diff --git a/include/uv-private/uv-win.h b/include/uv-private/uv-win.h
index cd15705e..30962c36 100644
--- a/include/uv-private/uv-win.h
+++ b/include/uv-private/uv-win.h
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@
 #include <mswsock.h>
 #include <ws2tcpip.h>
 #include <windows.h>
+#include <sys/stat.h>
 
 #include "tree.h"
 
@@ -246,6 +247,7 @@ RB_HEAD(uv_timer_tree_s, uv_timer_s);
 
 #define UV_FS_PRIVATE_FIELDS              \
   int flags;                              \
+  struct _stat stat;                      \
   void* arg0;                             \
   union {                                 \
     struct {                              \
diff --git a/src/win/fs.c b/src/win/fs.c
index 15f92961..cd647181 100644
--- a/src/win/fs.c
+++ b/src/win/fs.c
@@ -234,17 +234,11 @@ done:
 void fs__stat(uv_fs_t* req, const char* path) {
   int result;
 
-  req->ptr = malloc(sizeof(struct _stat));
-  if (!req->ptr) {
-    uv_fatal_error(ERROR_OUTOFMEMORY, "malloc");
-  }
-
-  result = _stat(path, (struct _stat*)req->ptr);
+  result = _stat(path, &req->stat);
   if (result == -1) {
-    free(req->ptr);
     req->ptr = NULL;
   } else {
-    req->flags |= UV_FS_FREE_PTR;
+    req->ptr = &req->stat;
   }
 
   SET_REQ_RESULT(req, result);
@@ -254,17 +248,11 @@ void fs__stat(uv_fs_t* req, const char* path) {
 void fs__fstat(uv_fs_t* req, uv_file file) {
   int result;
 
-  req->ptr = malloc(sizeof(struct _stat));
-  if (!req->ptr) {
-    uv_fatal_error(ERROR_OUTOFMEMORY, "malloc");
-  }
-
-  result = _fstat(file, (struct _stat*)req->ptr);
+  result = _fstat(file, &req->stat);
   if (result == -1) {
-    free(req->ptr);
     req->ptr = NULL;
   } else {
-    req->flags |= UV_FS_FREE_PTR;
+    req->ptr = &req->stat;
   }
 
   SET_REQ_RESULT(req, result);
@@ -807,9 +795,10 @@ void uv_fs_req_cleanup(uv_fs_t* req) {
 
   if (req->flags & UV_FS_FREE_PTR && req->ptr) {
     free(req->ptr);
-    req->ptr = NULL;
   }
 
+  req->ptr = NULL;
+
   if (req->flags & UV_FS_ASYNC_QUEUED) {
     uv_unref(loop);
   }
diff --git a/test/test-fs.c b/test/test-fs.c
index 4d72abd6..44cf6db7 100644
--- a/test/test-fs.c
+++ b/test/test-fs.c
@@ -486,10 +486,10 @@ TEST_IMPL(fs_async_dir) {
 
 TEST_IMPL(fs_async_sendfile) {
   int f, r;
-
-  /* Setup. */
   struct stat s1, s2;
 
+  /* Setup. */
+  uv_init();
   unlink("test_file");
   unlink("test_file2");
 
@@ -509,7 +509,6 @@ TEST_IMPL(fs_async_sendfile) {
   ASSERT(r == 0);
 
   /* Test starts here. */
-  uv_init();
   loop = uv_default_loop();
 
   r = uv_fs_open(loop, &open_req1, "test_file", O_RDWR, 0, NULL);