diff --git a/lib/curl_setup.h b/lib/curl_setup.h
index 0aa4f4d7468187..2eb9697fd1a99a 100644
--- a/lib/curl_setup.h
+++ b/lib/curl_setup.h
@@ -777,14 +777,16 @@ endings either CRLF or LF so 't' is appropriate.
 #define FOPEN_APPENDTEXT "a"
 #endif
 
-/* WinSock destroys recv() buffer when send() failed.
- * Enabled automatically for Windows and for Cygwin as Cygwin sockets are
- * wrappers for WinSock sockets. https://github.com/curl/curl/issues/657
- * Define DONT_USE_RECV_BEFORE_SEND_WORKAROUND to force disable workaround.
+/* Windows workaround to recv before every send, because apparently Winsock
+ * destroys destroys recv() buffer when send() failed.
+ * This workaround is now disabled by default since it caused hard to fix bugs.
+ * Define USE_RECV_BEFORE_SEND_WORKAROUND to enable it.
+ * https://github.com/curl/curl/issues/657
+ * https://github.com/curl/curl/pull/10409
  */
 #if !defined(DONT_USE_RECV_BEFORE_SEND_WORKAROUND)
 #  if defined(WIN32) || defined(__CYGWIN__)
-#    define USE_RECV_BEFORE_SEND_WORKAROUND
+/* #    define USE_RECV_BEFORE_SEND_WORKAROUND */
 #  endif
 #else  /* DONT_USE_RECV_BEFORE_SEND_WORKAROUND */
 #  ifdef USE_RECV_BEFORE_SEND_WORKAROUND
diff --git a/tests/data/test1517 b/tests/data/test1517
index 5150ff6edf79a1..bc663ab63acde3 100644
--- a/tests/data/test1517
+++ b/tests/data/test1517
@@ -9,7 +9,11 @@ early response
 </keywords>
 </info>
 #
-# This reproduces issue #657, fixed with PR #668 - on Windows
+# This test checks to make sure curl can call recv() without failing after a
+# send() fails on the same socket (#657). Most OSes should support this
+# natively but on Windows curl must be built with a workaround (#668) for the
+# test to succeed. The precheck will skip this test on Windows if curl was
+# built without the workaround (USE_RECV_BEFORE_SEND_WORKAROUND isn't defined).
 #
 # Server-side
 <reply>
@@ -39,6 +43,11 @@ http
 <tool>
 lib%TESTNUMBER
 </tool>
+# precheck is a command line to run before the test, to see if we can execute
+# the test or not
+<precheck>
+./libtest/lib%TESTNUMBER check
+</precheck>
 
  <name>
 HTTP POST, server responds before completed send
diff --git a/tests/libtest/lib1517.c b/tests/libtest/lib1517.c
index dc6a247a69e5a6..f3961659414e1b 100644
--- a/tests/libtest/lib1517.c
+++ b/tests/libtest/lib1517.c
@@ -60,6 +60,16 @@ int test(char *URL)
 
   struct WriteThis pooh;
 
+  if(!strcmp(URL, "check")) {
+#if (defined(WIN32) || defined(__CYGWIN__)) && \
+    !defined(USE_RECV_BEFORE_SEND_WORKAROUND)
+    printf("test requires recv-before-send workaround on Windows\n");
+    return 1; /* skip since test will fail on Windows without workaround */
+#else
+    return 0; /* sure, run this! */
+#endif
+  }
+
   pooh.readptr = data;
   pooh.sizeleft = strlen(data);