# Patch for rules_python 2.2.0 to support native extension imports from long
# Windows runfiles paths.

diff --git a/python/private/site_init_template.py b/python/private/site_init_template.py
index 12be98eb..49c7dd71 100644
--- a/python/private/site_init_template.py
+++ b/python/private/site_init_template.py
@@ -93,35 +93,24 @@ def _get_windows_path_with_unc_prefix(path):
     if not _is_windows() or sys.version_info[0] < 3:
         return path
 
-    # Starting in Windows 10, version 1607(OS build 14393), MAX_PATH limitations have been
-    # removed from common Win32 file and directory functions.
-    # Related doc: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/fileio/maximum-file-path-limitation?tabs=cmd#enable-long-paths-in-windows-10-version-1607-and-later
-    import platform
-
-    win32_version = None
-    # Windows 2022 with Python 3.12.8 gives flakey errors, so try a couple times.
-    for _ in range(3):
-        try:
-            win32_version = platform.win32_ver()[1]
-            break
-        except (ValueError, KeyError):
-            pass
-    if win32_version and win32_version >= "10.0.14393":
-        return path
-
     # import sysconfig only now to maintain python 2.6 compatibility
     import sysconfig
 
     if sysconfig.get_platform() == "mingw":
         return path
 
-    # Lets start the unicode fun
-    unicode_prefix = "\\\\?\\"
-    if path.startswith(unicode_prefix):
+    # The Windows long-path opt-in only covers specific file APIs. Native Python
+    # extensions are loaded through LoadLibraryExW, which can still reject long
+    # paths without an extended-length prefix.
+    extended_path_prefix = "\\\\?\\"
+    if path.startswith(extended_path_prefix):
         return path
 
     # os.path.abspath returns a normalized absolute path
-    return unicode_prefix + os.path.abspath(path)
+    path = os.path.abspath(path)
+    if path.startswith("\\\\"):
+        return extended_path_prefix + "UNC\\" + path[2:]
+    return extended_path_prefix + path
 
 
 def _search_path(name):