diff --git a/vlib/os/os_test.v b/vlib/os/os_test.v
index 9735007588..2c0aca63ad 100644
--- a/vlib/os/os_test.v
+++ b/vlib/os/os_test.v
@@ -290,7 +290,16 @@ fn test_realpath_of_empty_string_works() {
 
 fn test_realpath_non_existing() {
 	non_existing_path := 'sdyfuisd_non_existing_file'
-	assert os.real_path(non_existing_path) == non_existing_path
+	rpath := os.real_path(non_existing_path)
+	$if windows {
+		// on windows, the workdir is prepended, so the result is absolute:
+		assert rpath.len > non_existing_path.len
+	}
+	$if !windows {
+		// on unix, the workdir is NOT prepended for now, so the result remains the same.
+		// TODO: the windows behaviour seems saner, think about normalising the unix case to do the same.
+		assert os.real_path(non_existing_path) == non_existing_path
+	}
 }
 
 fn test_realpath_existing() {
@@ -322,11 +331,13 @@ fn test_realpath_absolutizes_existing_relative_paths() {
 	assert os.is_abs_path(real_path_of_examples_folder)
 }
 
-// TODO: think much more about whether this is desirable
+// TODO: think much more about whether this is desirable:
 fn test_realpath_does_not_absolutize_non_existing_relative_paths() {
 	relative_path := os.join_path('one', 'nonexisting_folder', '..', 'something')
-	assert os.real_path(relative_path).contains('..')
-	assert os.real_path(relative_path) == relative_path
+	$if !windows {
+		assert os.real_path(relative_path).contains('..')
+		assert os.real_path(relative_path) == relative_path
+	}
 }
 
 fn test_tmpdir() {