diff --git a/api/internal/plugins/execplugin/execplugin.go b/api/internal/plugins/execplugin/execplugin.go
index 22b379eb5..a6f801ebb 100644
--- a/api/internal/plugins/execplugin/execplugin.go
+++ b/api/internal/plugins/execplugin/execplugin.go
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import (
 	"io/ioutil"
 	"os"
 	"os/exec"
+	"runtime"
 	"strings"
 
 	"github.com/google/shlex"
@@ -50,7 +51,14 @@ func (p *ExecPlugin) ErrIfNotExecutable() error {
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
-	if f.Mode()&0111 == 0000 {
+	// In Windows, it is not possible to determine whether a
+	// file is executable through file mode.
+	// TODO: provide for setting the executable FileMode bit on Windows
+	// The (fs *fileStat) Mode() (m FileMode) {} function in
+	// https://golang.org/src/os/types_windows.go
+	// lacks the ability to set the FileMode executable bit in response
+	// to file data on Windows.
+	if f.Mode()&0111 == 0000 && runtime.GOOS != "windows" {
 		return fmt.Errorf("unexecutable plugin at: %s", p.path)
 	}
 	return nil
diff --git a/api/internal/plugins/execplugin/execplugin_test.go b/api/internal/plugins/execplugin/execplugin_test.go
index d6b9021cf..95cf6257e 100644
--- a/api/internal/plugins/execplugin/execplugin_test.go
+++ b/api/internal/plugins/execplugin/execplugin_test.go
@@ -4,12 +4,15 @@
 package execplugin_test
 
 import (
+	"path/filepath"
+	"runtime"
 	"strings"
 	"testing"
 
 	"sigs.k8s.io/kustomize/api/filesys"
 	. "sigs.k8s.io/kustomize/api/internal/plugins/execplugin"
 	pLdr "sigs.k8s.io/kustomize/api/internal/plugins/loader"
+	"sigs.k8s.io/kustomize/api/internal/plugins/utils"
 	"sigs.k8s.io/kustomize/api/k8sdeps/kunstruct"
 	"sigs.k8s.io/kustomize/api/konfig"
 	fLdr "sigs.k8s.io/kustomize/api/loader"
@@ -89,3 +92,32 @@ metadata:
 		t.Fatalf("unexpected arg array: %#v", p.Args())
 	}
 }
+
+func TestExecPlugin_ErrIfNotExecutable(t *testing.T) {
+	if runtime.GOOS == "windows" {
+		t.Skipf("always returns nil on Windows")
+	}
+
+	srcRoot, err := utils.DeterminePluginSrcRoot(filesys.MakeFsOnDisk())
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Error(err)
+	}
+
+	// Test unexecutable plugin
+	unexecutablePlugin := filepath.Join(
+		srcRoot, "builtin", "", "secretgenerator", "SecretGenerator.so")
+	p := NewExecPlugin(unexecutablePlugin)
+	err = p.ErrIfNotExecutable()
+	if err == nil {
+		t.Fatalf("unexpected err: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	// Test executable plugin
+	executablePlugin := filepath.Join(
+		srcRoot, "someteam.example.com", "v1", "bashedconfigmap", "BashedConfigMap")
+	p = NewExecPlugin(executablePlugin)
+	err = p.ErrIfNotExecutable()
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("unexpected err: %v", err)
+	}
+}