diff --git a/src/libstd/fs.rs b/src/libstd/fs.rs
index 6178f1bbb8e12..45a261befe0aa 100644
--- a/src/libstd/fs.rs
+++ b/src/libstd/fs.rs
@@ -1069,13 +1069,43 @@ pub fn remove_dir_all<P: AsRef<Path>>(path: P) -> io::Result<()> {
 }
 
 fn _remove_dir_all(path: &Path) -> io::Result<()> {
+    let filetype = try!(symlink_metadata(path)).file_type();
+    if filetype.is_symlink() {
+        if cfg!(windows) {
+            // On Windows symlinks to files and directories removed differently
+            // we should remove only directories here and have error on file
+            remove_dir(path)
+        } else {
+            // On unix symlinks are always files
+            remove_file(path)
+        }
+    } else {
+        remove_dir_all_recursive(path)
+    }
+}
+fn remove_dir_all_recursive(path: &Path) -> io::Result<()> {
     for child in try!(read_dir(path)) {
-        let child = try!(child).path();
-        let stat = try!(symlink_metadata(&*child));
-        if stat.is_dir() {
-            try!(remove_dir_all(&*child));
+        let child = try!(child);
+        let child_path = child.path();
+        let child_type = try!(child.file_type());
+        if child_type.is_dir() {
+            try!(remove_dir_all_recursive(&*child_path));
         } else {
-            try!(remove_file(&*child));
+            if cfg!(windows) {
+                if child_type.is_symlink() {
+                    let target_type = try!(metadata(&*child_path)).file_type();
+                    if target_type.is_dir() {
+                        try!(remove_dir(&*child_path));
+                    } else {
+                        try!(remove_file(&*child_path));
+                    }
+                } else {
+                    try!(remove_file(&*child_path));
+                }
+            } else {
+                // The FileType::is_dir() is false for symlinks too
+                try!(remove_file(&*child_path));
+            }
         }
     }
     remove_dir(path)
@@ -1704,10 +1734,10 @@ mod tests {
         check!(fs::create_dir_all(&Path2::new("/")));
     }
 
-    // FIXME(#12795) depends on lstat to work on windows
     #[cfg(not(windows))]
     #[test]
     fn recursive_rmdir() {
+        use os::unix::fs::symlink;
         let tmpdir = tmpdir();
         let d1 = tmpdir.join("d1");
         let dt = d1.join("t");
@@ -1717,13 +1747,83 @@ mod tests {
         check!(fs::create_dir_all(&dtt));
         check!(fs::create_dir_all(&d2));
         check!(check!(File::create(&canary)).write(b"foo"));
-        check!(fs::soft_link(&d2, &dt.join("d2")));
+        check!(symlink(&d2, &dt.join("d2")));
         check!(fs::remove_dir_all(&d1));
 
         assert!(!d1.is_dir());
         assert!(canary.exists());
     }
 
+    #[cfg(not(windows))]
+    #[test]
+    fn recursive_rmdir_of_symlink() {
+        use os::unix::fs::symlink;
+        let tmpdir = tmpdir();
+        let d1 = tmpdir.join("d1");
+        let d2 = tmpdir.join("d2");
+        let canary = d2.join("do_not_delete");
+        check!(fs::create_dir_all(&d2));
+        check!(check!(File::create(&canary)).write(b"foo"));
+        check!(symlink(&d2, &d1));
+        check!(fs::remove_dir_all(&d1));
+
+        assert!(!d1.is_dir());
+        assert!(canary.exists());
+    }
+
+    #[cfg(windows)]
+    #[test]
+    fn recursive_rmdir() {
+        use os::windows::fs::{symlink_file, symlink_dir};
+        let tmpdir = tmpdir();
+        let d1 = tmpdir.join("d1");
+        let dt = d1.join("t");
+        let dtt = dt.join("t");
+        let d2 = tmpdir.join("d2");
+        let canary = d2.join("do_not_delete");
+        check!(fs::create_dir_all(&dtt));
+        check!(fs::create_dir_all(&d2));
+        check!(check!(File::create(&canary)).write(b"foo"));
+        check!(symlink_dir(&d2, &dt.join("d2")));
+        check!(symlink_file(&canary, &d1.join("canary")));
+        check!(fs::remove_dir_all(&d1));
+
+        assert!(!d1.is_dir());
+        assert!(canary.exists());
+    }
+
+    #[cfg(windows)]
+    #[test]
+    fn recursive_rmdir_of_symlink() {
+        use os::windows::fs::symlink_dir;
+        let tmpdir = tmpdir();
+        let d1 = tmpdir.join("d1");
+        let d2 = tmpdir.join("d2");
+        let canary = d2.join("do_not_delete");
+        check!(fs::create_dir_all(&d2));
+        check!(check!(File::create(&canary)).write(b"foo"));
+        check!(symlink_dir(&d2, &d1));
+        check!(fs::remove_dir_all(&d1));
+
+        assert!(!d1.is_dir());
+        assert!(canary.exists());
+    }
+
+    #[cfg(windows)]
+    #[test]
+    fn recursive_rmdir_of_file_symlink() {
+        use os::windows::fs::symlink_file;
+        let tmpdir = tmpdir();
+        let f1 = tmpdir.join("f1");
+        let f2 = tmpdir.join("f2");
+        check!(check!(File::create(&f1)).write(b"foo"));
+        check!(symlink_file(&f1, &f2));
+        match fs::remove_dir_all(&f2) {
+            Ok(..) => panic!("wanted a failure"),
+            Err(..) => {}
+        }
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn unicode_path_is_dir() {
         assert!(Path2::new(".").is_dir());