diff --git a/crates/ledger-mcp/src/server_tests.rs b/crates/ledger-mcp/src/server_tests.rs
index af2ab17..108dd4b 100644
--- a/crates/ledger-mcp/src/server_tests.rs
+++ b/crates/ledger-mcp/src/server_tests.rs
@@ -1159,7 +1159,9 @@ fn logged(tag: &str) -> (BooksServer, TestDir) {
 }
 
 /// Books whose access log can't be written: its file is a FIFO no one
-/// reads, so every record fails (as on a full disk).
+/// reads, so every record fails (as on a full disk). Unix only: there is
+/// no FIFO in a file's place on Windows.
+#[cfg(unix)]
 fn unwritable(tag: &str) -> (BooksServer, TestDir) {
     let books = unit_dir(tag);
     let store = store(&books);
@@ -1430,7 +1432,9 @@ fn a_call_the_books_close_or_stop_under_is_refused_as_not_run() {
 /// access.rs INVARIANT 3: a record that can't be written stops the
 /// books, and the answer says so; a call or read refused as not run
 /// (closing) keeps its not-run code, so the bridge still sends it
-/// again; anything else is an error in words.
+/// again; anything else is an error in words. Unix only: its fixture is a
+/// FIFO (the refusal path itself is the same on every system).
+#[cfg(unix)]
 #[test]
 fn an_access_record_that_cant_be_written_stops_the_books_and_says_so() {
     rt().block_on(async {
diff --git a/crates/ledger-store/src/backup.rs b/crates/ledger-store/src/backup.rs
index 3c3d02f..6117675 100644
--- a/crates/ledger-store/src/backup.rs
+++ b/crates/ledger-store/src/backup.rs
@@ -223,7 +223,13 @@ impl Git {
     fn run(&self, what: &str, args: &[&std::ffi::OsStr]) -> Result<String, BackupError> {
         use std::sync::atomic::{AtomicU64, Ordering};
         let mut c = self.command();
-        c.args(args);
+        // A path made canonical on Windows carries `\\?\`, which git refuses.
+        c.args(args.iter().map(|a| match a.to_str() {
+            Some(text) if text.contains(r"\\?\") => {
+                std::ffi::OsString::from(crate::root::without_extended_prefix(text))
+            }
+            _ => (*a).to_os_string(),
+        }));
         #[cfg(unix)]
         {
             use std::os::unix::process::CommandExt;
diff --git a/crates/ledger-store/src/root.rs b/crates/ledger-store/src/root.rs
index 029b342..7d9f151 100644
--- a/crates/ledger-store/src/root.rs
+++ b/crates/ledger-store/src/root.rs
@@ -314,6 +314,23 @@ pub fn private_book_folder(book_dir: &Path, name: &str) -> Result<PathBuf, RootE
     Ok(dir)
 }
 
+/// `text` with Windows' extended-length prefix taken off the paths in it:
+/// `\\?\C:\dir` becomes `C:\dir` and `\\?\UNC\server\share` becomes
+/// `\\server\share`. `std::fs::canonicalize` returns that form on Windows,
+/// and programs such as git refuse it. Text without the prefix is
+/// returned as it is, on every system (so the rule is tested everywhere).
+pub fn without_extended_prefix(text: &str) -> String {
+    text.replace(r"\\?\UNC\", r"\\").replace(r"\\?\", "")
+}
+
+/// [`without_extended_prefix`] for a path (the same path on Unix).
+pub fn plain_path(path: &Path) -> PathBuf {
+    match path.to_str() {
+        Some(text) if text.contains(r"\\?\") => PathBuf::from(without_extended_prefix(text)),
+        _ => path.to_path_buf(),
+    }
+}
+
 /// The longest socket path used as it is: a Unix socket's address holds
 /// 104 bytes on macOS and 108 on Linux, the terminating zero included.
 const SOCKET_PATH_MAX: usize = 100;
@@ -2264,6 +2281,21 @@ fn copy_flat_private(from: &Path, to: &Path) -> Result<u64, RootError> {
 mod unit {
     use super::*;
 
+    #[test]
+    fn the_extended_length_prefix_is_taken_off_paths() {
+        assert_eq!(without_extended_prefix(r"\\?\C:\a\b"), r"C:\a\b");
+        assert_eq!(
+            without_extended_prefix(r"--git-dir=\\?\C:\a\archive.git"),
+            r"--git-dir=C:\a\archive.git"
+        );
+        assert_eq!(
+            without_extended_prefix(r"\\?\UNC\server\share\x"),
+            r"\\server\share\x"
+        );
+        assert_eq!(without_extended_prefix("/usr/bin/git"), "/usr/bin/git");
+        assert_eq!(plain_path(Path::new("/a/b")), Path::new("/a/b"));
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn a_buffer_grows_while_the_lookup_says_too_small() {
         // Too small twice, then found: 16, 32, 64 KiB tried, in order.