diff --git a/docs/src/process.rst b/docs/src/process.rst
index ecc3cbf3..bc968554 100644
--- a/docs/src/process.rst
+++ b/docs/src/process.rst
@@ -109,6 +109,11 @@ Data types
             */
             UV_READABLE_PIPE = 0x10,
             UV_WRITABLE_PIPE = 0x20
+            /*
+             * Open the child pipe handle in overlapped mode on Windows.
+             * On Unix it is silently ignored.
+             */
+            UV_OVERLAPPED_PIPE = 0x40
         } uv_stdio_flags;
 
 
diff --git a/include/uv.h b/include/uv.h
index 5ac01d59..7e4b52ba 100644
--- a/include/uv.h
+++ b/include/uv.h
@@ -866,7 +866,13 @@ typedef enum {
    * flags may be specified to create a duplex data stream.
    */
   UV_READABLE_PIPE  = 0x10,
-  UV_WRITABLE_PIPE  = 0x20
+  UV_WRITABLE_PIPE  = 0x20,
+
+  /*
+   * Open the child pipe handle in overlapped mode on Windows.
+   * On Unix it is silently ignored.
+   */
+  UV_OVERLAPPED_PIPE = 0x40
 } uv_stdio_flags;
 
 typedef struct uv_stdio_container_s {
diff --git a/src/win/process-stdio.c b/src/win/process-stdio.c
index 84cab473..4c8e11ac 100644
--- a/src/win/process-stdio.c
+++ b/src/win/process-stdio.c
@@ -131,12 +131,13 @@ static int uv__create_stdio_pipe_pair(uv_loop_t* loop,
   sa.lpSecurityDescriptor = NULL;
   sa.bInheritHandle = TRUE;
 
+  BOOL overlap = server_pipe->ipc || (flags & UV_OVERLAPPED_PIPE);
   child_pipe = CreateFileA(pipe_name,
                            client_access,
                            0,
                            &sa,
                            OPEN_EXISTING,
-                           server_pipe->ipc ? FILE_FLAG_OVERLAPPED : 0,
+                           overlap ? FILE_FLAG_OVERLAPPED : 0,
                            NULL);
   if (child_pipe == INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE) {
     err = GetLastError();