diff --git a/include/libwebsockets.h b/include/libwebsockets.h
index bc7407c99..4409ee278 100644
--- a/include/libwebsockets.h
+++ b/include/libwebsockets.h
@@ -125,7 +125,11 @@ typedef int suseconds_t;
 #define LWS_EXTERN
 #endif
 
+#if defined(__MINGW32__)
+#define LWS_INVALID_FILE -1
+#else
 #define LWS_INVALID_FILE INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE
+#endif
 #define LWS_SOCK_INVALID (INVALID_SOCKET)
 #define LWS_O_RDONLY _O_RDONLY
 #define LWS_O_WRONLY _O_WRONLY
@@ -383,7 +387,11 @@ struct lws;
 #if defined(_WIN32)
 #if !defined(LWS_WIN32_HANDLE_TYPES)
 typedef SOCKET lws_sockfd_type;
+#if defined(__MINGW32__)
 typedef int lws_filefd_type;
+#else
+typedef HANDLE lws_filefd_type;
+#endif
 #endif
 
 
diff --git a/lib/plat/windows/private-lib-plat-windows.h b/lib/plat/windows/private-lib-plat-windows.h
index f2e93f318..18d87ac25 100644
--- a/lib/plat/windows/private-lib-plat-windows.h
+++ b/lib/plat/windows/private-lib-plat-windows.h
@@ -155,7 +155,11 @@ struct lws_fd_hashtable {
 #endif
 
 typedef SOCKET lws_sockfd_type;
+#if defined(__MINGW32__)
 typedef int lws_filefd_type;
+#else
+typedef HANDLE lws_filefd_type;
+#endif
 #define LWS_WIN32_HANDLE_TYPES
 
 LWS_EXTERN struct lws *
diff --git a/lib/plat/windows/windows-file.c b/lib/plat/windows/windows-file.c
index d768b284d..27b0a9cc6 100644
--- a/lib/plat/windows/windows-file.c
+++ b/lib/plat/windows/windows-file.c
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ _lws_plat_file_open(const struct lws_plat_file_ops *fops, const char *filename,
 			  CREATE_ALWAYS, FILE_ATTRIBUTE_NORMAL, NULL);
 	}
 
-	if (ret == LWS_INVALID_FILE)
+	if (ret == NULL)
 		goto bail;
 
 	fop_fd = malloc(sizeof(*fop_fd));
@@ -58,8 +58,13 @@ _lws_plat_file_open(const struct lws_plat_file_ops *fops, const char *filename,
 		goto bail;
 
 	fop_fd->fops = fops;
+#if defined(__MINGW32__)
+	/* we use filesystem_priv */
+	fop_fd->fd = (int)(intptr_t)ret;
+#else
 	fop_fd->fd = ret;
-	fop_fd->filesystem_priv = NULL; /* we don't use it */
+#endif
+	fop_fd->filesystem_priv = ret;
 	fop_fd->flags = *flags;
 	fop_fd->len = GetFileSize(ret, NULL);
 	if(GetFileSizeEx(ret, &llFileSize))
@@ -76,7 +81,7 @@ bail:
 int
 _lws_plat_file_close(lws_fop_fd_t *fop_fd)
 {
-	HANDLE fd = (*fop_fd)->fd;
+	HANDLE fd = (*fop_fd)->filesystem_priv;
 
 	free(*fop_fd);
 	*fop_fd = NULL;
@@ -92,7 +97,7 @@ _lws_plat_file_seek_cur(lws_fop_fd_t fop_fd, lws_fileofs_t offset)
 	LARGE_INTEGER l;
 
 	l.QuadPart = offset;
-	if (!SetFilePointerEx((HANDLE)fop_fd->fd, l, NULL, FILE_CURRENT))
+	if (!SetFilePointerEx((HANDLE)fop_fd->filesystem_priv, l, NULL, FILE_CURRENT))
 	{
 		lwsl_err("error seeking from cur %ld, offset %ld\n", (long)fop_fd->pos, (long)offset);
 		return -1;
@@ -101,7 +106,7 @@ _lws_plat_file_seek_cur(lws_fop_fd_t fop_fd, lws_fileofs_t offset)
 	LARGE_INTEGER zero;
 	zero.QuadPart = 0;
 	LARGE_INTEGER newPos;
-	if (!SetFilePointerEx((HANDLE)fop_fd->fd, zero, &newPos, FILE_CURRENT))
+	if (!SetFilePointerEx((HANDLE)fop_fd->filesystem_priv, zero, &newPos, FILE_CURRENT))
 	{
 		lwsl_err("error seeking from cur %ld, offset %ld\n", (long)fop_fd->pos, (long)offset);
 		return -1;
@@ -117,7 +122,7 @@ _lws_plat_file_read(lws_fop_fd_t fop_fd, lws_filepos_t *amount,
 {
 	DWORD _amount;
 
-	if (!ReadFile((HANDLE)fop_fd->fd, buf, (DWORD)len, &_amount, NULL)) {
+	if (!ReadFile((HANDLE)fop_fd->filesystem_priv, buf, (DWORD)len, &_amount, NULL)) {
 		*amount = 0;
 
 		return 1;
@@ -135,7 +140,7 @@ _lws_plat_file_write(lws_fop_fd_t fop_fd, lws_filepos_t *amount,
 {
 	DWORD _amount;
 
-	if (!WriteFile((HANDLE)fop_fd->fd, buf, (DWORD)len, &_amount, NULL)) {
+	if (!WriteFile((HANDLE)fop_fd->filesystem_priv, buf, (DWORD)len, &_amount, NULL)) {
 		*amount = 0;
 
 		return 1;