diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index e380eabf..06c66f33 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -9,6 +9,16 @@ mktest_LDFLAGS = -framework CoreFoundation -framework DiskArbitration
 mkstream_LDFLAGS = -framework CoreFoundation -framework DiskArbitration
 endif
 
+# Windows
+if HOST_WINDOWS
+snapraid_LDADD = resource_res.o
+
+resource_res.o: cmdline/resource.rc cmdline/resource.manifest
+	$(WINDRES) --include-dir=. --include-dir=$(srcdir) $< -o $@
+
+CLEANFILES = resource_res.o
+endif
+
 snapraid_SOURCES = \
 	raid/raid.c \
 	raid/check.c \
@@ -151,6 +161,8 @@ EXTRA_DIST = \
 	test/test-par6-rename.conf \
 	test/test-par6-thermal.conf \
 	snapraid.conf.example \
+	cmdline/resource.rc \
+	cmdline/resource.manifest \
 	configure.windows-x86 configure.windows-x64 snapraid.conf.example.windows \
 	acinclude.m4 \
 	tommyds/LICENSE \
diff --git a/cmdline/resource.manifest b/cmdline/resource.manifest
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..2b9a500c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmdline/resource.manifest
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="yes"?>
+<!-- SnapRAID Windows Daemon Manifest -->
+<assembly xmlns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:asm.v1" manifestVersion="1.0">
+    <assemblyIdentity 
+        version="1.0.0.0" 
+        processorArchitecture="*" 
+        name="snapraid" 
+        type="win32" 
+    />
+    <description>SnapRAID Windows Daemon Service</description>
+
+    <!-- UAC PRIVILEGES: Forces 'requireAdministrator' so the daemon can access physical disks. -->
+    <trustInfo xmlns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:asm.v3">
+        <security>
+            <requestedPrivileges>
+                <requestedExecutionLevel level="requireAdministrator" uiAccess="false" />
+            </requestedPrivileges>
+        </security>
+    </trustInfo>
+
+    <!-- OS COMPATIBILITY: Declares support for Win 10/11 to prevent 'Version Lying'. -->
+    <compatibility xmlns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:compatibility.v1">
+        <application>
+            <supportedOS Id="{8e0f7a12-bfb3-4fe8-b9a5-48fd50a15a9a}" />
+        </application>
+    </compatibility>
+
+    <application xmlns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:asm.v3">
+        <windowsSettings>
+            <!-- Enables paths longer than 260 characters for deep backup trees. -->
+            <longPathAware xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/SMI/2016/WindowsSettings">true</longPathAware>
+
+            <!-- Sets ANSI code page to UTF-8 so fopen() works like it does on Linux. -->
+            <activeCodePage xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/SMI/2019/WindowsSettings">UTF-8</activeCodePage>
+
+            <!-- Enables the more efficient Segment Heap. -->
+            <heapType xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/SMI/2020/WindowsSettings">SegmentHeap</heapType>
+        </windowsSettings>
+    </application>
+</assembly>
diff --git a/cmdline/resource.rc b/cmdline/resource.rc
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..46e7c6d0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmdline/resource.rc
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+#include <windows.h>
+
+#include "../config.h"
+
+1 RT_MANIFEST "resource.manifest"
+
+VS_VERSION_INFO VERSIONINFO
+ FILEVERSION 1,0,0,0
+ PRODUCTVERSION 1,0,0,0
+ FILEFLAGSMASK 0x3fL
+ FILEFLAGS 0x0L
+ FILEOS VOS_NT_WINDOWS32
+ FILETYPE VFT_APP
+ FILESUBTYPE 0x0L
+BEGIN
+    BLOCK "StringFileInfo"
+    BEGIN
+        // 0409 = US English; 04b0 = Unicode (UTF-16)
+        BLOCK "040904b0"
+        BEGIN
+            VALUE "CompanyName",      "Andrea Mazzoleni"
+            VALUE "FileDescription",  "SnapRAID CLI"
+            VALUE "FileVersion",      PACKAGE_VERSION
+            VALUE "InternalName",     "snapraid"
+            VALUE "LegalCopyright",   "Copyright (C) 2026 Andrea Mazzoleni"
+            VALUE "OriginalFilename", "snapraid.exe"
+            VALUE "ProductName",      "SnapRAID"
+            VALUE "ProductVersion",   PACKAGE_VERSION
+        END
+    END
+    BLOCK "VarFileInfo"
+    BEGIN
+        VALUE "Translation", 0x409, 1200
+    END
+END
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 07ea5c40..274b9712 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -19,6 +19,17 @@ AC_CHECK_PROG([SDE],[sde64],[sde64],[])
 AC_CHECK_PROG([ADVD2],[advd2],[advd2],[])
 AM_CONDITIONAL(HAVE_ADVD2, [test x"$ADVD2" != x])
 
+# Check if we are targeting Windows
+is_windows=no
+AS_CASE([$host_os], [mingw*|msys*|cygwin*], [is_windows=yes])
+AM_CONDITIONAL([HOST_WINDOWS], [test "x$is_windows" = "xyes"])
+
+# Check for Windows-specific tools only if on Windows
+if test "x$is_windows" = "xyes"; then
+    AC_CHECK_TOOL([WINDMC], [windmc])
+    AC_CHECK_TOOL([WINDRES], [windres])
+fi
+
 dnl Options to improve stacktrace (some disabled as no crash reported by years)
 AC_CHECK_CC_OPT([-fno-omit-frame-pointer], CFLAGS="$CFLAGS -fno-omit-frame-pointer", [])
 # AC_CHECK_CC_OPT([-fno-inline-functions-called-once], CFLAGS="$CFLAGS -fno-inline-functions-called-once", [])