diff --git a/Lib/venv/scripts/common/activate b/Lib/venv/scripts/common/activate
index 6fbc2b8801da04..9c3d58dfd61ed9 100644
--- a/Lib/venv/scripts/common/activate
+++ b/Lib/venv/scripts/common/activate
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ deactivate () {
 # unset irrelevant variables
 deactivate nondestructive
 
-VIRTUAL_ENV="__VENV_DIR__"
+VIRTUAL_ENV=$(cygpath "__VENV_DIR__")
 export VIRTUAL_ENV
 
 _OLD_VIRTUAL_PATH="$PATH"