diff --git a/src/comp.c b/src/comp.c
index 340ed85038..8e40ea0f25 100644
--- a/src/comp.c
+++ b/src/comp.c
@@ -4008,15 +4008,15 @@ DEFUN ("comp-el-to-eln-rel-filename", Fcomp_el_to_eln_rel_filename,
 {
   CHECK_STRING (filename);
 
-  /* Use `file-truename' or fall back to `expand-file-name' when the
-     first is not available (bug#44701).
-
-     `file-truename' is not available only for a short phases of the
-     bootstrap before file.el is loaded, given we do not symlink
-     inside the build directory this should work.  */
-  filename = NILP (Ffboundp (intern_c_string ("file-truename")))
-    ? Fexpand_file_name (filename, Qnil)
-    : CALL1I (file-truename, filename);
+  /* `file-truename' is not available only during bootstrap before
+     file.el is loaded.  */
+#ifndef WINDOWSNT
+  char *file_normalized = realpath (SSDATA (filename), NULL);
+#else
+  char *file_normalized = ??? ;
+#endif
+  filename = Fexpand_file_name (build_string (file_normalized), Qnil);
+  xfree (file_normalized);
 
   if (NILP (Ffile_exists_p (filename)))
     xsignal1 (Qfile_missing, filename);