diff --git a/.github/workflows/R-CMD-check.yaml b/.github/workflows/R-CMD-check.yaml
index 8a6c85be..423a5bb4 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/R-CMD-check.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/R-CMD-check.yaml
@@ -55,4 +55,18 @@ jobs:
           cache-version: 2
           extra-packages: rcmdcheck
 
+      # TODO: allow warnings on oldrel (cf., https://stat.ethz.ch/pipermail/r-package-devel/2023q2/009229.html)
+      - name: Check R version
+        id: error-on
+        run: |
+          output <- Sys.getenv("GITHUB_OUTPUT")
+          if (.Platform$OS.type == "windows" && getRversion() < "4.3.0") {
+            cat('level=error', file = output, append = TRUE)
+          } else {
+            cat('level=warning', file = output, append = TRUE)
+          }
+        shell: Rscript {0}
+
       - uses: r-lib/actions/check-r-package@v2
+        with:
+          error-on: '"${{ steps.error-on.outputs.level }}"'
diff --git a/.github/workflows/test_pkg_gen.yaml b/.github/workflows/test_pkg_gen.yaml
index e7fe261e..f2d7e9fd 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/test_pkg_gen.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/test_pkg_gen.yaml
@@ -99,12 +99,19 @@ jobs:
           )
           Sys.chmod("configure", "0755")
 
+          # TODO: allow warnings on oldrel (cf., https://stat.ethz.ch/pipermail/r-package-devel/2023q2/009229.html)
+          if (.Platform$OS.type == "windows" && getRversion() < "4.3.0") {
+            error_on <- "error"
+          } else {
+            error_on <- "warning"
+          }
+
           # check if rextendr::document() compiles and generates wrappers properly
           rextendr::document()
           rcmdcheck::rcmdcheck(
               path = ".",
               args = c("--no-manual", "--as-cran"),
-              error_on = "warning",
+              error_on = error_on,
               check_dir = "check_use_extendr"
           )
 
diff --git a/inst/templates/Makevars.win b/inst/templates/Makevars.win
index 43654fbf..e47a9ab2 100644
--- a/inst/templates/Makevars.win
+++ b/inst/templates/Makevars.win
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ TARGET = $(subst 64,x86_64,$(subst 32,i686,$(WIN)))-pc-windows-gnu
 TARGET_DIR = ./rust/target
 LIBDIR = $(TARGET_DIR)/$(TARGET)/release
 STATLIB = $(LIBDIR)/lib{{{lib_name}}}.a
-PKG_LIBS = -L$(LIBDIR) -l{{{lib_name}}} -lws2_32 -ladvapi32 -luserenv -lbcrypt
+PKG_LIBS = -L$(LIBDIR) -l{{{lib_name}}} -lws2_32 -ladvapi32 -luserenv -lbcrypt -lntdll
 
 all: C_clean
 
diff --git a/tests/testthat/_snaps/use_extendr.md b/tests/testthat/_snaps/use_extendr.md
index 451bc427..1d30fb2e 100644
--- a/tests/testthat/_snaps/use_extendr.md
+++ b/tests/testthat/_snaps/use_extendr.md
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@
       TARGET_DIR = ./rust/target
       LIBDIR = $(TARGET_DIR)/$(TARGET)/release
       STATLIB = $(LIBDIR)/libtestpkg.a
-      PKG_LIBS = -L$(LIBDIR) -ltestpkg -lws2_32 -ladvapi32 -luserenv -lbcrypt
+      PKG_LIBS = -L$(LIBDIR) -ltestpkg -lws2_32 -ladvapi32 -luserenv -lbcrypt -lntdll
       
       all: C_clean