diff --git a/lock.go b/lock.go
index 6268527..88f828c 100644
--- a/lock.go
+++ b/lock.go
@@ -38,6 +38,9 @@ import (
 // advisory locks.  In particular, closing any other file descriptor for the
 // same file will release the lock prematurely.
 //
+// On Windows, LockFileEx is used if possible (for exclusive locking),
+// nad falls back to file creation locking otherwise.
+//
 // Attempting to lock a file that is already locked by the current process
 // has undefined behavior.
 //
@@ -50,9 +53,7 @@ func Lock(name string) (io.Closer, error) {
 var lockFn = lockPortable
 
 // Portable version not using fcntl. Doesn't handle crashes as gracefully,
-// since it can leave stale lock files.
-// TODO: write pid of owner to lock file and on race see if pid is
-// still alive?
+// since it can leave stale lock files, but handles that, too.
 func lockPortable(name string) (io.Closer, error) {
 	absName, err := filepath.Abs(name)
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/lock_windows.go b/lock_windows.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..42ff325
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lock_windows.go
@@ -0,0 +1,131 @@
+// +build !lockfileex
+
+/*
+Copyright 2013 The Go Authors
+
+Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+You may obtain a copy of the License at
+
+     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+
+Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+limitations under the License.
+*/
+
+package lock
+
+import (
+	"io"
+	"syscall"
+)
+
+const (
+	_FILE_ATTRIBUTE_TEMPORARY  = 0x100
+	_FILE_FLAG_DELETE_ON_CLOSE = 0x04000000
+
+	//The function requests an exclusive lock. Otherwise, it requests a shared lock.
+	_LOCKFILE_EXCLUSIVE_LOCK = 0x00000002
+
+	//The function returns immediately if it is unable to acquire the requested lock.
+	//Otherwise, it waits.
+	_LOCKFILE_FAIL_IMMEDIATELY = 0x00000001
+)
+
+var procLockFileEx uintptr
+
+func init() {
+	// sane default
+	lockFn = lockCreateFile
+
+	// use LockFileEx, if possible
+	h, err := syscall.LoadLibrary("kernel32.dll")
+	if err == nil {
+	if procLockFileEx, err = syscall.GetProcAddress(h, "LockFileEx"); err != nil {
+		procLockFileEx = 0
+	} else {
+		lockFn = lockFileEx
+	}
+}
+
+type handleUnlocker struct {
+	h syscall.Handle
+}
+
+func (hu *handleUnlocker) Close() error {
+	return syscall.Close(hu.h)
+}
+
+func lockCreateFile(name string) (io.Closer, error) {
+	pname, err := syscall.UTF16PtrFromString(name)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	// http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/aa363858%28v=vs.85%29.aspx
+	h, err := syscall.CreateFile(pname,
+		syscall.GENERIC_WRITE, // open for write
+		0,   // no sharing
+		nil, // don't let children inherit
+		syscall.CREATE_ALWAYS, // create if not exists, truncate if does
+		syscall.FILE_ATTRIBUTE_NORMAL|_FILE_ATTRIBUTE_TEMPORARY|_FILE_FLAG_DELETE_ON_CLOSE,
+		0)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	return &handleUnlocker{h}, nil
+}
+
+// http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/aa383751%28v=vs.85%29.aspx
+type overlapped struct {
+	internal, internalHigh uint64
+	offset, offsetHigh     uint32
+	hEvent                 uintptr
+}
+
+func lockFileEx(name string) (io.Closer, error) {
+	abs, err := filepath.Abs(name)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	lockmu.Lock()
+	if locked[abs] {
+		lockmu.Unlock()
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("file %q already locked", abs)
+	}
+	locked[abs] = true
+	lockmu.Unlock()
+
+	fi, err := os.Stat(name)
+	if err == nil && fi.Size() > 0 {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("can't Lock file %q: has non-zero size", name)
+	}
+
+	f, err := os.Create(name)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
+	// http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa365203.aspx
+	over := overlapped{}
+	r, _, e1 := syscall.Syscall6(uintptr(procLockFileEx), 6,
+		uintptr(syscall.Handle(f.Fd())),
+		uintptr(_LOCKFILE_EXCLUSIVE_LOCK|_LOCKFILE_FAIL_IMMEDIATELY),
+		0,
+		1, 0,
+		uintptr(unsafe.Pointer(&over)))
+	if r == 0 {
+		if e1 != 0 {
+			err = error(e1)
+		} else {
+			err = syscall.EINVAL
+		}
+	}
+	if err != nil {
+		f.Close()
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	return &unlocker{f, abs}, nil
+}