diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index e66f12ff..2171fee6 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -135,6 +135,7 @@ if (WIN32)
         library_win32.cpp
         library_win32.hpp
         time_win32.cpp
+        win32/windows.hpp
         win32/except.cpp
         win32/except.hpp
         win32/handle.cpp
diff --git a/backtrace_stackwalk.cpp b/backtrace_stackwalk.cpp
index a9632149..ce87f6b9 100644
--- a/backtrace_stackwalk.cpp
+++ b/backtrace_stackwalk.cpp
@@ -11,8 +11,8 @@
 #include "debug.hpp"
 #include "types.hpp"
 #include "win32/except.hpp"
+#include "win32/windows.hpp"
 
-#include <windows.h>
 #include <dbghelp.h>
 
 #include <ostream>
diff --git a/backtrace_win32.cpp b/backtrace_win32.cpp
index 4d154060..7e04a702 100644
--- a/backtrace_win32.cpp
+++ b/backtrace_win32.cpp
@@ -11,11 +11,11 @@
 
 #include "win32/error.hpp"
 #include "win32/handle.hpp"
+#include "win32/windows.hpp"
 #include "debug.hpp"
 #include "except.hpp"
 
 #include <cstdlib>
-#include <windows.h>
 #include <dbghelp.h>
 
 
diff --git a/debug_win32.cpp b/debug_win32.cpp
index 63ffc4f5..825bba69 100644
--- a/debug_win32.cpp
+++ b/debug_win32.cpp
@@ -10,8 +10,8 @@
 
 #include "log.hpp"
 #include "win32/except.hpp"
+#include "win32/windows.hpp"
 
-#include <windows.h>
 #include <iostream>
 
 
diff --git a/exe_win32.cpp b/exe_win32.cpp
index 3cbd9c2d..bb8609cb 100644
--- a/exe_win32.cpp
+++ b/exe_win32.cpp
@@ -9,10 +9,10 @@
 #include "exe.hpp"
 
 #include "win32/except.hpp"
+#include "win32/windows.hpp"
 
 #include <experimental/filesystem>
 #include <vector>
-#include <windows.h>
 
 
 ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
diff --git a/io.hpp b/io.hpp
index 5246b668..ddc03151 100644
--- a/io.hpp
+++ b/io.hpp
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@
 #include <streambuf>
 
 #ifdef PLATFORM_WIN32
-#include <windows.h>
+#include "win32/windows.hpp"
 #else
 #define O_BINARY 0
 #endif
diff --git a/io_win32.cpp b/io_win32.cpp
index 697cf0bd..58402d8b 100644
--- a/io_win32.cpp
+++ b/io_win32.cpp
@@ -10,8 +10,7 @@
 
 #include "debug.hpp"
 #include "win32/except.hpp"
-
-#include <windows.h>
+#include "win32/windows.hpp"
 
 using cruft::detail::win32::mapped_file;
 
diff --git a/io_win32.hpp b/io_win32.hpp
index 17fcef02..a5898c38 100644
--- a/io_win32.hpp
+++ b/io_win32.hpp
@@ -13,11 +13,11 @@
 #include "pointer.hpp"
 #include "io.hpp"
 #include "win32/handle.hpp"
+#include "win32/windows.hpp"
 #include "view.hpp"
 
 #include <cstdint>
 #include <experimental/filesystem>
-#include <windows.h>
 #include <sys/stat.h>
 #include <sys/types.h>
 #include <fcntl.h>
diff --git a/library_win32.hpp b/library_win32.hpp
index 0d01a49a..6f0d4367 100644
--- a/library_win32.hpp
+++ b/library_win32.hpp
@@ -9,9 +9,9 @@
 #ifndef __UTIL_LIBRARY_WIN32_HPP
 #define __UTIL_LIBRARY_WIN32_HPP
 
-#include <cruft/util/cast.hpp>
+#include "win32/windows.hpp"
 
-#include <windows.h>
+#include <cruft/util/cast.hpp>
 
 #include <experimental/filesystem>
 
diff --git a/thread/semaphore_win32.cpp b/thread/semaphore_win32.cpp
index 9e829aae..9f354228 100644
--- a/thread/semaphore_win32.cpp
+++ b/thread/semaphore_win32.cpp
@@ -9,11 +9,10 @@
 #include "semaphore_win32.hpp"
 
 #include "../win32/except.hpp"
+#include "../win32/windows.hpp"
 
 #include "../debug.hpp"
 
-#include <windows.h>
-
 using cruft::thread::semaphore;
 
 
diff --git a/win32/except.hpp b/win32/except.hpp
index dde8ead2..6e9a5e8e 100644
--- a/win32/except.hpp
+++ b/win32/except.hpp
@@ -10,10 +10,11 @@
 #ifndef CRUFT_UTIL_WIN32_EXCEPT_HPP
 #define CRUFT_UTIL_WIN32_EXCEPT_HPP
 
+#include "windows.hpp"
+
 #include <stdexcept>
 #include <functional>
 
-#include <windows.h>
 
 namespace cruft::win32 {
     class error : public std::runtime_error {
diff --git a/win32/handle.hpp b/win32/handle.hpp
index 4fc6741e..30099a24 100644
--- a/win32/handle.hpp
+++ b/win32/handle.hpp
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
  * Copyright 2016 Danny Robson <danny@nerdcruft.net>
  */
 
-#include <windows.h>
+#include "windows.hpp"
 
 #include "../posix/fd.hpp"
 
diff --git a/win32/registry.hpp b/win32/registry.hpp
index 10d47f57..bcd3bb88 100644
--- a/win32/registry.hpp
+++ b/win32/registry.hpp
@@ -9,9 +9,9 @@
 #ifndef __UTIL_WIN32_REGISTRY_HPP
 #define __UTIL_WIN32_REGISTRY_HPP
 
-#include "../view.hpp"
+#include "windows.hpp"
 
-#include <windows.h>
+#include "../view.hpp"
 
 #include <set>
 #include <string>
diff --git a/win32/windows.hpp b/win32/windows.hpp
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..2395168d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/win32/windows.hpp
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+#pragma once
+
+// include the windows.h header in a way that won't break anything that isn't
+// aware of microsoft's propensity to grab large swathes of common terms.
+#if defined(_WINDOWS_)
+#error "windows headers have already been included"
+#endif
+
+#define WIN32_LEAN_AND_MEAN
+#include <windows.h>
+
+// undefine a bunch of conflicting names.
+#if defined(near)
+#undef near
+#endif
+
+#if defined(far)
+#undef far
+#endif
+
+#if defined(NEAR)
+#undef NEAR
+#endif
+
+#if defined(FAR)
+#undef FAR
+#endif
+
+#if defined(OPAQUE)
+#undef OPAQUE
+#endif
\ No newline at end of file