diff --git a/src/storage/verified-file.ts b/src/storage/verified-file.ts
index 38332f5f..38407abd 100644
--- a/src/storage/verified-file.ts
+++ b/src/storage/verified-file.ts
@@ -140,8 +140,20 @@ export function readableFileRange(
   });
 }
 
-/** Syncs a directory entry after an atomic installation or replacement. */
-export async function syncDirectory(directory: string): Promise<void> {
+/**
+ * Syncs a directory entry after an atomic installation or replacement.
+ *
+ * A directory fsync is a POSIX durability barrier. Windows cannot open a
+ * directory as a file handle, so the open or sync call throws EPERM there and
+ * no equivalent barrier exists. On Windows the rename itself is the strongest
+ * available guarantee, so the sync is skipped rather than failing every
+ * publication.
+ */
+export async function syncDirectory(
+  directory: string,
+  platform: NodeJS.Platform = process.platform,
+): Promise<void> {
+  if (platform === "win32") return;
   const handle = await open(directory, "r");
   try {
     await handle.sync();
diff --git a/tests/storage/verified-file-directory-sync.test.ts b/tests/storage/verified-file-directory-sync.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..9264abe3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/storage/verified-file-directory-sync.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+import {mkdtemp, rm} from "node:fs/promises";
+import {tmpdir} from "node:os";
+import {join} from "node:path";
+
+import {afterEach, beforeEach, describe, expect, it} from "vitest";
+
+import {syncDirectory} from "../../src/storage/verified-file.js";
+
+describe("syncDirectory platform behavior", () => {
+  let directory = "";
+
+  beforeEach(async () => {
+    directory = await mkdtemp(join(tmpdir(), "artifact-server-sync-"));
+  });
+
+  afterEach(async () => {
+    await rm(directory, {force: true, recursive: true});
+  });
+
+  it("syncs a real directory on POSIX platforms", async () => {
+    await expect(syncDirectory(directory, "linux")).resolves.toBeUndefined();
+  });
+
+  it("skips the directory barrier on Windows instead of failing publication", async () => {
+    await expect(syncDirectory(directory, "win32")).resolves.toBeUndefined();
+  });
+
+  it("still reports a missing directory on POSIX platforms", async () => {
+    await expect(
+      syncDirectory(join(directory, "absent"), "linux"),
+    ).rejects.toThrowError(/ENOENT/u);
+  });
+
+  it("does not touch the filesystem on Windows", async () => {
+    await expect(
+      syncDirectory(join(directory, "absent"), "win32"),
+    ).resolves.toBeUndefined();
+  });
+});