diff --git a/.buildkite/scripts/exhaustive-tests/generate-steps.py b/.buildkite/scripts/exhaustive-tests/generate-steps.py
index 95096a2340b..8944a6e1e2d 100644
--- a/.buildkite/scripts/exhaustive-tests/generate-steps.py
+++ b/.buildkite/scripts/exhaustive-tests/generate-steps.py
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ def compat_linux_step(imagesuffix: str) -> dict[str, typing.Any]:
 
 
 def compat_windows_step(imagesuffix: str) -> dict[str, typing.Any]:
-    windows_command = LiteralScalarString(r'''$$env:WORKSPACE=$$PWD.Path ; .\\ci\\unit_tests.bat''')
+    windows_command = LiteralScalarString(r'''.\\ci\\unit_tests.ps1''')
 
     return compat_step(imagesuffix, command=windows_command)
 
diff --git a/.buildkite/scripts/jdk-matrix-tests/generate-steps.py b/.buildkite/scripts/jdk-matrix-tests/generate-steps.py
index ab8c2cd43cf..2f9fd7e9f23 100644
--- a/.buildkite/scripts/jdk-matrix-tests/generate-steps.py
+++ b/.buildkite/scripts/jdk-matrix-tests/generate-steps.py
@@ -141,7 +141,7 @@ def all_jobs(self) -> list[typing.Callable[[], JobRetValues]]:
     def unit_tests(self) -> JobRetValues:
         step_name_human = "Unit Test (Java/Ruby)"
         step_key = f"{self.group_key}-unit-test"
-        test_command = rf'''.\\.buildkite\\scripts\\jdk-matrix-tests\\launch-command.ps1 -JDK "{self.jdk}" -StepNameHuman "{step_name_human}" -AnnotateContext "{self.group_key}" -CIScript ".\\ci\\unit_tests.bat" -Annotate
+        test_command = rf'''.\\.buildkite\\scripts\\jdk-matrix-tests\\launch-command.ps1 -JDK "{self.jdk}" -StepNameHuman "{step_name_human}" -AnnotateContext "{self.group_key}" -CIScript ".\\ci\\unit_tests.ps1" -Annotate
         '''
 
         return JobRetValues(
diff --git a/.buildkite/scripts/jdk-matrix-tests/launch-command.ps1 b/.buildkite/scripts/jdk-matrix-tests/launch-command.ps1
index 5b144e7e8ef..4645881f501 100644
--- a/.buildkite/scripts/jdk-matrix-tests/launch-command.ps1
+++ b/.buildkite/scripts/jdk-matrix-tests/launch-command.ps1
@@ -14,9 +14,6 @@ param (
 # expand previous buildkite folded section (command invocation)
 Write-Host "^^^ +++"
 
-# the unit test script expects the WORKSPACE env var
-$env:WORKSPACE = $PWD.Path
-
 # unset generic JAVA_HOME
 if (Test-Path env:JAVA_HOME) {
     Remove-Item -Path env:JAVA_HOME
diff --git a/ci/unit_tests.bat b/ci/unit_tests.bat
deleted file mode 100644
index 5d785865728..00000000000
--- a/ci/unit_tests.bat
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,56 +0,0 @@
-@echo off
-setlocal enabledelayedexpansion
-
-if "%WORKSPACE%" == "" (
-  echo Error: environment variable WORKSPACE must be defined. Aborting..
-  exit /B 1
-)
-
-:: see if %WORKSPACE% is already mapped to a drive
-for /f "tokens=1* delims==> " %%G IN ('subst') do (
-  set sdrive=%%G
-  :: removing extra space
-  set sdrive=!sdrive:~0,2!
-  set spath=%%H
-
-  if /I "!spath!" == "%WORKSPACE%" (
-    set use_drive=!sdrive!
-    goto :found_drive
-  )
-)
-
-:: no existing mapping
-:: try to assign "%WORKSPACE%" to the first drive letter which works
-for %%i in (A,B,C,D,E,F,G,H,I,J,K,L,M,N,O,P,Q,R,S,T,U,V,W,X,Y,Z) do (
-    set "drive=%%i:"
-    subst !drive! "%WORKSPACE%" >nul
-    if not errorlevel 1 (
-        set use_drive=!drive!
-        goto :found_drive
-    )
-)
-
-echo Error: unable to subst drive to path %WORKSPACE%. Aborting...
-exit /B 1
-
-:found_drive
-echo Using drive !use_drive! for %WORKSPACE%
-
-:: change current directory to that drive
-!use_drive!
-
-echo Running core tests..
-if defined BUILD_JAVA_HOME (
-  if defined GRADLE_OPTS (
-    set GRADLE_OPTS=%GRADLE_OPTS% -Dorg.gradle.java.home=%BUILD_JAVA_HOME%
-  ) else (
-    set GRADLE_OPTS=-Dorg.gradle.java.home=%BUILD_JAVA_HOME%
-  )
-)
-echo Invoking Gradle, GRADLE_OPTS: %GRADLE_OPTS%, BUILD_JAVA_HOME: %BUILD_JAVA_HOME%
-call .\gradlew.bat test --console=plain --no-daemon --info
-
-if errorlevel 1 (
-  echo Error: failed to run core tests. Aborting..
-  exit /B 1
-)
diff --git a/ci/unit_tests.ps1 b/ci/unit_tests.ps1
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..b070c61ffe7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ci/unit_tests.ps1
@@ -0,0 +1,106 @@
+<#
+.SYNOPSIS
+    This is a gradle wrapper script to help run the Logstash unit tests on Windows.
+
+.PARAMETER UnnamedArgument1
+    Optionally allows to specify a subset of tests.
+    Allows values are "ruby" or "java".
+    If unset, all tests are executed.
+
+.EXAMPLE
+    .\ci\unit_tests.ps1
+    Runs all unit tests.
+
+    .\ci\unit_tests.ps1 java
+    Runs only Java unit tests.
+#>
+
+$selectedTestSuite="all"
+
+if ($args.Count -eq 1) {
+    $selectedTestSuite=$args[0]
+}
+
+$startingPath = Get-Location
+
+## Map a drive letter to the current path to avoid path length issues
+
+# First, check if there is already a mapping
+$currentDir = $PWD.Path
+$substOutput = subst
+
+# Filter the subst output based on the path
+$matchedLines = $substOutput | Where-Object { $_ -like "*$currentDir*" }
+
+if ($matchedLines) {
+    # $currentDir seems to be already mapped to another drive letter; switch to this drive
+    # Extract the drive letter from the matched lines
+    $driveLetter = $matchedLines | ForEach-Object {
+        # Split the line by colon and extract the drive letter
+        ($_ -split ':')[0]
+    }
+    $drivePath = "$driveLetter`:"
+
+    Write-Output "$currentDir is already mapped to $drivePath."
+    Set-Location -Path $drivePath
+    Write-Output "Changing drive to $drivePath."
+}
+else {
+    # $currentDir isn't mapped to a drive letter, let's find a free drive letter and change to it
+
+    # Loop through drive letters A to Z; we don't use the 'A'..'Z' for BWC with Windows 2016 / Powershell < 7
+    for ($driveLetterAscii = 65; $driveLetterAscii -le 90; $driveLetterAscii++) {
+        $drivePath = [char]$driveLetterAscii + ":"
+
+        # check if the drive letter is available
+        if (-not (Test-Path $drivePath)) {
+            # found a free drive letter, create the virtual drive mapping and switch to it
+            subst $drivePath $currentDir
+
+            Write-Output "Mapped $currentDir to $drivePath"
+            Set-Location -Path $drivePath
+            Write-Output "Changing drive to $drivePath."
+            # exit the loop since we found a free drive letter
+            break
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+if (Test-Path Env:BUILD_JAVA_HOME) {    
+    if (Test-Path Env:GRADLE_OPTS) {    
+        $env:GRADLE_OPTS=$env:GRADLE_OPTS + " " + "-Dorg.gradle.java.home=" + $env:BUILD_JAVA_HOME
+    } else {
+        $env:GRADLE_OPTS="-Dorg.gradle.java.home=" + $env:BUILD_JAVA_HOME
+    }
+}
+
+$testOpts = "GRADLE_OPTS: $env:GRADLE_OPTS, BUILD_JAVA_HOME: $env:BUILD_JAVA_HOME"
+
+try {
+    if ($selectedTestSuite -eq "java") {
+        Write-Host "~~~ :java: Running Java tests via Gradle using $testOpts"
+        $CIScript = ".\gradlew.bat javaTests --console=plain --no-daemon --info"
+        Invoke-Expression $CIScript
+    }
+    elseif ($selectedTestSuite -eq "ruby") {
+        Write-Host "~~~ :ruby: Running Ruby tests via Gradle using $testOpts"
+        $CIScript = ".\gradlew.bat rubyTests --console=plain --no-daemon --info"
+        Invoke-Expression $CIScript
+    }
+    else {
+        Write-Host "~~~ Running all tests via Gradle using $testOpts"
+        $CIScript = ".\gradlew.bat test --console=plain --no-daemon --info"
+        Invoke-Expression $CIScript
+    }
+
+    if ($LASTEXITCODE -ne 0) {
+        throw "Test script $CIScript failed with a non-zero code: $LASTEXITCODE"
+    }
+} catch {
+    # tests failed
+    Write-Host "^^^ +++"
+    exit 1
+}
+
+# switch back to the path when the script started
+Set-Location -Path $startingPath