diff --git a/cargo/cargo_bootstrap.bzl b/cargo/cargo_bootstrap.bzl
index 92c6f2b811..f55ba1f4c1 100644
--- a/cargo/cargo_bootstrap.bzl
+++ b/cargo/cargo_bootstrap.bzl
@@ -55,12 +55,17 @@ def cargo_bootstrap(
     if build_mode == "release":
         args.append("--release")
 
+    env = {}
+
+    if repository_ctx.attr.include_perl_on_windows and "win" in repository_ctx.os.name:
+        env["PERL"] = str(repository_ctx.path(Label("@perl_windows//:perl/bin/perl.exe")))
+
+    env["RUSTC"] = str(rustc_bin)
+
     repository_ctx.report_progress("Cargo Bootstrapping {}".format(binary))
     result = repository_ctx.execute(
         args,
-        environment = {
-            "RUSTC": str(rustc_bin),
-        },
+        environment = env,
         quiet = quiet,
     )
 
@@ -166,6 +171,9 @@ cargo_bootstrap_repository = repository_rule(
             allow_single_file = ["Cargo.toml"],
             mandatory = True,
         ),
+        "include_perl_on_windows": attr.bool(
+            doc = "If true, set $PERL to point to a working perl binary when running on Windows",
+        ),
         "iso_date": attr.string(
             doc = "The iso_date of cargo binary the resolver should use. Note: This can only be set if `version` is `beta` or `nightly`",
         ),
diff --git a/crate_universe/bootstrap.bzl b/crate_universe/bootstrap.bzl
index 1777ea4ce7..7925b848df 100644
--- a/crate_universe/bootstrap.bzl
+++ b/crate_universe/bootstrap.bzl
@@ -1,9 +1,12 @@
 """A module for declaraing a repository for bootstrapping crate_universe"""
 
+load("@examples//third_party/openssl:openssl_repositories.bzl", "openssl_repositories")
 load("//cargo:defs.bzl", "cargo_bootstrap_repository")
 load("//rust:defs.bzl", "rust_common")
 
 def crate_universe_bootstrap():
+    openssl_repositories()
+
     cargo_bootstrap_repository(
         name = "rules_rust_crate_universe_bootstrap",
         cargo_lockfile = Label("//crate_universe:Cargo.lock"),
@@ -11,4 +14,5 @@ def crate_universe_bootstrap():
         srcs = [Label("//crate_universe:resolver_srcs")],
         version = rust_common.default_version,
         binary = "crate_universe_resolver",
+        include_perl_on_windows = True,
     )