diff --git a/src/python/grpcio/_spawn_patch.py b/src/python/grpcio/_spawn_patch.py
index 377cc7a9f37..421c7dfee83 100644
--- a/src/python/grpcio/_spawn_patch.py
+++ b/src/python/grpcio/_spawn_patch.py
@@ -44,7 +44,10 @@ def _commandfile_spawn(self, command):
             escaped_args = [
                 '"' + arg.replace('\\', '\\\\') + '"' for arg in command[1:]
             ]
-            command_file.write(' '.join(escaped_args))
+            # add each arg on a separate line to avoid hitting the
+            # "line in command file contains 131071 or more characters" error
+            # (can happen for extra long link commands)
+            command_file.write(' \n'.join(escaped_args))
         modified_command = command[:1] + ['@{}'.format(command_filename)]
         try:
             _classic_spawn(self, modified_command)
diff --git a/tools/distrib/python/grpcio_tools/grpc_tools/main.cc b/tools/distrib/python/grpcio_tools/grpc_tools/main.cc
index 12b40e8ab4a..d49edd323a9 100644
--- a/tools/distrib/python/grpcio_tools/grpc_tools/main.cc
+++ b/tools/distrib/python/grpcio_tools/grpc_tools/main.cc
@@ -24,8 +24,8 @@
 #include <google/protobuf/compiler/code_generator.h>
 #include <google/protobuf/compiler/command_line_interface.h>
 #include <google/protobuf/compiler/importer.h>
+#include <google/protobuf/compiler/python/generator.h>
 #include <google/protobuf/compiler/python/pyi_generator.h>
-#include <google/protobuf/compiler/python/python_generator.h>
 #include <google/protobuf/descriptor.h>
 #include <google/protobuf/io/zero_copy_stream_impl_lite.h>
 
diff --git a/tools/distrib/python/grpcio_tools/setup.py b/tools/distrib/python/grpcio_tools/setup.py
index bf09c0ae922..0b5dc69591f 100644
--- a/tools/distrib/python/grpcio_tools/setup.py
+++ b/tools/distrib/python/grpcio_tools/setup.py
@@ -203,7 +203,11 @@ GRPC_PYTHON_PROTO_RESOURCES_NAME = '_proto'
 
 DEFINE_MACROS = ()
 if "win32" in sys.platform:
-    DEFINE_MACROS += (('WIN32_LEAN_AND_MEAN', 1),)
+    DEFINE_MACROS += (
+        ('WIN32_LEAN_AND_MEAN', 1),
+        # avoid https://github.com/abseil/abseil-cpp/issues/1425
+        ('NOMINMAX', 1),
+    )
     if '64bit' in platform.architecture()[0]:
         DEFINE_MACROS += (('MS_WIN64', 1),)
 elif "linux" in sys.platform or "darwin" in sys.platform: