diff --git a/builtin/clean.c b/builtin/clean.c
index aeb7eb2d1ed2c3..df39efcc50fbc4 100644
--- a/builtin/clean.c
+++ b/builtin/clean.c
@@ -40,8 +40,10 @@ static const char *msg_remove = N_("Removing %s\n");
 static const char *msg_would_remove = N_("Would remove %s\n");
 static const char *msg_skip_git_dir = N_("Skipping repository %s\n");
 static const char *msg_would_skip_git_dir = N_("Would skip repository %s\n");
+#ifndef CAN_UNLINK_MOUNT_POINTS
 static const char *msg_skip_mount_point = N_("Skipping mount point %s\n");
 static const char *msg_would_skip_mount_point = N_("Would skip mount point %s\n");
+#endif
 static const char *msg_warn_remove_failed = N_("failed to remove %s");
 static const char *msg_warn_lstat_failed = N_("could not lstat %s\n");
 static const char *msg_skip_cwd = N_("Refusing to remove current working directory\n");
@@ -187,6 +189,7 @@ static int remove_dirs(struct strbuf *path, const char *prefix, int force_flag,
 	}
 
 	if (is_mount_point(path)) {
+#ifndef CAN_UNLINK_MOUNT_POINTS
 		if (!quiet) {
 			quote_path(path->buf, prefix, &quoted, 0);
 			printf(dry_run ?
@@ -194,6 +197,16 @@ static int remove_dirs(struct strbuf *path, const char *prefix, int force_flag,
 			       _(msg_skip_mount_point), quoted.buf);
 		}
 		*dir_gone = 0;
+#else
+		if (!dry_run && unlink(path->buf)) {
+			int saved_errno = errno;
+			quote_path(path->buf, prefix, &quoted, 0);
+			errno = saved_errno;
+			warning_errno(_(msg_warn_remove_failed), quoted.buf);
+			*dir_gone = 0;
+			ret = -1;
+		}
+#endif
 
 		goto out;
 	}
diff --git a/compat/mingw.h b/compat/mingw.h
index 92830de32a40e3..92aa29bb8bb790 100644
--- a/compat/mingw.h
+++ b/compat/mingw.h
@@ -457,6 +457,7 @@ static inline void convert_slashes(char *path)
 struct strbuf;
 int mingw_is_mount_point(struct strbuf *path);
 #define is_mount_point mingw_is_mount_point
+#define CAN_UNLINK_MOUNT_POINTS 1
 #define PATH_SEP ';'
 char *mingw_query_user_email(void);
 #define query_user_email mingw_query_user_email
diff --git a/t/t7300-clean.sh b/t/t7300-clean.sh
index 7c3a1ca91df534..6f16f3893191e7 100755
--- a/t/t7300-clean.sh
+++ b/t/t7300-clean.sh
@@ -806,6 +806,7 @@ test_expect_success MINGW 'clean does not traverse mount points' '
 	git init with-mountpoint &&
 	cmd //c "mklink /j with-mountpoint\\mountpoint target" &&
 	git -C with-mountpoint clean -dfx &&
+	test_path_is_missing with-mountpoint/mountpoint &&
 	test_path_is_file target/dont-clean-me
 '