diff --git a/Lib/sysconfig.py b/Lib/sysconfig.py
index b8880f5..5d5d5c0 100644
--- a/Lib/sysconfig.py
+++ b/Lib/sysconfig.py
@@ -93,21 +93,28 @@
 _EXEC_PREFIX = os.path.normpath(sys.exec_prefix)
 _CONFIG_VARS = None
 _USER_BASE = None
+
+def _safe_realpath(path):
+    try:
+        return realpath(path)
+    except OSError:
+        return path
+
 if sys.executable:
-    _PROJECT_BASE = os.path.dirname(realpath(sys.executable))
+    _PROJECT_BASE = os.path.dirname(_safe_realpath(sys.executable))
 else:
     # sys.executable can be empty if argv[0] has been changed and Python is
     # unable to retrieve the real program name
-    _PROJECT_BASE = realpath(os.getcwd())
+    _PROJECT_BASE = _safe_realpath(os.getcwd())
 
 if os.name == "nt" and "pcbuild" in _PROJECT_BASE[-8:].lower():
-    _PROJECT_BASE = realpath(os.path.join(_PROJECT_BASE, pardir))
+    _PROJECT_BASE = _safe_realpath(os.path.join(_PROJECT_BASE, pardir))
 # PC/VS7.1
 if os.name == "nt" and "\\pc\\v" in _PROJECT_BASE[-10:].lower():
-    _PROJECT_BASE = realpath(os.path.join(_PROJECT_BASE, pardir, pardir))
+    _PROJECT_BASE = _safe_realpath(os.path.join(_PROJECT_BASE, pardir, pardir))
 # PC/AMD64
 if os.name == "nt" and "\\pcbuild\\amd64" in _PROJECT_BASE[-14:].lower():
-    _PROJECT_BASE = realpath(os.path.join(_PROJECT_BASE, pardir, pardir))
+    _PROJECT_BASE = _safe_realpath(os.path.join(_PROJECT_BASE, pardir, pardir))
 
 def is_python_build():
     for fn in ("Setup.dist", "Setup.local"):
@@ -319,7 +326,7 @@
     vars['SO'] = '.pyd'
     vars['EXE'] = '.exe'
     vars['VERSION'] = _PY_VERSION_SHORT_NO_DOT
-    vars['BINDIR'] = os.path.dirname(realpath(sys.executable))
+    vars['BINDIR'] = os.path.dirname(_safe_realpath(sys.executable))
 
 #
 # public APIs
@@ -439,8 +446,12 @@
         # from a different directory.
         if _PYTHON_BUILD and os.name == "posix":
             base = _PROJECT_BASE
+            try:
+                cwd = os.getcwd()
+            except OSError:
+                cwd = None
             if (not os.path.isabs(_CONFIG_VARS['srcdir']) and
-                base != os.getcwd()):
+                base != cwd):
                 # srcdir is relative and we are not in the same directory
                 # as the executable. Assume executable is in the build
                 # directory and make srcdir absolute.