKK4GMOzoYgnpQJKcxwQw+lGaBvvlMo0qN/Q==}
@@ -13501,7 +13506,7 @@ packages:
       jws: 3.2.2
       lodash: 4.17.21
       ms: 2.1.3
-      semver: 7.3.8
+      semver: 7.4.0
 
   /jsprim@1.4.2:
     resolution: {integrity: sha512-P2bSOMAc/ciLz6DzgjVlGJP9+BrJWu5UDGK70C2iweC5QBIeFf0ZXRvGjEj2uYgrY2MkAAhsSWHDWlFtEroZWw==}