diff --git a/Help/release/dev/ExternalData-no-symlinks.rst b/Help/release/dev/ExternalData-no-symlinks.rst
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..9323cca625
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Help/release/dev/ExternalData-no-symlinks.rst
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+ExternalData-no-symlinks
+------------------------
+
+* The :module:`ExternalData` module learned a new
+  :variable:`ExternalData_NO_SYMLINKS` option to disable use of
+  symbolic links to populate the real data files and use copies
+  instead.
diff --git a/Modules/ExternalData.cmake b/Modules/ExternalData.cmake
index 883ab69351..a3f460d0ae 100644
--- a/Modules/ExternalData.cmake
+++ b/Modules/ExternalData.cmake
@@ -117,6 +117,13 @@ calling any of the functions provided by this module.
   data fetch rule created for the content link will use the staged
   object if it cannot be found using any URL template.
 
+.. variable:: ExternalData_NO_SYMLINKS
+
+  The real data files named by expanded ``DATA{}`` references may be made
+  available under ``ExternalData_BINARY_ROOT`` using symbolic links on
+  some platforms.  The ``ExternalData_NO_SYMLINKS`` variable may be set
+  to disable use of symbolic links and enable use of copies instead.
+
 .. variable:: ExternalData_OBJECT_STORES
 
   The ``ExternalData_OBJECT_STORES`` variable may be set to a list of local
@@ -842,7 +849,7 @@ function(_ExternalData_link_or_copy src dst)
   file(MAKE_DIRECTORY "${dst_dir}")
   _ExternalData_random(random)
   set(tmp "${dst}.tmp${random}")
-  if(UNIX)
+  if(UNIX AND NOT ExternalData_NO_SYMLINKS)
     # Create a symbolic link.
     set(tgt "${src}")
     if(relative_top)
diff --git a/Modules/ExternalData_config.cmake.in b/Modules/ExternalData_config.cmake.in
index 4434e4bf67..18be6b31ac 100644
--- a/Modules/ExternalData_config.cmake.in
+++ b/Modules/ExternalData_config.cmake.in
@@ -2,4 +2,5 @@ set(ExternalData_OBJECT_STORES "@ExternalData_OBJECT_STORES@")
 set(ExternalData_URL_TEMPLATES "@ExternalData_URL_TEMPLATES@")
 set(ExternalData_TIMEOUT_INACTIVITY "@ExternalData_TIMEOUT_INACTIVITY@")
 set(ExternalData_TIMEOUT_ABSOLUTE "@ExternalData_TIMEOUT_ABSOLUTE@")
+set(ExternalData_NO_SYMLINKS "@ExternalData_NO_SYMLINKS@")
 @_ExternalData_CONFIG_CODE@
diff --git a/Tests/Module/ExternalData/CMakeLists.txt b/Tests/Module/ExternalData/CMakeLists.txt
index b6e24d2474..f07ab71975 100644
--- a/Tests/Module/ExternalData/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/Tests/Module/ExternalData/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -53,3 +53,4 @@ ExternalData_Add_Target(Data1)
 add_subdirectory(Data2)
 add_subdirectory(Data3)
 add_subdirectory(Data4)
+add_subdirectory(DataNoSymlinks)
diff --git a/Tests/Module/ExternalData/DataNoSymlinks/CMakeLists.txt b/Tests/Module/ExternalData/DataNoSymlinks/CMakeLists.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..d3df7fcf9f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Tests/Module/ExternalData/DataNoSymlinks/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+set(ExternalData_NO_SYMLINKS 1)
+ExternalData_Add_Test(DataNoSymlinks
+  NAME DataNoSymlinksCheck
+  COMMAND ${CMAKE_COMMAND}
+    -D Data=DATA{Data.dat}
+    -P ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/DataNoSymlinksCheck.cmake
+  )
+ExternalData_Add_Target(DataNoSymlinks)
diff --git a/Tests/Module/ExternalData/DataNoSymlinks/Data.dat.md5 b/Tests/Module/ExternalData/DataNoSymlinks/Data.dat.md5
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..70e39bd5d1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Tests/Module/ExternalData/DataNoSymlinks/Data.dat.md5
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+8c018830e3efa5caf3c7415028335a57
diff --git a/Tests/Module/ExternalData/DataNoSymlinks/DataNoSymlinksCheck.cmake b/Tests/Module/ExternalData/DataNoSymlinks/DataNoSymlinksCheck.cmake
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..2be3571ff2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Tests/Module/ExternalData/DataNoSymlinks/DataNoSymlinksCheck.cmake
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+if(NOT EXISTS "${Data}")
+  message(SEND_ERROR "Input file:\n  ${Data}\ndoes not exist!")
+endif()
+if(IS_SYMLINK "${Data}")
+  message(SEND_ERROR "Input file:\n  ${Data}\nis a symlink but should not be!")
+endif()