diff --git a/lib/lws-plat-mbed3.c b/lib/lws-plat-mbed3.c
index a968ff4ac..80e8c2b6e 100644
--- a/lib/lws-plat-mbed3.c
+++ b/lib/lws-plat-mbed3.c
@@ -178,7 +178,7 @@ delete_from_fd(struct lws_context *context, lws_sockfd_type fd)
  * Default file callbacks
  */
 
-LWS_VISIBLE int
+LWS_VISIBLE void* 
 lws_plat_file_open(const char* filename, unsigned long* filelen)
 {
 	(void)filename;
diff --git a/lib/lws-plat-unix.c b/lib/lws-plat-unix.c
index 3ccf3b71d..55d920b84 100644
--- a/lib/lws-plat-unix.c
+++ b/lib/lws-plat-unix.c
@@ -461,7 +461,7 @@ lws_plat_inet_ntop(int af, const void *src, char *dst, int cnt)
  * Default file callbacks
  */
 
-LWS_VISIBLE int
+LWS_VISIBLE void*
 lws_plat_file_open(const char* filename, unsigned long* filelen)
 {
 	struct stat stat_buf;
diff --git a/lib/lws-plat-win.c b/lib/lws-plat-win.c
index 2042fab78..0287c6812 100644
--- a/lib/lws-plat-win.c
+++ b/lib/lws-plat-win.c
@@ -448,7 +448,7 @@ lws_plat_inet_ntop(int af, const void *src, char *dst, int cnt)
  * Default file callbacks
  */
 
-LWS_VISIBLE HANDLE 
+LWS_VISIBLE void* 
 lws_plat_file_open(const char* filename, unsigned long* filelen)
 {
 	HANDLE ret;
diff --git a/lib/private-libwebsockets.h b/lib/private-libwebsockets.h
index ff366495d..999e1e9b0 100644
--- a/lib/private-libwebsockets.h
+++ b/lib/private-libwebsockets.h
@@ -632,11 +632,7 @@ struct allocated_headers {
 struct _lws_http_mode_related {
 	/* MUST be first in struct */
 	struct allocated_headers *ah; /* mirroring  _lws_header_related */
-#if defined(WIN32) || defined(_WIN32)
-	HANDLE fd;
-#else
-	int fd;
-#endif
+	void* fd;
 	unsigned long filepos;
 	unsigned long filelen;
 
@@ -1287,7 +1283,7 @@ time_in_microseconds(void);
 LWS_EXTERN const char *
 lws_plat_inet_ntop(int af, const void *src, char *dst, int cnt);
 
-LWS_EXTERN HANDLE 
+LWS_EXTERN void* 
 lws_plat_file_open(const char* filename, unsigned long* filelen);
 LWS_EXTERN void
 lws_plat_file_close(void*fd);