diff --git a/.github/workflows/main.yml b/.github/workflows/main.yml
index 6ff6af193118..894bec55f71e 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/main.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/main.yml
@@ -2417,8 +2417,19 @@ jobs:
         exclude:
           - os: ${{ (contains(github.event.pull_request.labels.*.name, 'PHP') || contains(github.event.pull_request.labels.*.name, 'ci:all-tests') || github.event_name != 'pull_request') && 'nothing' || 'windows-latest' }}
       fail-fast: false
+    defaults:
+      run:
+        # hack: shorten paths to stay below 32k char process arg limit of windows
+        working-directory: ${{ contains(matrix.os, 'windows') && 'D:\\nb' || github.workspace }}
+
     steps:
 
+      - name: shorten paths for windows
+        if: contains(matrix.os, 'windows') 
+        run: |
+          ln -s $(pwd) D:\\nb
+        working-directory: ${{ github.workspace }}
+
       - name: Set up JDK ${{ matrix.java }} 
         uses: actions/setup-java@v4
         with: