diff --git a/std/process.d b/std/process.d
index 6e239179e..822333b0c 100644
--- a/std/process.d
+++ b/std/process.d
@@ -124,26 +124,12 @@ version (Windows)
     version (DMC_RUNTIME) { } else
     {
         import core.stdc.stdint;
-        extern(C)
-        {
-            int _fileno(FILE* stream);
-            HANDLE _get_osfhandle(int fd);
-            int _open_osfhandle(HANDLE osfhandle, int flags);
-            FILE* _fdopen(int fd, const (char)* mode);
-            int _close(int fd);
-        }
         enum
         {
             STDIN_FILENO  = 0,
             STDOUT_FILENO = 1,
             STDERR_FILENO = 2,
         }
-        enum
-        {
-            _O_RDONLY = 0x0000,
-            _O_APPEND = 0x0004,
-            _O_TEXT   = 0x4000,
-        }
     }
 }
 
@@ -483,13 +469,9 @@ private Pid spawnProcessImpl(in char[] commandLine,
     static void prepareStream(ref File file, DWORD stdHandle, string which,
                               out int fileDescriptor, out HANDLE handle)
     {
-        fileDescriptor = _fileno(file.getFP());
+        fileDescriptor = file.isOpen ? file.fileno() : -1;
         if (fileDescriptor < 0)   handle = GetStdHandle(stdHandle);
-        else
-        {
-            version (DMC_RUNTIME) handle = _fdToHandle(fileDescriptor);
-            else    /* MSVCRT */  handle = _get_osfhandle(fileDescriptor);
-        }
+        else                      handle = file.windowsHandle;
 
         DWORD dwFlags;
         if (GetHandleInformation(handle, &dwFlags))
@@ -1440,69 +1422,24 @@ Pipe pipe() @trusted //TODO: @safe
             0);
     }
 
-    // Create file descriptors from the handles
-    version (DMC_RUNTIME)
+    scope(failure)
     {
-        auto readFD  = _handleToFD(readHandle, FHND_DEVICE);
-        auto writeFD = _handleToFD(writeHandle, FHND_DEVICE);
-    }
-    else // MSVCRT
-    {
-        auto readFD  = _open_osfhandle(readHandle, _O_RDONLY);
-        auto writeFD = _open_osfhandle(writeHandle, _O_APPEND);
-    }
-    version (DMC_RUNTIME) alias _close = .close;
-    if (readFD == -1 || writeFD == -1)
-    {
-        // Close file descriptors, then throw.
-        if (readFD >= 0) _close(readFD);
-        else CloseHandle(readHandle);
-        if (writeFD >= 0) _close(writeFD);
-        else CloseHandle(writeHandle);
-        throw new StdioException("Error creating pipe");
+        CloseHandle(readHandle);
+        CloseHandle(writeHandle);
     }
 
-    // Create FILE pointers from the file descriptors
-    Pipe p;
-    version (DMC_RUNTIME)
+    try
     {
-        // This is a re-implementation of DMC's fdopen, but without the
-        // mucking with the file descriptor.  POSIX standard requires the
-        // new fdopen'd file to retain the given file descriptor's
-        // position.
-        FILE * local_fdopen(int fd, const(char)* mode)
-        {
-            auto fp = core.stdc.stdio.fopen("NUL", mode);
-            if(!fp) return null;
-            FLOCK(fp);
-            auto iob = cast(_iobuf*)fp;
-            .close(iob._file);
-            iob._file = fd;
-            iob._flag &= ~_IOTRAN;
-            FUNLOCK(fp);
-            return fp;
-        }
-
-        auto readFP  = local_fdopen(readFD, "r");
-        auto writeFP = local_fdopen(writeFD, "a");
+        Pipe p;
+        p._read .windowsHandleOpen(readHandle , "r");
+        p._write.windowsHandleOpen(writeHandle, "a");
+        return p;
     }
-    else // MSVCRT
+    catch (Exception e)
     {
-        auto readFP  = _fdopen(readFD, "r");
-        auto writeFP = _fdopen(writeFD, "a");
+        throw new StdioException("Error attaching pipe (" ~ e.msg ~ ")",
+            0);
     }
-    if (readFP == null || writeFP == null)
-    {
-        // Close streams, then throw.
-        if (readFP != null) fclose(readFP);
-        else _close(readFD);
-        if (writeFP != null) fclose(writeFP);
-        else _close(writeFD);
-        throw new StdioException("Cannot open pipe");
-    }
-    p._read = File(readFP, null);
-    p._write = File(writeFP, null);
-    return p;
 }
 
 
diff --git a/std/stdio.d b/std/stdio.d
index 2023a43c7..dcc71be48 100644
--- a/std/stdio.d
+++ b/std/stdio.d
@@ -69,6 +69,8 @@ version(Windows)
     /+ Waiting for druntime pull 299
     +/
     extern (C) nothrow FILE* _wfopen(in wchar* filename, in wchar* mode);
+
+    import core.sys.windows.windows : HANDLE;
 }
 
 version (DIGITAL_MARS_STDIO)
@@ -101,7 +103,6 @@ version (DIGITAL_MARS_STDIO)
     enum _O_BINARY = 0x8000;
     int _fileno(FILE* f) { return f._file; }
     alias fileno = _fileno;
-    alias _get_osfhandle = _fdToHandle;
 }
 else version (MICROSOFT_STDIO)
 {
@@ -118,6 +119,7 @@ else version (MICROSOFT_STDIO)
         void _unlock_file(FILE*);
         int _setmode(int, int);
         int _fileno(FILE*);
+        FILE* _fdopen(int, const (char)*);
     }
     alias FPUTC = _fputc_nolock;
     alias FPUTWC = _fputwc_nolock;
@@ -127,8 +129,13 @@ else version (MICROSOFT_STDIO)
     alias FLOCK = _lock_file;
     alias FUNLOCK = _unlock_file;
 
-    enum _O_BINARY = 0x8000;
-
+    enum
+    {
+        _O_RDONLY = 0x0000,
+        _O_APPEND = 0x0004,
+        _O_TEXT   = 0x4000,
+        _O_BINARY = 0x8000,
+    }
 }
 else version (GCC_IO)
 {
@@ -403,6 +410,94 @@ Throws: $(D ErrnoException) in case of error.
                 command, 1, true);
     }
 
+/**
+First calls $(D detach) (throwing on failure), and then attempts to
+associate the given file descriptor with the $(D File). The mode must
+be compatible with the mode of the file descriptor.
+
+Throws: $(D ErrnoException) in case of error.
+ */
+    void fdopen(int fd, in char[] stdioOpenmode = "rb")
+    {
+        fdopen(fd, stdioOpenmode, null);
+    }
+
+    package void fdopen(int fd, in char[] stdioOpenmode, string name)
+    {
+        import std.string : toStringz;
+        import std.exception : errnoEnforce;
+
+        detach();
+
+        version (DIGITAL_MARS_STDIO)
+        {
+            // This is a re-implementation of DMC's fdopen, but without the
+            // mucking with the file descriptor.  POSIX standard requires the
+            // new fdopen'd file to retain the given file descriptor's
+            // position.
+            auto fp = core.stdc.stdio.fopen("NUL", toStringz(stdioOpenmode));
+            errnoEnforce(fp, "Cannot open placeholder NUL stream");
+            FLOCK(fp);
+            auto iob = cast(_iobuf*)fp;
+            .close(iob._file);
+            iob._file = fd;
+            iob._flag &= ~_IOTRAN;
+            FUNLOCK(fp);
+        }
+        else
+        {
+            version (Windows) // MSVCRT
+                auto fp = _fdopen(fd, toStringz(stdioOpenmode));
+            else
+                auto fp = .fdopen(fd, toStringz(stdioOpenmode));
+            errnoEnforce(fp);
+        }
+        this = File(fp, name);
+    }
+
+/**
+First calls $(D detach) (throwing on failure), and then attempts to
+associate the given Windows $(D HANDLE) with the $(D File). The mode must
+be compatible with the access attributes of the handle. Windows only.
+
+Throws: $(D ErrnoException) in case of error.
+*/
+    version(StdDdoc)
+    void windowsHandleOpen(HANDLE handle, in char[] stdioOpenmode);
+
+    version(Windows)
+    void windowsHandleOpen(HANDLE handle, in char[] stdioOpenmode)
+    {
+        import std.exception : errnoEnforce;
+        import std.string : format;
+
+        // Create file descriptors from the handles
+        version (DIGITAL_MARS_STDIO)
+            auto fd = _handleToFD(handle, FHND_DEVICE);
+        else // MSVCRT
+        {
+            int mode;
+            modeLoop:
+            foreach (c; stdioOpenmode)
+                switch (c)
+                {
+                    case 'r': mode |= _O_RDONLY; break;
+                    case '+': mode &=~_O_RDONLY; break;
+                    case 'a': mode |= _O_APPEND; break;
+                    case 'b': mode |= _O_BINARY; break;
+                    case 't': mode |= _O_TEXT;   break;
+                    case ',': break modeLoop;
+                    default: break;
+                }
+
+            auto fd = _open_osfhandle(cast(intptr_t)handle, mode);
+        }
+
+        errnoEnforce(fd >= 0, "Cannot open Windows HANDLE");
+        fdopen(fd, stdioOpenmode, "HANDLE(%s)".format(handle));
+    }
+
+
 /** Returns $(D true) if the file is opened. */
     @property bool isOpen() const pure nothrow
     {
@@ -797,7 +892,7 @@ Throws: $(D Exception) if the file is not opened.
     version(Windows)
     {
         import core.sys.windows.windows;
-        import std.windows.syserror;
+
         private BOOL lockImpl(alias F, Flags...)(ulong start, ulong length,
             Flags flags)
         {
@@ -810,12 +905,14 @@ Throws: $(D Exception) if the file is not opened.
             overlapped.Offset = liStart.LowPart;
             overlapped.OffsetHigh = liStart.HighPart;
             overlapped.hEvent = null;
-            return F(cast(HANDLE)_get_osfhandle(fileno), flags, 0,
-                liLength.LowPart, liLength.HighPart, &overlapped);
+            return F(windowsHandle, flags, 0, liLength.LowPart,
+                liLength.HighPart, &overlapped);
         }
 
         private static T wenforce(T)(T cond, string str)
         {
+            import std.windows.syserror;
+
             if (cond) return cond;
             throw new Exception(str ~ ": " ~ sysErrorString(GetLastError()));
         }
@@ -1380,6 +1477,22 @@ Returns the file number corresponding to this object.
         return .fileno(cast(FILE*) _p.handle);
     }
 
+/**
+Returns the underlying operating system $(D HANDLE) (Windows only).
+*/
+    version(StdDdoc)
+    @property HANDLE windowsHandle();
+
+    version(Windows)
+    @property HANDLE windowsHandle()
+    {
+        version (DIGITAL_MARS_STDIO)
+            return _fdToHandle(fileno);
+        else
+            return cast(HANDLE)_get_osfhandle(fileno);
+    }
+
+
 // Note: This was documented until 2013/08
 /*
 Range that reads one line at a time.  Returned by $(LREF byLine).
@@ -3679,8 +3792,9 @@ version(linux)
         enforce(sock.connect(s, cast(sock.sockaddr*) &addr, addr.sizeof) != -1,
             new StdioException("Connect failed"));
 
-        return File(enforce(fdopen(s, "w+".ptr)),
-            host ~ ":" ~ to!string(port));
+        File f;
+        f.fdopen(s, "w+", host ~ ":" ~ to!string(port));
+        return f;
     }
 }