diff --git a/rtgui/preferences.cc b/rtgui/preferences.cc
index 1838ee299..07f6e5fd6 100644
--- a/rtgui/preferences.cc
+++ b/rtgui/preferences.cc
@@ -1405,9 +1405,11 @@ Gtk::Widget* Preferences::getFileBrowserPanel()
     hbBrowseRecursive->pack_start(*browseRecursiveDepth, Gtk::PACK_SHRINK, 4);
     hbBrowseRecursive->pack_start(*labBrowseRecursiveMaxDirs, Gtk::PACK_SHRINK, 4);
     hbBrowseRecursive->pack_start(*browseRecursiveMaxDirs, Gtk::PACK_SHRINK, 4);
-    browseRecursiveFollowLinks = Gtk::manage(new Gtk::CheckButton(M("PREFERENCES_BROWSERECURSIVEFOLLOWLINKS")));
     vbro->pack_start(*hbBrowseRecursive, Gtk::PACK_SHRINK, 0);
+#ifndef _WIN32
+    browseRecursiveFollowLinks = Gtk::manage(new Gtk::CheckButton(M("PREFERENCES_BROWSERECURSIVEFOLLOWLINKS")));
     vbro->pack_start(*browseRecursiveFollowLinks, Gtk::PACK_SHRINK, 0);
+#endif
 
     fro->add(*vbro);
 
@@ -1886,7 +1888,9 @@ void Preferences::storePreferences()
     moptions.internalThumbIfUntouched = ckbInternalThumbIfUntouched->get_active();
     moptions.browseRecursiveDepth = static_cast<int>(browseRecursiveDepth->get_value());
     moptions.browseRecursiveMaxDirs = static_cast<int>(browseRecursiveMaxDirs->get_value());
-    moptions.browseRecursiveFollowLinks = browseRecursiveFollowLinks->get_active();
+    if (browseRecursiveFollowLinks) {
+        moptions.browseRecursiveFollowLinks = browseRecursiveFollowLinks->get_active();
+    }
 
     auto save_where = saveParamsPreference->get_active_row_number();
     moptions.saveParamsFile = save_where == 0 || save_where == 2;
@@ -2114,7 +2118,9 @@ void Preferences::fillPreferences()
     ckbInternalThumbIfUntouched->set_active(moptions.internalThumbIfUntouched);
     browseRecursiveDepth->set_value(moptions.browseRecursiveDepth);
     browseRecursiveMaxDirs->set_value(moptions.browseRecursiveMaxDirs);
-    browseRecursiveFollowLinks->set_active(moptions.browseRecursiveFollowLinks);
+    if (browseRecursiveFollowLinks) {
+        browseRecursiveFollowLinks->set_active(moptions.browseRecursiveFollowLinks);
+    }
 
     saveParamsPreference->set_active(moptions.saveParamsFile ? (moptions.saveParamsCache ? 2 : 0) : 1);
 
diff --git a/rtgui/preferences.h b/rtgui/preferences.h
index c15ea71e8..8ee67bf69 100644
--- a/rtgui/preferences.h
+++ b/rtgui/preferences.h
@@ -196,7 +196,7 @@ class Preferences final :
     Gtk::CheckButton* sameThumbSize;
     Gtk::SpinButton* browseRecursiveDepth;
     Gtk::SpinButton* browseRecursiveMaxDirs;
-    Gtk::CheckButton* browseRecursiveFollowLinks;
+    Gtk::CheckButton* browseRecursiveFollowLinks{nullptr};
 
     Gtk::SpinButton*  threadsSpinBtn;
     Gtk::SpinButton*  clutCacheSizeSB;