diff --git a/Lib/test/test_venv.py b/Lib/test/test_venv.py
index 68bcf535eada10..015f02925505e8 100644
--- a/Lib/test/test_venv.py
+++ b/Lib/test/test_venv.py
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@
 import pathlib
 import re
 import shutil
+import struct
 import subprocess
 import sys
 import sysconfig
@@ -137,9 +138,14 @@ def _check_output_of_default_create(self):
         self.isdir(self.bindir)
         self.isdir(self.include)
         self.isdir(*self.lib)
+        # Issue 21197
         p = self.get_env_file('lib64')
-        if os.path.exists(p):
-            self.assertFalse(os.path.islink(p))
+        conditions = ((struct.calcsize('P') == 8) and (os.name == 'posix') and
+                      (sys.platform != 'darwin'))
+        if conditions:
+            self.assertTrue(os.path.islink(p))
+        else:
+            self.assertFalse(os.path.exists(p))
         data = self.get_text_file_contents('pyvenv.cfg')
         executable = sys._base_executable
         path = os.path.dirname(executable)
diff --git a/Lib/venv/__init__.py b/Lib/venv/__init__.py
index e5addcc393a1b9..dc9c5991df7e1c 100644
--- a/Lib/venv/__init__.py
+++ b/Lib/venv/__init__.py
@@ -174,7 +174,6 @@ def create_if_needed(d):
         context.python_exe = exename
         binpath = self._venv_path(env_dir, 'scripts')
         libpath = self._venv_path(env_dir, 'purelib')
-        platlibpath = self._venv_path(env_dir, 'platlib')
 
         # PEP 405 says venvs should create a local include directory.
         # See https://peps.python.org/pep-0405/#include-files
@@ -192,8 +191,12 @@ def create_if_needed(d):
         create_if_needed(incpath)
         context.lib_path = libpath
         create_if_needed(libpath)
-        context.platlib_path = platlibpath
-        create_if_needed(platlibpath)
+        # Issue 21197: create lib64 as a symlink to lib on 64-bit non-OS X POSIX
+        if ((sys.maxsize > 2**32) and (os.name == 'posix') and
+            (sys.platform != 'darwin')):
+            link_path = os.path.join(env_dir, 'lib64')
+            if not os.path.exists(link_path):   # Issue #21643
+                os.symlink('lib', link_path)
         context.bin_path = binpath
         context.bin_name = os.path.relpath(binpath, env_dir)
         context.env_exe = os.path.join(binpath, exename)
diff --git a/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Library/2025-07-27-17-03-17.gh-issue-133951.7kwt78.rst b/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Library/2025-07-27-17-03-17.gh-issue-133951.7kwt78.rst
deleted file mode 100644
index dfda8e8f10ccf5..00000000000000
--- a/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Library/2025-07-27-17-03-17.gh-issue-133951.7kwt78.rst
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,2 +0,0 @@
-Remove lib64-lib symlink creation when creating new virtual environments in
-:mod:`venv` module