diff --git a/compat/mingw.c b/compat/mingw.c
index abbc3faf32f428..0f2bafaab9f91c 100644
--- a/compat/mingw.c
+++ b/compat/mingw.c
@@ -1058,11 +1058,19 @@ unsigned int sleep (unsigned int seconds)
 char *mingw_mktemp(char *template)
 {
 	wchar_t wtemplate[MAX_PATH];
+	int offset = 0;
+
 	if (xutftowcs_path(wtemplate, template) < 0)
 		return NULL;
+
+	if (is_dir_sep(template[0]) && !is_dir_sep(template[1]) &&
+	    iswalpha(wtemplate[0]) && wtemplate[1] == L':') {
+		/* We have an absolute path missing the drive prefix */
+		offset = 2;
+	}
 	if (!_wmktemp(wtemplate))
 		return NULL;
-	if (xwcstoutf(template, wtemplate, strlen(template) + 1) < 0)
+	if (xwcstoutf(template, wtemplate + offset, strlen(template) + 1) < 0)
 		return NULL;
 	return template;
 }
diff --git a/t/t5580-unc-paths.sh b/t/t5580-unc-paths.sh
index cd7604fff93a55..2c5b410048952d 100755
--- a/t/t5580-unc-paths.sh
+++ b/t/t5580-unc-paths.sh
@@ -21,14 +21,11 @@ fi
 UNCPATH="$(winpwd)"
 case "$UNCPATH" in
 [A-Z]:*)
+	WITHOUTDRIVE="${UNCPATH#?:}"
 	# Use administrative share e.g. \\localhost\C$\git-sdk-64\usr\src\git
 	# (we use forward slashes here because MSYS2 and Git accept them, and
 	# they are easier on the eyes)
-	UNCPATH="//localhost/${UNCPATH%%:*}\$/${UNCPATH#?:}"
-	test -d "$UNCPATH" || {
-		skip_all='could not access administrative share; skipping'
-		test_done
-	}
+	UNCPATH="//localhost/${UNCPATH%%:*}\$$WITHOUTDRIVE"
 	;;
 *)
 	skip_all='skipping UNC path tests, cannot determine current path as UNC'
@@ -36,6 +33,18 @@ case "$UNCPATH" in
 	;;
 esac
 
+test_expect_success 'clone into absolute path lacking a drive prefix' '
+	USINGBACKSLASHES="$(echo "$WITHOUTDRIVE"/without-drive-prefix |
+		tr / \\\\)" &&
+	git clone . "$USINGBACKSLASHES" &&
+	test -f without-drive-prefix/.git/HEAD
+'
+
+test -d "$UNCPATH" || {
+	skip_all='could not access administrative share; skipping'
+	test_done
+}
+
 test_expect_success setup '
 	test_commit initial
 '