diff --git a/packages/meteor-tool/package.js b/packages/meteor-tool/package.js
index 5514fe3c74..0d39040a98 100644
--- a/packages/meteor-tool/package.js
+++ b/packages/meteor-tool/package.js
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 Package.describe({
   summary: "The Meteor command-line tool",
-  version: '1.3.4_3'
+  version: '1.3.4_4'
 });
 
 Package.includeTool();
diff --git a/scripts/admin/meteor-release-experimental.json b/scripts/admin/meteor-release-experimental.json
index b37ea7b66f..b1b64812d8 100644
--- a/scripts/admin/meteor-release-experimental.json
+++ b/scripts/admin/meteor-release-experimental.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
  "track": "METEOR",
- "version": "1.3.4.3-rc.2",
+ "version": "1.3.4.4-rc.0",
  "recommended": false,
  "official": false,
  "description": "Meteor"
diff --git a/scripts/admin/meteor-release-official.json b/scripts/admin/meteor-release-official.json
index 0ef452a33d..f2f4992061 100644
--- a/scripts/admin/meteor-release-official.json
+++ b/scripts/admin/meteor-release-official.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "track": "METEOR",
-  "version": "1.3.4.3",
+  "version": "1.3.4.4",
   "recommended": false,
   "official": true,
   "description": "The Official Meteor Distribution"
diff --git a/tools/cli/dev-bundle-links.js b/tools/cli/dev-bundle-links.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..b4de1464e0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/cli/dev-bundle-links.js
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+var fs = require("fs");
+
+exports.makeLink = function (target, linkPath) {
+  var tempPath = linkPath + "-" + Math.random().toString(36).slice(2);
+
+  try {
+    fs.symlinkSync(target, tempPath, "junction");
+  } catch (e) {
+    fs.writeFileSync(tempPath, target, "utf8");
+  }
+
+  fs.renameSync(tempPath, linkPath);
+};
+
+exports.readLink = function (linkPath) {
+  var stat = fs.lstatSync(linkPath);
+
+  if (stat.isSymbolicLink()) {
+    return fs.realpathSync(linkPath);
+  }
+
+  if (stat.isFile()) {
+    return fs.readFileSync(linkPath, "utf8");
+  }
+
+  return linkPath;
+};
diff --git a/tools/cli/dev-bundle.js b/tools/cli/dev-bundle.js
index da6a06491f..286eb5d0a2 100644
--- a/tools/cli/dev-bundle.js
+++ b/tools/cli/dev-bundle.js
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 
 var fs = require("fs");
 var path = require("path");
+var links = require("./dev-bundle-links.js");
 var rootDir = path.resolve(__dirname, "..", "..");
 var defaultDevBundlePromise =
   Promise.resolve(path.join(rootDir, "dev_bundle"));
@@ -31,10 +32,10 @@ function getDevBundleDir() {
     "dev_bundle"
   );
 
-  var devBundleStat = statOrNull(devBundleLink, "isDirectory");
+  var devBundleStat = statOrNull(devBundleLink);
   if (devBundleStat) {
     return new Promise(function (resolve) {
-      resolve(fs.realpathSync(devBundleLink));
+      resolve(links.readLink(devBundleLink));
     });
   }
 
@@ -48,7 +49,7 @@ function getDevBundleDir() {
 
   return getDevBundleForRelease(release).then(function (devBundleDir) {
     if (devBundleDir) {
-      fs.symlink(devBundleDir, devBundleLink, "junction");
+      links.makeLink(devBundleDir, devBundleLink);
       return devBundleDir;
     }
 
diff --git a/tools/isobuild/meteor-npm-userconfig b/tools/isobuild/meteor-npm-userconfig
index dbb8f15466..0cc575c925 100644
--- a/tools/isobuild/meteor-npm-userconfig
+++ b/tools/isobuild/meteor-npm-userconfig
@@ -1,2 +1,7 @@
-# This file intentionally left empty to ensure consistent npm
-# configuration.
+# These configuration options govern `npm` commands run on behalf of
+# Meteor packages that have `Npm.depends` calls in their package.js files,
+# not `meteor npm ...` commands. Because the developer is not running
+# these commands herself, we don't care as much about helpful warnings,
+# and we certainly don't want them to obscure actual errors.
+
+loglevel = error
diff --git a/tools/project-context.js b/tools/project-context.js
index 3442ca138f..34b3838757 100644
--- a/tools/project-context.js
+++ b/tools/project-context.js
@@ -1386,12 +1386,9 @@ _.extend(exports.ReleaseFile.prototype, {
       }
     }
 
-    files.symlink(
-      newTarget,
-      devBundleLink,
-      // Since the target is a directory, Windows can create a junction
-      // without needing administrator privileges.
-      "junction"
+    require("./cli/dev-bundle-links.js").makeLink(
+      files.convertToOSPath(newTarget),
+      files.convertToOSPath(devBundleLink)
     );
   },