diff --git a/java/src/main/java/org/rocksdb/util/Environment.java b/java/src/main/java/org/rocksdb/util/Environment.java
index 5da471f18..9ad51c7c7 100644
--- a/java/src/main/java/org/rocksdb/util/Environment.java
+++ b/java/src/main/java/org/rocksdb/util/Environment.java
@@ -1,21 +1,20 @@
 // Copyright (c) Facebook, Inc. and its affiliates. All Rights Reserved.
 package org.rocksdb.util;
 
+import java.io.File;
 import java.io.IOException;
 
 public class Environment {
   private static String OS = System.getProperty("os.name").toLowerCase();
   private static String ARCH = System.getProperty("os.arch").toLowerCase();
-  private static boolean MUSL_LIBC;
+  private static String MUSL_ENVIRONMENT = System.getenv("ROCKSDB_MUSL_LIBC");
 
-  static {
-    try {
-      final Process p = new ProcessBuilder("/usr/bin/env", "sh", "-c", "ldd /usr/bin/env | grep -q musl").start();
-      MUSL_LIBC = p.waitFor() == 0;
-    } catch (final IOException | InterruptedException e) {
-      MUSL_LIBC = false;
-    }
-  }
+  /**
+   * Will be lazily initialised by {@link #isMuslLibc()} instead of the previous static
+   * initialisation. The lazy initialisation prevents Windows from reporting suspicious behaviour of
+   * the JVM attempting IO on Unix paths.
+   */
+  private static Boolean MUSL_LIBC = null;
 
   public static boolean isAarch64() {
     return ARCH.contains("aarch64");
@@ -50,10 +49,80 @@ public class Environment {
         OS.contains("nux");
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Determine if the environment has a musl libc.
+   *
+   * @return true if the environment has a musl libc, false otherwise.
+   */
   public static boolean isMuslLibc() {
+    if (MUSL_LIBC == null) {
+      MUSL_LIBC = initIsMuslLibc();
+    }
     return MUSL_LIBC;
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Determine if the environment has a musl libc.
+   *
+   * The initialisation counterpart of {@link #isMuslLibc()}.
+   *
+   * Intentionally package-private for testing.
+   *
+   * @return true if the environment has a musl libc, false otherwise.
+   */
+  static boolean initIsMuslLibc() {
+    // consider explicit user setting from environment first
+    if ("true".equalsIgnoreCase(MUSL_ENVIRONMENT)) {
+      return true;
+    }
+    if ("false".equalsIgnoreCase(MUSL_ENVIRONMENT)) {
+      return false;
+    }
+
+    // check if ldd indicates a muslc lib
+    try {
+      final Process p =
+          new ProcessBuilder("/usr/bin/env", "sh", "-c", "ldd /usr/bin/env | grep -q musl").start();
+      if (p.waitFor() == 0) {
+        return true;
+      }
+    } catch (final IOException | InterruptedException e) {
+      // do nothing, and move on to the next check
+    }
+
+    final File lib = new File("/lib");
+    if (lib.exists() && lib.isDirectory() && lib.canRead()) {
+      // attempt the most likely musl libc name first
+      final String possibleMuslcLibName;
+      if (isPowerPC()) {
+        possibleMuslcLibName = "libc.musl-ppc64le.so.1";
+      } else if (isAarch64()) {
+        possibleMuslcLibName = "libc.musl-aarch64.so.1";
+      } else if (isS390x()) {
+        possibleMuslcLibName = "libc.musl-s390x.so.1";
+      } else {
+        possibleMuslcLibName = "libc.musl-x86_64.so.1";
+      }
+      final File possibleMuslcLib = new File(lib, possibleMuslcLibName);
+      if (possibleMuslcLib.exists() && possibleMuslcLib.canRead()) {
+        return true;
+      }
+
+      // fallback to scanning for a musl libc
+      final File[] libFiles = lib.listFiles();
+      if (libFiles == null) {
+        return false;
+      }
+      for (final File f : libFiles) {
+        if (f.getName().startsWith("libc.musl")) {
+          return true;
+        }
+      }
+    }
+
+    return false;
+  }
+
   public static boolean isSolaris() {
     return OS.contains("sunos");
   }
diff --git a/java/src/test/java/org/rocksdb/util/EnvironmentTest.java b/java/src/test/java/org/rocksdb/util/EnvironmentTest.java
index 301dec22f..ae340e06d 100644
--- a/java/src/test/java/org/rocksdb/util/EnvironmentTest.java
+++ b/java/src/test/java/org/rocksdb/util/EnvironmentTest.java
@@ -4,28 +4,32 @@
 //  (found in the LICENSE.Apache file in the root directory).
 package org.rocksdb.util;
 
+import static org.assertj.core.api.Assertions.assertThat;
+import static org.hamcrest.Matchers.is;
+
+import java.lang.reflect.Field;
 import org.junit.AfterClass;
 import org.junit.BeforeClass;
 import org.junit.Test;
 
-import java.lang.reflect.Field;
-
-import static org.assertj.core.api.Assertions.assertThat;
-
 public class EnvironmentTest {
   private final static String ARCH_FIELD_NAME = "ARCH";
   private final static String OS_FIELD_NAME = "OS";
+
+  private final static String MUSL_ENVIRONMENT_FIELD_NAME = "MUSL_ENVIRONMENT";
   private final static String MUSL_LIBC_FIELD_NAME = "MUSL_LIBC";
 
   private static String INITIAL_OS;
   private static String INITIAL_ARCH;
-  private static boolean INITIAL_MUSL_LIBC;
+  private static String INITIAL_MUSL_ENVIRONMENT;
+  private static Boolean INITIAL_MUSL_LIBC;
 
   @BeforeClass
   public static void saveState() {
     INITIAL_ARCH = getEnvironmentClassField(ARCH_FIELD_NAME);
     INITIAL_OS = getEnvironmentClassField(OS_FIELD_NAME);
     INITIAL_MUSL_LIBC = getEnvironmentClassField(MUSL_LIBC_FIELD_NAME);
+    INITIAL_MUSL_ENVIRONMENT = getEnvironmentClassField(MUSL_ENVIRONMENT_FIELD_NAME);
   }
 
   @Test
@@ -236,6 +240,21 @@ public class EnvironmentTest {
     setEnvironmentClassField(MUSL_LIBC_FIELD_NAME, false);
   }
 
+  @Test
+  public void resolveIsMuslLibc() {
+    setEnvironmentClassField(MUSL_LIBC_FIELD_NAME, null);
+    setEnvironmentClassFields("win", "anyarch");
+    assertThat(Environment.isUnix()).isFalse();
+
+    // with user input, will resolve to true if set as true. Even on OSs that appear absurd for
+    // musl. Users choice
+    assertThat(Environment.initIsMuslLibc()).isFalse();
+    setEnvironmentClassField(MUSL_ENVIRONMENT_FIELD_NAME, "true");
+    assertThat(Environment.initIsMuslLibc()).isTrue();
+    setEnvironmentClassField(MUSL_ENVIRONMENT_FIELD_NAME, "false");
+    assertThat(Environment.initIsMuslLibc()).isFalse();
+  }
+
   private void setEnvironmentClassFields(String osName,
       String osArch) {
     setEnvironmentClassField(OS_FIELD_NAME, osName);
@@ -246,6 +265,7 @@ public class EnvironmentTest {
   public static void restoreState() {
     setEnvironmentClassField(OS_FIELD_NAME, INITIAL_OS);
     setEnvironmentClassField(ARCH_FIELD_NAME, INITIAL_ARCH);
+    setEnvironmentClassField(MUSL_ENVIRONMENT_FIELD_NAME, INITIAL_MUSL_ENVIRONMENT);
     setEnvironmentClassField(MUSL_LIBC_FIELD_NAME, INITIAL_MUSL_LIBC);
   }