diff --git a/Lib/pathlib.py b/Lib/pathlib.py
index c42bde459b3..8ed3c883c60 100644
--- a/Lib/pathlib.py
+++ b/Lib/pathlib.py
@@ -418,7 +418,12 @@ class _NormalAccessor(_Accessor):
 
     unlink = os.unlink
 
-    link_to = os.link
+    if hasattr(os, "link"):
+        link_to = os.link
+    else:
+        @staticmethod
+        def link_to(self, target):
+            raise NotImplementedError("os.link() not available on this system")
 
     rmdir = os.rmdir
 
diff --git a/Lib/test/test_pathlib.py b/Lib/test/test_pathlib.py
index 4543e3773db..b127343982c 100644
--- a/Lib/test/test_pathlib.py
+++ b/Lib/test/test_pathlib.py
@@ -1672,6 +1672,7 @@ class _BasePathTest(object):
         self.assertFileNotFound(p.stat)
         self.assertFileNotFound(p.unlink)
 
+    @unittest.skipUnless(hasattr(os, "link"), "os.link() is not present")
     def test_link_to(self):
         P = self.cls(BASE)
         p = P / 'fileA'
@@ -1691,6 +1692,15 @@ class _BasePathTest(object):
         self.assertEqual(os.stat(r).st_size, size)
         self.assertTrue(q.stat)
 
+    @unittest.skipIf(hasattr(os, "link"), "os.link() is present")
+    def test_link_to_not_implemented(self):
+        P = self.cls(BASE)
+        p = P / 'fileA'
+        # linking to another path.
+        q = P / 'dirA' / 'fileAA'
+        with self.assertRaises(NotImplementedError):
+            p.link_to(q)
+
     def test_rename(self):
         P = self.cls(BASE)
         p = P / 'fileA'
diff --git a/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Library/2019-11-15-18-06-04.bpo-38811.AmdQ6M.rst b/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Library/2019-11-15-18-06-04.bpo-38811.AmdQ6M.rst
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..0e4a7f5bdf5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Library/2019-11-15-18-06-04.bpo-38811.AmdQ6M.rst
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Fix an unhandled exception in :mod:`pathlib` when :meth:`os.link` is missing. Patch by Toke Høiland-Jørgensen.