diff --git a/include/uv.h b/include/uv.h
index 564af5fa..82afbee2 100644
--- a/include/uv.h
+++ b/include/uv.h
@@ -406,7 +406,10 @@ struct uv_shutdown_s {
   /* private */                                                               \
   uv_close_cb close_cb;                                                       \
   void* handle_queue[2];                                                      \
-  void* reserved[4];                                                          \
+  union {                                                                     \
+    int fd;                                                                   \
+    void* reserved[4];                                                        \
+  } u;                                                                        \
   UV_HANDLE_PRIVATE_FIELDS                                                    \
 
 /* The abstract base class of all handles. */
diff --git a/src/uv-common.h b/src/uv-common.h
index 8258d7a1..b348ec76 100644
--- a/src/uv-common.h
+++ b/src/uv-common.h
@@ -196,7 +196,7 @@ void uv__fs_scandir_cleanup(uv_fs_t* req);
   (((h)->flags & UV__HANDLE_REF) != 0)
 
 #if defined(_WIN32)
-# define uv__handle_platform_init(h)
+# define uv__handle_platform_init(h) ((h)->u.fd = -1)
 #else
 # define uv__handle_platform_init(h) ((h)->next_closing = NULL)
 #endif