diff --git a/compat/mingw.c b/compat/mingw.c
index 858ca14a57..4e61ed4277 100644
--- a/compat/mingw.c
+++ b/compat/mingw.c
@@ -1937,24 +1937,12 @@ int mingw_raise(int sig)
 
 int link(const char *oldpath, const char *newpath)
 {
-	typedef BOOL (WINAPI *T)(LPCWSTR, LPCWSTR, LPSECURITY_ATTRIBUTES);
-	static T create_hard_link = NULL;
 	wchar_t woldpath[MAX_PATH], wnewpath[MAX_PATH];
 	if (xutftowcs_path(woldpath, oldpath) < 0 ||
 		xutftowcs_path(wnewpath, newpath) < 0)
 		return -1;
 
-	if (!create_hard_link) {
-		create_hard_link = (T) GetProcAddress(
-			GetModuleHandle("kernel32.dll"), "CreateHardLinkW");
-		if (!create_hard_link)
-			create_hard_link = (T)-1;
-	}
-	if (create_hard_link == (T)-1) {
-		errno = ENOSYS;
-		return -1;
-	}
-	if (!create_hard_link(wnewpath, woldpath, NULL)) {
+	if (!CreateHardLinkW(wnewpath, woldpath, NULL)) {
 		errno = err_win_to_posix(GetLastError());
 		return -1;
 	}