diff --git a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/python/package.py b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/python/package.py
index 76d97525c5..feae7fd8d0 100644
--- a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/python/package.py
+++ b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/python/package.py
@@ -545,7 +545,8 @@ def win_installer(self, prefix):
                 copy(lib, prefix)
             else:
                 copy(lib, prefix.DLLs)
-        static_libraries = glob.glob("%s\\*.lib")
+        static_libraries = glob.glob("%s\\*.lib" % build_root)
+        os.makedirs(prefix.libs, exist_ok=True)
         for lib in static_libraries:
             copy(lib, prefix.libs)